The Chi (2018) s06e14 Episode Script
Smoke & Mirrors
1
[JAKE] Previously on The Chi
I want more money off the top.
[GASPS]
[SCREAMS]
A deal is a deal.
[EMMETT] There's a chance
Nuck might be Ronnie's father.
I thought it was the
dude that kidnapped her.
Can't we just keep this between us?
He deserves to know.
I think you're Ronnie's father.
[CHUCKLES]
[NINA] LaPorshe?
What are you doing here?
[LAPORSHE] I just wanted you
to know, when you get ready
to start dating again, I'm around.
[CHUCKLES]
You got me a laptop?
Writing can be a very lonely profession.
- Protect it with your life.
- I will.
Yes, yes. Beautiful Black family.
[TIERRA] I thought you wanted this.
- [MARCUS] I do.
- I didn't ask you for marriage,
but I do wanna feel like
I'm in a real relationship.
- We are.
- It doesn't feel like it.
She said maybe you should
learn sign language.
Maybe you should teach me.
You'll have a security
detail from now on.
And they'll make sure that your business
and your little family are safe.
[BRITNEY] Got some info for you.
- He's writing a book.
- [DOUDA] About what?
[BRITNEY] About his life on the streets.
[DOUDA] I didn't hear you. Say it again.
- What'd you say?
- [BAKARI] Happy birthday.
[LAPTOP CLATTERS]
Yeah, well, good luck on your book.
I wanna introduce you to someone.
Judge Bradley, I wanted to introduce you
to my son's fiancée.
[GAVEL BANGS]
The defendant, Mr. Victor Taylor,
has posted federal bond
but will remain under house
arrest until his next hearing.
Stay away from my client and my family.
You should advise the both of them
to stay the fuck out of my way.
They don't take orders from me.
[DISTANT SIREN WAILING]
[TENSE MUSIC]
[GUNSHOT]
[CELL PHONE VIBRATES]
[KEVIN] If you kill
Douda, you become him.
[VICTOR] Did you try to kill me?
[FATIMA] Victor, what are you gonna do?
Finish the job.
What the fuck?
[PERSON LAUGHS]
Man, you made a mistake!
[VICTOR] If I take his ass out,
then all our problems go away.
[PAPA] I vow to show up
for those that need help.
[VICTOR] You're
supposed to have my back.
[FBI AGENT] You're under arrest
for the murder of Quentin Dickinson.
[PERSON] Is everything okay?
- [VICTOR] No.
- [FATIMA] What do you want?
[VICTOR] I don't want people to hate me.
[PERSON] You can't buy me
out to ease your conscience.
They're calling him a traitor.
[DOUDA] Don't bite the
hand that freed you.
- You kept quiet, right?
- [PERSON] I'm scared for you.
[VICTOR LAUGHS]
[BANGING ON DOOR]
[GUN COCKS]
[APPREHENSIVE MUSIC]
♪
[VICTOR] Boy!
- What the fuck is you doing?
- [EXHALES DEEPLY]
I thought you could use some
company, and clearly you could.
I'm just I'm just
Paranoid?
What the fuck you want?
Knocking on my goddamn door, bro.
I just came to check on you.
Oh.
Maybe the men's circle is working.
- [SIGHS]
- [SCOFFS]
Man, come on.
I brought you some breakfast.
[VICTOR] Bro, we need
to work on your diet.
Come on, man. I bring you food,
and this is how you thank me?
I'm just trying to make
sure we eating better.
This fast food gonna kill us.
Yeah, not if Douda get us first.
How are you?
I've been better.
Could you go to jail?
[VICTOR] I hope not.
I need to get a new lawyer.
Where Fatima?
We're taking a break.
[JAKE] Why?
Stay out of grown folk business.
[JAKE] I am grown up.
Nigga, just cause you
staying in Kevin's spot
don't make you grown.
Man, that's my spot now.
Nigga, please.
I'm sorry.
I didn't I didn't mean that, bro.
I'm just scared.
[SIGHS] I'm scared, too.
[VICTOR] Ain't nothing
gonna happen to you.
You're my brother.
If you go to jail,
nigga, that affects me.
I hear you.
You need something to cheer you up.
- Want me find you a new bitch?
- [LAUGHS] No.
Don't talk like that, bro.
Well, what?
You wanna go see a movie or something?
I mean, it's a bunch of new
scary movies out right now.
- Ain't much I can do with this.
- [SIGHS]
I was thinking about doing
a Halloween party at my spot,
but we can do it here.
Nigga, I don't want a bunch
of kids up in my house.
- We ain't no kids.
- [VICTOR CLICKS TONGUE]
And you don't need to
be by yourself right now.
[VICTOR SIGHS] Okay.
But y'all can't smoke in here.
- Bet.
- [VICTOR] Mm-hmm.
[JAKE] It ain't gonna be nothing crazy.
Yeah. And the party's over at 11:30.
Niggas not gonna get here till midnight.
You better tell them
niggas to get here early.
All right, I'll start pushing
everybody out around two.
A.m.?
[JAKE LAUGHS] Relax, I got you.
And I ain't wearing no costume.
Nobody is. [CHUCKLES]
It's a all-Black party.
- Just niggas in black.
- Mm.
And don't be playing
that music loud, either.
You done already gave me
the green light, you know.
Don't wanna hear nothing.
Okay, okay, ready? Let's go.
- Say "cheese."
- [BOTH] Cheese.
- [DOORBELL RINGS]
- Oh.
- [CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]
- [EMMETT] Hold on, hold on.
[DOORBELL RINGS, KNOCK AT DOOR]
[EMMETT] Hold on, hold
on. Wait, wait, wait.
- Hold on.
- [NUCK] Nigga, let me in.
- My nigga, I said
- Hey, hey, i-i-it's cool.
- He's Ronnie's father.
- [NUCK] Cool.
- What's up, yo?
- [DOOR CLOSES]
[SIGHS] How can we help you?
Yeah, we're about to take
the kids trick or treating.
I figured. That's why I'm here.
Excuse me?
[NUCK] Yeah, I'm gonna take
my son trick or treating.
Hold on. You can't just invite yourself.
Invite myself? This is my son.
Okay, I didn't even think to call you,
so that's my bad, okay?
It's all good.
- Just here to take my son
- We know he's your son.
You ain't gotta keep saying that shit.
[NUCK] Guess I'm just
making up for lost time.
[RONNIE BABBLES]
- [EMMETT] Are y'all ready?
- I've been ready.
You ain't even wearing a costume.
Nigga, I'm a gangster.
- A piece?
- [KIESHA] Okay.
Come on, let's go. Come
on, y'all, let's go.
- Come on.
- Come on, boy.
Hey, hey, come on.
[LAUGHS]
[RONNIE BABBLING]
- My daddy?
- [NUCK] Yeah.
♪
[TOY LAUGHING WICKEDLY]
[DRAMATIC JAZZ MUSIC]
♪
I wanna take a step back from music.
[LAUGHS] Stop playing.
I'm serious.
After everything we've been through,
you're just gonna walk away?
My heart just not in it no more.
[JEMMA] Why not?
Feels like a job.
It's not fun.
[HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING ON STEREO]
And
you're sure that this doesn't have
anything to do with Britney?
If it did, I would tell you.
Okay.
So what you gonna do?
I am going to focus on photography.
[CHUCKLES] Our holiday
photos were pretty good.
I may have found my new passion.
You know, um
I think that you're switching
gears pretty quickly.
I mean, I'm supposed to
try out a bunch of shit
before I land on one thing.
And who's to say I can't
be good at a lot of things?
Maybe I'm meant to be
a Renaissance woman.
[CHUCKLES]
Yeah.
♪
You know, Britney
could use some new pics.
It would be a paid gig.
- In that case, I got you.
- [CHUCKLES]
[KIESHA] I can't believe
it's snowing on Halloween.
- [EMMETT] It's crazy.
- [RONNIE FUSSING]
[NUCK] Oh, no, what's wrong with him?
[KIESHA] He mad that last house
ain't have the candy he wanted.
[CHUCKLES] Sorry, Ron-Ron.
That's just how life works sometimes.
Hey, Daddy gonna get you some candy
when we get home, okay?
All right? [CHUCKLES]
- Instacart that shit right now.
- Language.
My bad.
- Man, that ain't how we do things.
- What you mean?
Just because he wants
something and cries,
that don't mean he gets it.
If my son want a certain kind of candy,
I'm gonna get him the candy, bro.
You really don't got to do that, Nuck.
He got plenty of candy.
Really, he just mad 'cause he tired.
Kiesha, can you walk
ahead with the kids?
I need to talk to my man.
[KIESHA] You don't gotta do that.
Baby, let me talk to Nuck. Please?
Need you to walk ahead.
Look, man, I know this ain't
ideal for either one of us,
but I just wanna establish
some ground rules.
Is that right?
I ain't trying to be
combative, but I want you
- to hear where I'm coming from.
- [NUCK] Go ahead.
I don't think we should
reward bad behavior.
Being upset about not
getting what you want
isn't bad behavior.
It's spoiled behavior,
and it's entitled.
We ain't trying to raise no
spoiled and entitled kids.
If white kids can walk around here
spoiled and entitled, why can't we?
I just wanna make sure
he's behaving in a way
that's reflective of his parents.
I'm his parent, not you.
[KIESHA] Come on, y'all.
Tonight is about the kids.
[DISTANT KIDS YELLING, LAUGHING]
Where are you going?
I'm meeting some of the guys at Adorn.
We gonna watch the game.
- Do you have to?
- No, but I'd like to.
I was hoping we could
spend the evening together.
I won't be out too late.
You're really gonna
leave me for the guys?
[MARCUS] Come here.
- I'll be back in a few hours.
- [TIERRA] Mm-hmm.
What if I'm not here when you get back?
Well, if that's all it
takes for you to leave,
then I prefer you be
gone before I get back.
[SOFT JAZZ MUSIC]
- See you later.
- [DOOR OPENS]
- [TIERRA] Bye.
- [DOOR CLOSES]
[EERIE MUSIC PLAYING ON TV]
♪
[BLADE SHINGS ON TV]
- [LAPORSHE] Boo!
- [YELPS]
[BOTH LAUGHING]
What are you doing?
[LAPORSHE SCOFFS] What's your problem?
What do you mean?
We had sex before, and you
acting like we on a blind date.
You don't wanna give me time
to grieve my relationship?
I thought about that
'cause I really don't
wanna be a rebound.
But I also know that life is short,
and I don't wanna waste my time
waiting on you to get over somebody.
You really wanna be with me?
Why is that so hard for you to believe?
[NINA] 'Cause I'm a grandmother.
You're a sexy grandmother.
[NINA LAUGHS]
[LAPORSHE] Your life ain't over
just 'cause you got grown kids.
I still have one left in this house.
Ain't she grown?
[NINA] Well, she's almost 18.
[LAPORSHE] Just don't
slow down too much.
You still got a life to live.
I don't wanna be hurt again.
When you love somebody,
you gon' hurt 'em,
just not on purpose.
And if I ever hurt
you, you just tell me,
and I'll make sure I don't do it again.
And I'll do the same with you.
You make it seem so simple.
[LAPORSHE] It is. We
make it complicated.
- Why do we do that?
- 'Cause we're human.
- [BOTH CHUCKLE]
- Well, I can't believe this.
I can.
God know what he doing.
[CHUCKLES]
[PERSON SCREAMING ON TV]
[HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]
♪
These kids so grown.
I know, man. Got me
feeling like a old head.
We are.
We the uncles, nigga.
- Oh, hell, nah, man.
- [LAUGHS]
I can't believe we them niggas now.
- Yeah.
- I was just about
to ask somebody if they
wanted to play spades, too.
- Please don't.
- [DOORBELL RINGS]
Kids don't know how to
play no goddamn spades.
[SHAAD CHUCKLES]
- [VICTOR] What's up, Deacon?
- [PAPA] What's up, man?
[PARTYGOER] There he go. What up, Papa?
- What's up, man?
- [PARTYGOER 2] What's up, Papa?
- There you go. Hey.
- [PARTYGOER 2] What the fuck?
Why you ain't in all black?
This holiday is the devil's work.
So why you come?
[PAPA] I'm not staying long.
I gotta host Hallelujah
Night at the church, anyway.
[DOORBELL RINGS]
Where all this coming from, anyway?
I mean, you used to love Halloween.
Well, I'm grown now.
When I was a child, I was just lusting
after candy and costumes,
but I know better now.
- Nigga, it ain't that deep.
- [DOOR CLOSES]
Jake.
Where should I put these?
- You can set them right there.
- Mm.
What's the First Lady doing here?
Shit, she just offered
to buy us some chips.
♪
- That's not okay.
- What?
[SIGHS] I could have
bought you some chips.
Man, she just being nice, man.
Bro, she's married to my pastor.
I know, nigga!
I'm going to church, where I belong.
♪
[R&B MUSIC PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]
[EXHALES DEEPLY, CHUCKLES]
[SIGHS LOUDLY]
Well, you gotta be a miserable man
- to break a kid's laptop
- [CHUCKLES]
[GARDNER] especially one
his teacher bought for him
with his hard-earned money.
[SCOFFS] Yeah, you
you want your money back?
[BOTH LAUGH]
Ah, I want you to let Bakari go.
Yeah, I-I can't do that.
He's one of my soldiers,
and I need him right now.
What he needs is someone
who believes in him,
someone that'll teach him the right way.
And who says that your way is right?
I'm not gonna let you waste his life
the way you wasted yours.
Damn, Elijah.
Do you think I've wasted my life?
You could have done a lot more.
With your charm and your charisma,
you had unlimited potential.
Nigga, just because we
went to high school together
does not mean you know me.
You still the same bully
in the leather jacket
with no place to call home
Otis.
And you collecting these young
brothers who are just like you,
and you feed them a little
money and a little advice.
And the next thing you know,
they're putty in your hands.
[TENSE MUSIC]
[SMACKS LIPS] Get out.
- Let him go.
- [SIGHS]
♪
Sex, drugs, alcohol ♪
You can help me do them all ♪
Sex, drugs, alcohol ♪
You can help me do them all ♪
Who was that woman?
Who?
Don't play stupid.
♪
She harmless.
I told you I need to know everybody
that come through here.
- She can be trusted.
- Mm-hmm.
Don't be out here reckless, bro.
You one to talk.
Man, don't disrespect me in my house.
[CHUCKLES] We only at your
house 'cause you can't leave.
♪
[BRADLEY] I still just can't believe
somebody would murder Alonzo.
[ALICIA] I'm not surprised.
[BRADLEY] What kind of
conversation are we having?
I don't know who did it,
but I think I know who made the call.
Alonzo had a lot of enemies.
[ALICIA] Don't we all?
[SIGHS] So
can Victor find a new lawyer quickly?
A new lawyer won't matter
if you rule in his favor.
How well do you even know this man?
Victor has strong ties in the community.
And looking out for him
could be beneficial to both of us.
Also, aren't you tired of
putting Black men in jail?
No.
I know you're eyeing the nomination
for the Seventh Circuit Court.
Yes.
If you put him in jail
and it turns out he's innocent
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
it'll burn you.
♪
[DISTANT SIREN WAILING]
I need a prayer ♪
Pray for me ♪
I need a prayer, pray
for me, pray for me ♪
I need a prayer, I need a ♪
Pray for me ♪
I need a I need a prayer ♪
I need a prayer,
call the Lord for me ♪
I see these niggas watching,
they 'bout to rest in peace ♪
I need a prayer, I keep
that thing on me, yeah ♪
I know the Feds is watching ♪
Thank y'all for being here.
I already know tonight's
gonna be a blessed night.
And don't let nobody tell
you that spending the night
at church on a devil's
holiday isn't fun.
We got Uno, we got pizza,
and we gonna have a praise-off later.
Thank God for providing a safe
space with pure intentions.
- Amen?
- [ALL] Amen.
Now, before we get into it,
Pastor Zeke is gonna remind us
what the Bible says about Halloween.
First Corinthians,
chapter ten, verse 21.
"You cannot drink the cup of
the Lord and the cup of demons.
You cannot partake of
the table of the Lord
and the table of demons."
Third John 1:11.
"Beloved, do not imitate
evil, but imitate good,
for whoever does good is of God.
Whoever does evil has not seen God."
- Amen?
- [ALL] Amen.
Train up a child on
the way he should go
and when he's old, he
will not depart from it.
Right. I know how tempting
it is to participate
in worldly activities on
nights such as this one.
But I'm glad you decided to be
here with us in a holy place.
And we're hoping if you love
what you see here tonight,
you'll be willing to invest
in your child's future.
We're in the midst of building
a state-of-the-art youth center.
The recreation wing
will have a indoor pool,
a photography suite,
and a recording studio.
Providing outlets for
the youth to have fun
and hone whatever crafts they choose.
Now, as you know, something this special
requires faith and funding.
So we're asking, if you have it,
to please donate to the renovation fund.
Not only will this youth
center change your child's life,
but it could also change the world.
There are many ways you can donate.
Whatever feels comfortable.
Now, do we have any cheerful
givers in the house tonight?
Freedom ♪
Freedom ♪
Freedom, freedom ♪
[SOFT R&B MUSIC]
[CHUCKLES] I take care of myself.
I don't need protection like that.
Why?
You wanna be my bodyguard?
[SIGHS, SCOFFS]
[SCOFFS] No, I don't do guns.
I don't get into that shit.
[ROSELYN SIGHS HAPPILY]
[DEONDRAY] What happens
if he's convicted?
I'm out of a job.
[SIGHS] Don't stress.
Douda got me some leads. We'll be good.
I really wish you would
just cut ties with him.
If it wasn't for him,
we'd both be out of work.
If it wasn't for him, Victor
wouldn't be on trial right now.
He had a rap sheet before
Douda came into his life.
Yeah, but he didn't make things better.
I just don't wanna be
in debt to this man.
Everybody's in debt to somebody.
[SOFT R&B PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]
♪
- [INDISTINCT CHATTER]
- Alicia's a strong woman.
Mm, I don't know if I can trust her.
[LIQUID POURING]
She changed my life.
Nigga, just 'cause she gave
you a job and a leather jacket
don't mean she changed your life.
Well, I'm not the one
sitting here with an
ankle bracelet on, so
[SCOFFS] After all I've done for you,
you gonna throw this shit in my face?
After all you've done for me?
W-w-what, we keeping tabs now?
No, I'm just saying, I
don't need you in here
looking down on me.
[HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]
Hey, man, I know what
it's like to be you.
I been there.
And Alicia looked out for me
when I needed her the most.
Nigga, I was the one that
picked you up from jail
- in case you forgot!
- I ain't forgot!
Shit, I'm sorry I couldn't
fix everything in your life.
Man, I don't need you to.
Hey, man, look, man, the only
reason why Alicia's looking out
for you is 'cause she fuck with me.
I don't need her help.
Nigga, yes, you do.
♪
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
[BAKARI] Coogie came to me in a dream.
[JAKE] Was he all bloody and shit?
No, nigga.
He looked like how he would
have looked if he had lived.
- That's crazy.
- [BAKARI] Yeah.
I-it wasn't on no scary shit, though.
He was like an angel
like he was at peace
like he was sent back to tell
me something I needed to know.
- Tell them what he said.
- [CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]
He said that I was wasting my life,
and this ain't what he wanted for me.
Oh, well, shit, nigga, I
could have told you that.
- [CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]
- Hey.
Look, I'm just glad you're
doing something positive.
Thank you.
Just make sure the book isn't boring.
Man, ain't nothing about my life boring.
- Hey!
- Big-ass forehead.
- [CHUCKLES]
- I'm proud of you, too, bro.
What the fuck is she doing here?
I, um, asked her to bring some weed.
- I got weed.
- [BRITNEY] Not the good kind.
Damn! You ain't happy to see your sis?
♪
Y'all tryin' to smoke?
Uh
no.
♪
[THUNDER RUMBLES ON TV, DOOR OPENS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
I cannot believe you left me here.
[MARCUS LAUGHS] You're not my mother.
[TIERRA] But I am your girlfriend.
Doesn't mean you can tell me what to do.
Asking you to spend quality
time with me is not a crime.
Oh, we can spend time together now.
Well, I don't even wanna look at you.
You know what? I'm tired.
- We're not done!
- [MARCUS] I am.
Are you trying to break up with me?
I'm just trying to get some sleep!
Something is off.
Honestly, I'm not used to checking in
with someone all the time.
Neither am I, but I'm figuring it out!
I just need space to do
my own thing sometimes.
Then maybe you should be single!
[MARCUS] Maybe I should be.
- Come on.
- [TIERRA] No.
[THUNDER BOOMS, EERIE
MUSIC PLAYING ON TV]
[PERSON ON TV] He's breaking through!
Call me whenever you need. [CHUCKLES]
Fuck you find me?
The streets talk.
What do you want?
I did a bid for your son.
And I paid for it.
And I put money on your books
whenever you needed it, so
we even.
Me and Damien robbed that
corner store together.
Shit, ain't my fault he a fast runner.
And you older than Damien.
You should've been looking out for him,
instead of asking him
to be your lookout.
The least you could do
is help me find a job.
I ain't hiring.
Yeah, I'm sure you know somebody who is.
I did six years so your
son can have a future.
Now I need your help.
I'll see what I can do.
Please be seated.
After reviewing the
defendant's motion to dismiss
and the government's response,
there appears to be a Brady violation.
The FBI failed to
disclose critical evidence
and substantially prejudiced
the defendant, Victor Taylor.
Given this flagrant
constitutional violation,
I am ordering that
the case be dismissed.
[GAVEL BANGS]
[UPLIFTING HIP-HOP MUSIC]
♪
I wake up right
before the morning rise ♪
Without a doubt and not a dime ♪
I've been hustling on my grind ♪
Lord, just please give me a sign ♪
I got problems on my mind ♪
Mama always told
me keep your chin up ♪
You gon' make it, take
it one day at a time ♪
[EZEKIEL] God has laid His hands on you.
[SCOFFS]
I know an anointed child when I see one.
[GOSPEL MUSIC PLAYING
SOFTLY OVER SPEAKERS]
What's this?
It's your cut for being
my co-pilot last night.
But shouldn't all the money
be going to the youth center?
We're doing the Lord's work,
so we gotta pay ourselves, too.
I guess so.
♪
Take your blessing.
Buy yourself something nice.
[PAPA] What you gonna buy with your cut?
Oh, probably something for the missus.
[PAPA] Speaking of the missus, um
do you know where she was last night?
I'm not her secretary.
How long y'all been married?
Why you so curious?
[PAPA] Just asking.
Been married for five years.
Huh.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
What's that mean, young man?
Can you trust her?
I can trust her as
far as I can throw her.
How far is that?
[CHUCKLES]
I think it's time for you to get home.
Wouldn't want your mother to worry.
♪
[DISTANT SIREN WAILING]
[PERSON SHOUTS]
You're welcome.
[WINDOW WHIRRING]
Congratulations.
[DOUDA] Okay, which one,
um which one do you like?
[TOOLS WHIRRING]
[DOUDA] Careful.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
Um, be be careful.
She says I'm safe with her.
Uh, when you start
learning sign language?
[CHUCKLES] Serena's teaching me.
Is that right?
Yeah.
[DOUDA] Is that all she's teaching you?
[R&B MUSIC PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]
♪
All right.
Y'all be safe.
- [ROSELYN] We will be.
- [CHUCKLING]
[GARDNER] All right, have a
good rest of your day, folks.
- [INDISTINCT CHATTER]
- [PERSON] See you girl.
What's up?
Yeah.
What's wrong?
I think we should pump the brakes
on the book for a second.
Why?
You know why.
- Did he come by here?
- Um
I paid him a visit.
[BAKARI SCOFFS, ENVELOPE THUDS]
Why would you do that
without telling me?
I thought I could get him to let you go.
- It ain't that easy!
- I thought I could help.
You can't!
This is my choice.
You gotta understand that
if anything happens to you,
it's blood on my hands.
If you don't help me with
this, I'm dead anyway.
[K-SÍ YANG'S "WARN YOU"]
♪
[SIGHS]
♪
You you put all your trust in me ♪
You might need that back ♪
No, I'm not a hero, I
can't save you like that ♪
Mix mixing these emotions
just put more on my back ♪
But no matter where
I run, you come back ♪
I surrender, I surrender ♪
I don't want war no
more, I let you enter ♪
You said that
anything they say or do ♪
It won't keep you away ♪
You showed me that ♪
No matter what you say to me ♪
I still want you, want you ♪
They can't keep you
away from me, yeah ♪
I warn you, I warn ♪
No matter what they say to me ♪
I still want you,
I want you, want you ♪
They can't keep you away from me ♪
Yeah, I warn you, warn you, unh ♪
♪
How's he doing?
He hasn't had any
flare-ups like last time,
so that's good.
I didn't even know I carried that shit.
Most people don't.
I'm sorry he's sick because of me.
It's not your fault.
Do you wish I wasn't his father?
Honestly, I'm glad it's you.
I don't mean it like that.
I'm not trying to be romantic.
- Aw.
- [BOTH CHUCKLE]
Me and Emmett good.
I'm just glad his
father is someone I know
and someone I loved.
So you don't love me no more?
[PENSIVE MUSIC]
Not like that.
I hear you.
[CELL PHONE VIBRATING]
♪
I gotta go.
♪
[EMMETT] So that's the
real number right there.
Yeah, bro, we have a problem.
- [EMMETT] Fuck.
- [DAMIEN] What's up, Pops?
Hey. Hey, uh, Emmett, let me, uh
let me holla at you in the back.
All right.
[SIGHS]
[R&B MUSIC PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]
♪
Hey, I need you to hire somebody.
Come on, Pop, who need a job now?
It's serious. This guy, he
went to jail for your brother.
Which one? My half-brother in there?
The one you made me give a job to?
I ain't got time for
your shit. I owe him one.
Damien don't seem like no street nigga.
What was he doing that somebody
had to go to jail for him?
[SIGHS] Him and two other knuckleheads
tried to rob a corner store, got caught.
[LAUGHS]
Boy, I know you ain't laughing
after the shit you just tried to pull.
All right, look, I'm
I'm just looking for
a janitor right now.
He'll take it.
- You ain't gonna ask him first?
- Nah, he desperate.
All right.
Appreciate it.
Okay.
All right, damn.
See you.
♪
[JEMMA] Wow.
These are amazing.
Damn, you good, Maisha.
- [MAISHA] I got many gifts.
- [BOTH GIGGLE]
[JEMMA] Hey, Brit, you, uh, wanna see?
You look really great.
[BRITNEY] I'm good.
What's wrong?
I can't get into it.
[MAISHA] Why not?
'Cause ain't nobody supposed to know.
Who we gon' tell?
Could tell my brother.
If you want us to be
quiet about it, we can.
[JEMMA] Whatever's said here stays here.
[BOTH WHISPERING INDISTINCTLY]
I work for Douda.
♪
You're lying.
Why would I lie?
[MAISHA] Doing what?
Spying on Bakari.
For what?
He just wanna see if he loyal.
And will he hurt him if he's not?
I don't think so.
Fuck you mean you don't think?
[JEMMA] Wait, is that where the money
for my apartment came from?
Yeah.
Okay, so now you got Jemma
mixed up in this, too?
She not mixed up in it.
That was my money.
They said I could do
what I want with it.
- Now I wish you didn't tell us.
- I really needed the money.
But I'm fucked up about it.
I think you should tell Bakari.
- So he can hate me?
- [JEMMA] Yeah, maybe.
But you can't go on like this.
[MOODY HIP-HOP MUSIC]
Wanna see it from your side ♪
But you're just so cold ♪
This ain't the first
time you hit the low ♪
So how you been with everything?
How you been since, you
know, Dre's been gone?
I've been good, actually.
Better than expected.
Who got you blushing like that, Ma?
[NINA LAUGHS]
[R&B MUSIC PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]
The woman I cheated on Dre with.
Ma, what?
- I know.
- [BOTH LAUGH]
She heard about me and Dre breaking up
and showed up at my door.
Okay, so what does this mean?
[SIGHS] She wants to
see if we got something.
- Do y'all?
- [CHUCKLES]
- I do enjoy her company.
- Mm-hmm.
And we definitely have a connection.
But I don't wanna move too fast.
Yeah. Yeah, I get that. It is fast.
You been through a lot.
But me and Kevin are out the house.
That's what she said.
Well, at the end of the day,
I just want you to be happy.
♪
I have never focused
on my own happiness.
See? That's what we
talked about in therapy.
Oh, don't remind me.
Ma, that's what therapy
is supposed to do.
It's supposed to show you your patterns
so you don't keep repeating them.
[LAUGHING]
[NINA] Ooh.
Okay, tea.
Yeah, tea.
[LAUGHTER]
Keep spilling it.
[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]
♪
[QUINCY] I really don't
like you being here.
You invited me.
Yeah, because I ain't wanna
be seen with you in the hotel.
How are you and D?
We fine.
[DEVON] Don't lie.
I don't know.
Is that why I'm here?
No, you're here because
I wanted to see you.
I know we said we would
take some space, but
[DEVON] It's okay.
I'm glad you called me.
That I drank before you came ♪
To calm my nerves down ♪
And I hate when you say ♪
I need to calm down ♪
Can't believe we in this bed ♪
♪
I've been dreamin' ♪
'Bout this moment ♪
Missing you, missing you,
missing you, missing you ♪
Oh, you know it ♪
You been missing me,
missing me, missing me ♪
And it's showing ♪
[HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]
♪
- [NUCK] Looking good.
- [GASPS]
What what the fuck, nigga?
Don't walk up on me like that.
My bad.
Jesus.
[NUCK] Come on, now, you
know I wasn't gonna hurt you.
No, I don't know that.
Would never put my hands on a woman.
Didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry.
It's okay.
What you need?
[NUCK] Your boy was
supposed to meet me here.
Well, he's not here, clearly.
- He owe me some money.
- [BOTTLE SPRAYS]
You mean a cut of our money?
That's the deal your nigga made.
Yeah, that's why he shouldn't
make decisions without me.
[NUCK] So you wanna
be a nigga's copilot?
I'm his partner, an I'm
the one that got us here.
Niggas ain't shit without Black women.
Might be right.
You gotta be a beast ♪
If you ain't got no heart ♪
Then all your ops
gonna have a feast ♪
Yo, let's do this, go, go, go ♪
They don't want no smoke, unh ♪
[MACHINE WHIRS]
Watch me win one more ♪
You ain't said shit to me all day.
I ain't got shit to say to you.
They don't want no smoke ♪
I'm sorry about what happened.
I only did that time for you
because your dad said you
was gonna be something.
Now I can see he was wrong.
Nigga, we work at the same place.
I've been in the pen for six years.
What's your excuse?
I took a year off after high school.
To do what?
To figure out what I
wanna do with my life.
What'd you come up with?
I realized I like numbers.
That's it?
[DAMIEN] I'm still young.
[KEITH] I can see that.
Look, I do feel bad about what happened,
but you're not gonna come in here
and make me feel bad
about myself every day.
♪
That's exactly what I'm gonna do
make your life a living hell, nigga.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
[INDISTINCT CHATTER,
DISTANT SIREN WAILING]
[DOOR OPENS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
You're late.
I had to handle something right quick.
Like what?
I'd rather not say.
[KENYA] Tell me.
I can't tell you everything.
- Then we can't do this.
- [ZAY] Okay, fine.
If you tell me everything you
did today, I'll do the same.
I'm not telling you
everything I did today.
[ZAY] It sound dumb, don't it?
Well, I didn't do anything illegal.
Neither did I.
Wanna go get something to eat or not?
I wanna know that I'm safe with you.
You are.
I promise.
[HIP-HOP MUSIC]
Let's go, then.
♪
[JAKE] First Lady, now,
when can I see you again?
[TATIANA SIGHS] I don't know.
- Look, I got a busy week.
- Can you make some time?
[TATIANA] I got a whole
life outside of you.
I only need about 20 minutes.
[TATIANA] I need longer than that.
- What you trying to say?
- [TATIANA] I'm saying I'm late.
And I don't have time for this.
Oh, so now you ain't got time for me.
[TATIANA SCOFFS] Jake, relax.
Look, I'll call you later this week.
Man, whatever.
You bring me that thing ♪
I don't even care
if you drive me crazy ♪
I'm still saying, this
whole time it's been you ♪
Them other girls,
they just eye candy ♪
You always been the only
one that really understand me ♪
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
[DOUDA] Ah, Bianca.
Couldn't stay away, could you, baby?
[CHUCKLES]
[TENSE MUSIC]
Alicia.
The one and only.
How the fuck you get in here?
♪
I have keys.
Sit the fuck down.
♪
Fine.
Remain standing
'cause you won't be standing for long.
♪
You know, your son, he tried
to shoot me, but he missed.
Yeah.
I never should've sent a
boy to do a woman's job.
[DOUDA] Oh, so now
you here to do it, huh?
In due time.
I knew it was Zay that you
had your little meeting with
when your boy tried to kill me.
Your soldiers are tired
of marching for you.
Motherfuckers will march for me
as long as I put money in their pockets.
Eventually it won't be enough.
[DOUDA] Do you know I could
kill you with my bare hands?
[GUN COCKS]
Nigga, get your hands off my woman.
Give me this shit.
Fucker.
♪
[DOUDA SIGHS]
♪
I have soldiers, too.
[FUNKY HIP-HOP MUSIC]
♪
Guns up, guns up, uh ♪
Put 'em up, put 'em up, what? ♪
Put 'em up, put 'em up ♪
♪
After dark, you know
what comes your way ♪
Reapers on the block
coming to harvest pain ♪
All the sweet jump
off, call it a phase ♪
Streets of rage blast
niggas like arcades ♪
Up the skull, bring
the heat, hell's flame ♪
Hot like lead,
point-blank, 12-gauge ♪
Haters trying to rob your blessings ♪
Just like Cain did Abel ♪
Like crumbs, you get
scraped off the table ♪
Play with my money, you can
get touched like Play-Doh ♪
With them hits on your head,
I could start up a label ♪
Blowing money fast, can't
take it when you leave ♪
Running up the
stash, putting in work ♪
All my niggas eat ♪
Hey, yo, this show of disrespect ♪
It come right back ♪
Front you the whole pack ♪
Come right back ♪
Run up on one of mine ♪
Then it's get back ♪
Click, clack ♪
Then it's get back ♪
Dish off disrespect ♪
Come right back ♪
Front you the whole pack ♪
Come right back ♪
Run up on one of mine ♪
Then it's get back ♪
Get gas, then we get back ♪
When the reaper come ♪
Put 'em up, put 'em up, what? ♪
Put 'em up, put 'em up ♪
♪
[JAKE] Previously on The Chi
I want more money off the top.
[GASPS]
[SCREAMS]
A deal is a deal.
[EMMETT] There's a chance
Nuck might be Ronnie's father.
I thought it was the
dude that kidnapped her.
Can't we just keep this between us?
He deserves to know.
I think you're Ronnie's father.
[CHUCKLES]
[NINA] LaPorshe?
What are you doing here?
[LAPORSHE] I just wanted you
to know, when you get ready
to start dating again, I'm around.
[CHUCKLES]
You got me a laptop?
Writing can be a very lonely profession.
- Protect it with your life.
- I will.
Yes, yes. Beautiful Black family.
[TIERRA] I thought you wanted this.
- [MARCUS] I do.
- I didn't ask you for marriage,
but I do wanna feel like
I'm in a real relationship.
- We are.
- It doesn't feel like it.
She said maybe you should
learn sign language.
Maybe you should teach me.
You'll have a security
detail from now on.
And they'll make sure that your business
and your little family are safe.
[BRITNEY] Got some info for you.
- He's writing a book.
- [DOUDA] About what?
[BRITNEY] About his life on the streets.
[DOUDA] I didn't hear you. Say it again.
- What'd you say?
- [BAKARI] Happy birthday.
[LAPTOP CLATTERS]
Yeah, well, good luck on your book.
I wanna introduce you to someone.
Judge Bradley, I wanted to introduce you
to my son's fiancée.
[GAVEL BANGS]
The defendant, Mr. Victor Taylor,
has posted federal bond
but will remain under house
arrest until his next hearing.
Stay away from my client and my family.
You should advise the both of them
to stay the fuck out of my way.
They don't take orders from me.
[DISTANT SIREN WAILING]
[TENSE MUSIC]
[GUNSHOT]
[CELL PHONE VIBRATES]
[KEVIN] If you kill
Douda, you become him.
[VICTOR] Did you try to kill me?
[FATIMA] Victor, what are you gonna do?
Finish the job.
What the fuck?
[PERSON LAUGHS]
Man, you made a mistake!
[VICTOR] If I take his ass out,
then all our problems go away.
[PAPA] I vow to show up
for those that need help.
[VICTOR] You're
supposed to have my back.
[FBI AGENT] You're under arrest
for the murder of Quentin Dickinson.
[PERSON] Is everything okay?
- [VICTOR] No.
- [FATIMA] What do you want?
[VICTOR] I don't want people to hate me.
[PERSON] You can't buy me
out to ease your conscience.
They're calling him a traitor.
[DOUDA] Don't bite the
hand that freed you.
- You kept quiet, right?
- [PERSON] I'm scared for you.
[VICTOR LAUGHS]
[BANGING ON DOOR]
[GUN COCKS]
[APPREHENSIVE MUSIC]
♪
[VICTOR] Boy!
- What the fuck is you doing?
- [EXHALES DEEPLY]
I thought you could use some
company, and clearly you could.
I'm just I'm just
Paranoid?
What the fuck you want?
Knocking on my goddamn door, bro.
I just came to check on you.
Oh.
Maybe the men's circle is working.
- [SIGHS]
- [SCOFFS]
Man, come on.
I brought you some breakfast.
[VICTOR] Bro, we need
to work on your diet.
Come on, man. I bring you food,
and this is how you thank me?
I'm just trying to make
sure we eating better.
This fast food gonna kill us.
Yeah, not if Douda get us first.
How are you?
I've been better.
Could you go to jail?
[VICTOR] I hope not.
I need to get a new lawyer.
Where Fatima?
We're taking a break.
[JAKE] Why?
Stay out of grown folk business.
[JAKE] I am grown up.
Nigga, just cause you
staying in Kevin's spot
don't make you grown.
Man, that's my spot now.
Nigga, please.
I'm sorry.
I didn't I didn't mean that, bro.
I'm just scared.
[SIGHS] I'm scared, too.
[VICTOR] Ain't nothing
gonna happen to you.
You're my brother.
If you go to jail,
nigga, that affects me.
I hear you.
You need something to cheer you up.
- Want me find you a new bitch?
- [LAUGHS] No.
Don't talk like that, bro.
Well, what?
You wanna go see a movie or something?
I mean, it's a bunch of new
scary movies out right now.
- Ain't much I can do with this.
- [SIGHS]
I was thinking about doing
a Halloween party at my spot,
but we can do it here.
Nigga, I don't want a bunch
of kids up in my house.
- We ain't no kids.
- [VICTOR CLICKS TONGUE]
And you don't need to
be by yourself right now.
[VICTOR SIGHS] Okay.
But y'all can't smoke in here.
- Bet.
- [VICTOR] Mm-hmm.
[JAKE] It ain't gonna be nothing crazy.
Yeah. And the party's over at 11:30.
Niggas not gonna get here till midnight.
You better tell them
niggas to get here early.
All right, I'll start pushing
everybody out around two.
A.m.?
[JAKE LAUGHS] Relax, I got you.
And I ain't wearing no costume.
Nobody is. [CHUCKLES]
It's a all-Black party.
- Just niggas in black.
- Mm.
And don't be playing
that music loud, either.
You done already gave me
the green light, you know.
Don't wanna hear nothing.
Okay, okay, ready? Let's go.
- Say "cheese."
- [BOTH] Cheese.
- [DOORBELL RINGS]
- Oh.
- [CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]
- [EMMETT] Hold on, hold on.
[DOORBELL RINGS, KNOCK AT DOOR]
[EMMETT] Hold on, hold
on. Wait, wait, wait.
- Hold on.
- [NUCK] Nigga, let me in.
- My nigga, I said
- Hey, hey, i-i-it's cool.
- He's Ronnie's father.
- [NUCK] Cool.
- What's up, yo?
- [DOOR CLOSES]
[SIGHS] How can we help you?
Yeah, we're about to take
the kids trick or treating.
I figured. That's why I'm here.
Excuse me?
[NUCK] Yeah, I'm gonna take
my son trick or treating.
Hold on. You can't just invite yourself.
Invite myself? This is my son.
Okay, I didn't even think to call you,
so that's my bad, okay?
It's all good.
- Just here to take my son
- We know he's your son.
You ain't gotta keep saying that shit.
[NUCK] Guess I'm just
making up for lost time.
[RONNIE BABBLES]
- [EMMETT] Are y'all ready?
- I've been ready.
You ain't even wearing a costume.
Nigga, I'm a gangster.
- A piece?
- [KIESHA] Okay.
Come on, let's go. Come
on, y'all, let's go.
- Come on.
- Come on, boy.
Hey, hey, come on.
[LAUGHS]
[RONNIE BABBLING]
- My daddy?
- [NUCK] Yeah.
♪
[TOY LAUGHING WICKEDLY]
[DRAMATIC JAZZ MUSIC]
♪
I wanna take a step back from music.
[LAUGHS] Stop playing.
I'm serious.
After everything we've been through,
you're just gonna walk away?
My heart just not in it no more.
[JEMMA] Why not?
Feels like a job.
It's not fun.
[HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING ON STEREO]
And
you're sure that this doesn't have
anything to do with Britney?
If it did, I would tell you.
Okay.
So what you gonna do?
I am going to focus on photography.
[CHUCKLES] Our holiday
photos were pretty good.
I may have found my new passion.
You know, um
I think that you're switching
gears pretty quickly.
I mean, I'm supposed to
try out a bunch of shit
before I land on one thing.
And who's to say I can't
be good at a lot of things?
Maybe I'm meant to be
a Renaissance woman.
[CHUCKLES]
Yeah.
♪
You know, Britney
could use some new pics.
It would be a paid gig.
- In that case, I got you.
- [CHUCKLES]
[KIESHA] I can't believe
it's snowing on Halloween.
- [EMMETT] It's crazy.
- [RONNIE FUSSING]
[NUCK] Oh, no, what's wrong with him?
[KIESHA] He mad that last house
ain't have the candy he wanted.
[CHUCKLES] Sorry, Ron-Ron.
That's just how life works sometimes.
Hey, Daddy gonna get you some candy
when we get home, okay?
All right? [CHUCKLES]
- Instacart that shit right now.
- Language.
My bad.
- Man, that ain't how we do things.
- What you mean?
Just because he wants
something and cries,
that don't mean he gets it.
If my son want a certain kind of candy,
I'm gonna get him the candy, bro.
You really don't got to do that, Nuck.
He got plenty of candy.
Really, he just mad 'cause he tired.
Kiesha, can you walk
ahead with the kids?
I need to talk to my man.
[KIESHA] You don't gotta do that.
Baby, let me talk to Nuck. Please?
Need you to walk ahead.
Look, man, I know this ain't
ideal for either one of us,
but I just wanna establish
some ground rules.
Is that right?
I ain't trying to be
combative, but I want you
- to hear where I'm coming from.
- [NUCK] Go ahead.
I don't think we should
reward bad behavior.
Being upset about not
getting what you want
isn't bad behavior.
It's spoiled behavior,
and it's entitled.
We ain't trying to raise no
spoiled and entitled kids.
If white kids can walk around here
spoiled and entitled, why can't we?
I just wanna make sure
he's behaving in a way
that's reflective of his parents.
I'm his parent, not you.
[KIESHA] Come on, y'all.
Tonight is about the kids.
[DISTANT KIDS YELLING, LAUGHING]
Where are you going?
I'm meeting some of the guys at Adorn.
We gonna watch the game.
- Do you have to?
- No, but I'd like to.
I was hoping we could
spend the evening together.
I won't be out too late.
You're really gonna
leave me for the guys?
[MARCUS] Come here.
- I'll be back in a few hours.
- [TIERRA] Mm-hmm.
What if I'm not here when you get back?
Well, if that's all it
takes for you to leave,
then I prefer you be
gone before I get back.
[SOFT JAZZ MUSIC]
- See you later.
- [DOOR OPENS]
- [TIERRA] Bye.
- [DOOR CLOSES]
[EERIE MUSIC PLAYING ON TV]
♪
[BLADE SHINGS ON TV]
- [LAPORSHE] Boo!
- [YELPS]
[BOTH LAUGHING]
What are you doing?
[LAPORSHE SCOFFS] What's your problem?
What do you mean?
We had sex before, and you
acting like we on a blind date.
You don't wanna give me time
to grieve my relationship?
I thought about that
'cause I really don't
wanna be a rebound.
But I also know that life is short,
and I don't wanna waste my time
waiting on you to get over somebody.
You really wanna be with me?
Why is that so hard for you to believe?
[NINA] 'Cause I'm a grandmother.
You're a sexy grandmother.
[NINA LAUGHS]
[LAPORSHE] Your life ain't over
just 'cause you got grown kids.
I still have one left in this house.
Ain't she grown?
[NINA] Well, she's almost 18.
[LAPORSHE] Just don't
slow down too much.
You still got a life to live.
I don't wanna be hurt again.
When you love somebody,
you gon' hurt 'em,
just not on purpose.
And if I ever hurt
you, you just tell me,
and I'll make sure I don't do it again.
And I'll do the same with you.
You make it seem so simple.
[LAPORSHE] It is. We
make it complicated.
- Why do we do that?
- 'Cause we're human.
- [BOTH CHUCKLE]
- Well, I can't believe this.
I can.
God know what he doing.
[CHUCKLES]
[PERSON SCREAMING ON TV]
[HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]
♪
These kids so grown.
I know, man. Got me
feeling like a old head.
We are.
We the uncles, nigga.
- Oh, hell, nah, man.
- [LAUGHS]
I can't believe we them niggas now.
- Yeah.
- I was just about
to ask somebody if they
wanted to play spades, too.
- Please don't.
- [DOORBELL RINGS]
Kids don't know how to
play no goddamn spades.
[SHAAD CHUCKLES]
- [VICTOR] What's up, Deacon?
- [PAPA] What's up, man?
[PARTYGOER] There he go. What up, Papa?
- What's up, man?
- [PARTYGOER 2] What's up, Papa?
- There you go. Hey.
- [PARTYGOER 2] What the fuck?
Why you ain't in all black?
This holiday is the devil's work.
So why you come?
[PAPA] I'm not staying long.
I gotta host Hallelujah
Night at the church, anyway.
[DOORBELL RINGS]
Where all this coming from, anyway?
I mean, you used to love Halloween.
Well, I'm grown now.
When I was a child, I was just lusting
after candy and costumes,
but I know better now.
- Nigga, it ain't that deep.
- [DOOR CLOSES]
Jake.
Where should I put these?
- You can set them right there.
- Mm.
What's the First Lady doing here?
Shit, she just offered
to buy us some chips.
♪
- That's not okay.
- What?
[SIGHS] I could have
bought you some chips.
Man, she just being nice, man.
Bro, she's married to my pastor.
I know, nigga!
I'm going to church, where I belong.
♪
[R&B MUSIC PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]
[EXHALES DEEPLY, CHUCKLES]
[SIGHS LOUDLY]
Well, you gotta be a miserable man
- to break a kid's laptop
- [CHUCKLES]
[GARDNER] especially one
his teacher bought for him
with his hard-earned money.
[SCOFFS] Yeah, you
you want your money back?
[BOTH LAUGH]
Ah, I want you to let Bakari go.
Yeah, I-I can't do that.
He's one of my soldiers,
and I need him right now.
What he needs is someone
who believes in him,
someone that'll teach him the right way.
And who says that your way is right?
I'm not gonna let you waste his life
the way you wasted yours.
Damn, Elijah.
Do you think I've wasted my life?
You could have done a lot more.
With your charm and your charisma,
you had unlimited potential.
Nigga, just because we
went to high school together
does not mean you know me.
You still the same bully
in the leather jacket
with no place to call home
Otis.
And you collecting these young
brothers who are just like you,
and you feed them a little
money and a little advice.
And the next thing you know,
they're putty in your hands.
[TENSE MUSIC]
[SMACKS LIPS] Get out.
- Let him go.
- [SIGHS]
♪
Sex, drugs, alcohol ♪
You can help me do them all ♪
Sex, drugs, alcohol ♪
You can help me do them all ♪
Who was that woman?
Who?
Don't play stupid.
♪
She harmless.
I told you I need to know everybody
that come through here.
- She can be trusted.
- Mm-hmm.
Don't be out here reckless, bro.
You one to talk.
Man, don't disrespect me in my house.
[CHUCKLES] We only at your
house 'cause you can't leave.
♪
[BRADLEY] I still just can't believe
somebody would murder Alonzo.
[ALICIA] I'm not surprised.
[BRADLEY] What kind of
conversation are we having?
I don't know who did it,
but I think I know who made the call.
Alonzo had a lot of enemies.
[ALICIA] Don't we all?
[SIGHS] So
can Victor find a new lawyer quickly?
A new lawyer won't matter
if you rule in his favor.
How well do you even know this man?
Victor has strong ties in the community.
And looking out for him
could be beneficial to both of us.
Also, aren't you tired of
putting Black men in jail?
No.
I know you're eyeing the nomination
for the Seventh Circuit Court.
Yes.
If you put him in jail
and it turns out he's innocent
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
it'll burn you.
♪
[DISTANT SIREN WAILING]
I need a prayer ♪
Pray for me ♪
I need a prayer, pray
for me, pray for me ♪
I need a prayer, I need a ♪
Pray for me ♪
I need a I need a prayer ♪
I need a prayer,
call the Lord for me ♪
I see these niggas watching,
they 'bout to rest in peace ♪
I need a prayer, I keep
that thing on me, yeah ♪
I know the Feds is watching ♪
Thank y'all for being here.
I already know tonight's
gonna be a blessed night.
And don't let nobody tell
you that spending the night
at church on a devil's
holiday isn't fun.
We got Uno, we got pizza,
and we gonna have a praise-off later.
Thank God for providing a safe
space with pure intentions.
- Amen?
- [ALL] Amen.
Now, before we get into it,
Pastor Zeke is gonna remind us
what the Bible says about Halloween.
First Corinthians,
chapter ten, verse 21.
"You cannot drink the cup of
the Lord and the cup of demons.
You cannot partake of
the table of the Lord
and the table of demons."
Third John 1:11.
"Beloved, do not imitate
evil, but imitate good,
for whoever does good is of God.
Whoever does evil has not seen God."
- Amen?
- [ALL] Amen.
Train up a child on
the way he should go
and when he's old, he
will not depart from it.
Right. I know how tempting
it is to participate
in worldly activities on
nights such as this one.
But I'm glad you decided to be
here with us in a holy place.
And we're hoping if you love
what you see here tonight,
you'll be willing to invest
in your child's future.
We're in the midst of building
a state-of-the-art youth center.
The recreation wing
will have a indoor pool,
a photography suite,
and a recording studio.
Providing outlets for
the youth to have fun
and hone whatever crafts they choose.
Now, as you know, something this special
requires faith and funding.
So we're asking, if you have it,
to please donate to the renovation fund.
Not only will this youth
center change your child's life,
but it could also change the world.
There are many ways you can donate.
Whatever feels comfortable.
Now, do we have any cheerful
givers in the house tonight?
Freedom ♪
Freedom ♪
Freedom, freedom ♪
[SOFT R&B MUSIC]
[CHUCKLES] I take care of myself.
I don't need protection like that.
Why?
You wanna be my bodyguard?
[SIGHS, SCOFFS]
[SCOFFS] No, I don't do guns.
I don't get into that shit.
[ROSELYN SIGHS HAPPILY]
[DEONDRAY] What happens
if he's convicted?
I'm out of a job.
[SIGHS] Don't stress.
Douda got me some leads. We'll be good.
I really wish you would
just cut ties with him.
If it wasn't for him,
we'd both be out of work.
If it wasn't for him, Victor
wouldn't be on trial right now.
He had a rap sheet before
Douda came into his life.
Yeah, but he didn't make things better.
I just don't wanna be
in debt to this man.
Everybody's in debt to somebody.
[SOFT R&B PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]
♪
- [INDISTINCT CHATTER]
- Alicia's a strong woman.
Mm, I don't know if I can trust her.
[LIQUID POURING]
She changed my life.
Nigga, just 'cause she gave
you a job and a leather jacket
don't mean she changed your life.
Well, I'm not the one
sitting here with an
ankle bracelet on, so
[SCOFFS] After all I've done for you,
you gonna throw this shit in my face?
After all you've done for me?
W-w-what, we keeping tabs now?
No, I'm just saying, I
don't need you in here
looking down on me.
[HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]
Hey, man, I know what
it's like to be you.
I been there.
And Alicia looked out for me
when I needed her the most.
Nigga, I was the one that
picked you up from jail
- in case you forgot!
- I ain't forgot!
Shit, I'm sorry I couldn't
fix everything in your life.
Man, I don't need you to.
Hey, man, look, man, the only
reason why Alicia's looking out
for you is 'cause she fuck with me.
I don't need her help.
Nigga, yes, you do.
♪
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
[BAKARI] Coogie came to me in a dream.
[JAKE] Was he all bloody and shit?
No, nigga.
He looked like how he would
have looked if he had lived.
- That's crazy.
- [BAKARI] Yeah.
I-it wasn't on no scary shit, though.
He was like an angel
like he was at peace
like he was sent back to tell
me something I needed to know.
- Tell them what he said.
- [CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]
He said that I was wasting my life,
and this ain't what he wanted for me.
Oh, well, shit, nigga, I
could have told you that.
- [CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]
- Hey.
Look, I'm just glad you're
doing something positive.
Thank you.
Just make sure the book isn't boring.
Man, ain't nothing about my life boring.
- Hey!
- Big-ass forehead.
- [CHUCKLES]
- I'm proud of you, too, bro.
What the fuck is she doing here?
I, um, asked her to bring some weed.
- I got weed.
- [BRITNEY] Not the good kind.
Damn! You ain't happy to see your sis?
♪
Y'all tryin' to smoke?
Uh
no.
♪
[THUNDER RUMBLES ON TV, DOOR OPENS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
I cannot believe you left me here.
[MARCUS LAUGHS] You're not my mother.
[TIERRA] But I am your girlfriend.
Doesn't mean you can tell me what to do.
Asking you to spend quality
time with me is not a crime.
Oh, we can spend time together now.
Well, I don't even wanna look at you.
You know what? I'm tired.
- We're not done!
- [MARCUS] I am.
Are you trying to break up with me?
I'm just trying to get some sleep!
Something is off.
Honestly, I'm not used to checking in
with someone all the time.
Neither am I, but I'm figuring it out!
I just need space to do
my own thing sometimes.
Then maybe you should be single!
[MARCUS] Maybe I should be.
- Come on.
- [TIERRA] No.
[THUNDER BOOMS, EERIE
MUSIC PLAYING ON TV]
[PERSON ON TV] He's breaking through!
Call me whenever you need. [CHUCKLES]
Fuck you find me?
The streets talk.
What do you want?
I did a bid for your son.
And I paid for it.
And I put money on your books
whenever you needed it, so
we even.
Me and Damien robbed that
corner store together.
Shit, ain't my fault he a fast runner.
And you older than Damien.
You should've been looking out for him,
instead of asking him
to be your lookout.
The least you could do
is help me find a job.
I ain't hiring.
Yeah, I'm sure you know somebody who is.
I did six years so your
son can have a future.
Now I need your help.
I'll see what I can do.
Please be seated.
After reviewing the
defendant's motion to dismiss
and the government's response,
there appears to be a Brady violation.
The FBI failed to
disclose critical evidence
and substantially prejudiced
the defendant, Victor Taylor.
Given this flagrant
constitutional violation,
I am ordering that
the case be dismissed.
[GAVEL BANGS]
[UPLIFTING HIP-HOP MUSIC]
♪
I wake up right
before the morning rise ♪
Without a doubt and not a dime ♪
I've been hustling on my grind ♪
Lord, just please give me a sign ♪
I got problems on my mind ♪
Mama always told
me keep your chin up ♪
You gon' make it, take
it one day at a time ♪
[EZEKIEL] God has laid His hands on you.
[SCOFFS]
I know an anointed child when I see one.
[GOSPEL MUSIC PLAYING
SOFTLY OVER SPEAKERS]
What's this?
It's your cut for being
my co-pilot last night.
But shouldn't all the money
be going to the youth center?
We're doing the Lord's work,
so we gotta pay ourselves, too.
I guess so.
♪
Take your blessing.
Buy yourself something nice.
[PAPA] What you gonna buy with your cut?
Oh, probably something for the missus.
[PAPA] Speaking of the missus, um
do you know where she was last night?
I'm not her secretary.
How long y'all been married?
Why you so curious?
[PAPA] Just asking.
Been married for five years.
Huh.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
What's that mean, young man?
Can you trust her?
I can trust her as
far as I can throw her.
How far is that?
[CHUCKLES]
I think it's time for you to get home.
Wouldn't want your mother to worry.
♪
[DISTANT SIREN WAILING]
[PERSON SHOUTS]
You're welcome.
[WINDOW WHIRRING]
Congratulations.
[DOUDA] Okay, which one,
um which one do you like?
[TOOLS WHIRRING]
[DOUDA] Careful.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
Um, be be careful.
She says I'm safe with her.
Uh, when you start
learning sign language?
[CHUCKLES] Serena's teaching me.
Is that right?
Yeah.
[DOUDA] Is that all she's teaching you?
[R&B MUSIC PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]
♪
All right.
Y'all be safe.
- [ROSELYN] We will be.
- [CHUCKLING]
[GARDNER] All right, have a
good rest of your day, folks.
- [INDISTINCT CHATTER]
- [PERSON] See you girl.
What's up?
Yeah.
What's wrong?
I think we should pump the brakes
on the book for a second.
Why?
You know why.
- Did he come by here?
- Um
I paid him a visit.
[BAKARI SCOFFS, ENVELOPE THUDS]
Why would you do that
without telling me?
I thought I could get him to let you go.
- It ain't that easy!
- I thought I could help.
You can't!
This is my choice.
You gotta understand that
if anything happens to you,
it's blood on my hands.
If you don't help me with
this, I'm dead anyway.
[K-SÍ YANG'S "WARN YOU"]
♪
[SIGHS]
♪
You you put all your trust in me ♪
You might need that back ♪
No, I'm not a hero, I
can't save you like that ♪
Mix mixing these emotions
just put more on my back ♪
But no matter where
I run, you come back ♪
I surrender, I surrender ♪
I don't want war no
more, I let you enter ♪
You said that
anything they say or do ♪
It won't keep you away ♪
You showed me that ♪
No matter what you say to me ♪
I still want you, want you ♪
They can't keep you
away from me, yeah ♪
I warn you, I warn ♪
No matter what they say to me ♪
I still want you,
I want you, want you ♪
They can't keep you away from me ♪
Yeah, I warn you, warn you, unh ♪
♪
How's he doing?
He hasn't had any
flare-ups like last time,
so that's good.
I didn't even know I carried that shit.
Most people don't.
I'm sorry he's sick because of me.
It's not your fault.
Do you wish I wasn't his father?
Honestly, I'm glad it's you.
I don't mean it like that.
I'm not trying to be romantic.
- Aw.
- [BOTH CHUCKLE]
Me and Emmett good.
I'm just glad his
father is someone I know
and someone I loved.
So you don't love me no more?
[PENSIVE MUSIC]
Not like that.
I hear you.
[CELL PHONE VIBRATING]
♪
I gotta go.
♪
[EMMETT] So that's the
real number right there.
Yeah, bro, we have a problem.
- [EMMETT] Fuck.
- [DAMIEN] What's up, Pops?
Hey. Hey, uh, Emmett, let me, uh
let me holla at you in the back.
All right.
[SIGHS]
[R&B MUSIC PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]
♪
Hey, I need you to hire somebody.
Come on, Pop, who need a job now?
It's serious. This guy, he
went to jail for your brother.
Which one? My half-brother in there?
The one you made me give a job to?
I ain't got time for
your shit. I owe him one.
Damien don't seem like no street nigga.
What was he doing that somebody
had to go to jail for him?
[SIGHS] Him and two other knuckleheads
tried to rob a corner store, got caught.
[LAUGHS]
Boy, I know you ain't laughing
after the shit you just tried to pull.
All right, look, I'm
I'm just looking for
a janitor right now.
He'll take it.
- You ain't gonna ask him first?
- Nah, he desperate.
All right.
Appreciate it.
Okay.
All right, damn.
See you.
♪
[JEMMA] Wow.
These are amazing.
Damn, you good, Maisha.
- [MAISHA] I got many gifts.
- [BOTH GIGGLE]
[JEMMA] Hey, Brit, you, uh, wanna see?
You look really great.
[BRITNEY] I'm good.
What's wrong?
I can't get into it.
[MAISHA] Why not?
'Cause ain't nobody supposed to know.
Who we gon' tell?
Could tell my brother.
If you want us to be
quiet about it, we can.
[JEMMA] Whatever's said here stays here.
[BOTH WHISPERING INDISTINCTLY]
I work for Douda.
♪
You're lying.
Why would I lie?
[MAISHA] Doing what?
Spying on Bakari.
For what?
He just wanna see if he loyal.
And will he hurt him if he's not?
I don't think so.
Fuck you mean you don't think?
[JEMMA] Wait, is that where the money
for my apartment came from?
Yeah.
Okay, so now you got Jemma
mixed up in this, too?
She not mixed up in it.
That was my money.
They said I could do
what I want with it.
- Now I wish you didn't tell us.
- I really needed the money.
But I'm fucked up about it.
I think you should tell Bakari.
- So he can hate me?
- [JEMMA] Yeah, maybe.
But you can't go on like this.
[MOODY HIP-HOP MUSIC]
Wanna see it from your side ♪
But you're just so cold ♪
This ain't the first
time you hit the low ♪
So how you been with everything?
How you been since, you
know, Dre's been gone?
I've been good, actually.
Better than expected.
Who got you blushing like that, Ma?
[NINA LAUGHS]
[R&B MUSIC PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]
The woman I cheated on Dre with.
Ma, what?
- I know.
- [BOTH LAUGH]
She heard about me and Dre breaking up
and showed up at my door.
Okay, so what does this mean?
[SIGHS] She wants to
see if we got something.
- Do y'all?
- [CHUCKLES]
- I do enjoy her company.
- Mm-hmm.
And we definitely have a connection.
But I don't wanna move too fast.
Yeah. Yeah, I get that. It is fast.
You been through a lot.
But me and Kevin are out the house.
That's what she said.
Well, at the end of the day,
I just want you to be happy.
♪
I have never focused
on my own happiness.
See? That's what we
talked about in therapy.
Oh, don't remind me.
Ma, that's what therapy
is supposed to do.
It's supposed to show you your patterns
so you don't keep repeating them.
[LAUGHING]
[NINA] Ooh.
Okay, tea.
Yeah, tea.
[LAUGHTER]
Keep spilling it.
[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]
♪
[QUINCY] I really don't
like you being here.
You invited me.
Yeah, because I ain't wanna
be seen with you in the hotel.
How are you and D?
We fine.
[DEVON] Don't lie.
I don't know.
Is that why I'm here?
No, you're here because
I wanted to see you.
I know we said we would
take some space, but
[DEVON] It's okay.
I'm glad you called me.
That I drank before you came ♪
To calm my nerves down ♪
And I hate when you say ♪
I need to calm down ♪
Can't believe we in this bed ♪
♪
I've been dreamin' ♪
'Bout this moment ♪
Missing you, missing you,
missing you, missing you ♪
Oh, you know it ♪
You been missing me,
missing me, missing me ♪
And it's showing ♪
[HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]
♪
- [NUCK] Looking good.
- [GASPS]
What what the fuck, nigga?
Don't walk up on me like that.
My bad.
Jesus.
[NUCK] Come on, now, you
know I wasn't gonna hurt you.
No, I don't know that.
Would never put my hands on a woman.
Didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry.
It's okay.
What you need?
[NUCK] Your boy was
supposed to meet me here.
Well, he's not here, clearly.
- He owe me some money.
- [BOTTLE SPRAYS]
You mean a cut of our money?
That's the deal your nigga made.
Yeah, that's why he shouldn't
make decisions without me.
[NUCK] So you wanna
be a nigga's copilot?
I'm his partner, an I'm
the one that got us here.
Niggas ain't shit without Black women.
Might be right.
You gotta be a beast ♪
If you ain't got no heart ♪
Then all your ops
gonna have a feast ♪
Yo, let's do this, go, go, go ♪
They don't want no smoke, unh ♪
[MACHINE WHIRS]
Watch me win one more ♪
You ain't said shit to me all day.
I ain't got shit to say to you.
They don't want no smoke ♪
I'm sorry about what happened.
I only did that time for you
because your dad said you
was gonna be something.
Now I can see he was wrong.
Nigga, we work at the same place.
I've been in the pen for six years.
What's your excuse?
I took a year off after high school.
To do what?
To figure out what I
wanna do with my life.
What'd you come up with?
I realized I like numbers.
That's it?
[DAMIEN] I'm still young.
[KEITH] I can see that.
Look, I do feel bad about what happened,
but you're not gonna come in here
and make me feel bad
about myself every day.
♪
That's exactly what I'm gonna do
make your life a living hell, nigga.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
[INDISTINCT CHATTER,
DISTANT SIREN WAILING]
[DOOR OPENS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
You're late.
I had to handle something right quick.
Like what?
I'd rather not say.
[KENYA] Tell me.
I can't tell you everything.
- Then we can't do this.
- [ZAY] Okay, fine.
If you tell me everything you
did today, I'll do the same.
I'm not telling you
everything I did today.
[ZAY] It sound dumb, don't it?
Well, I didn't do anything illegal.
Neither did I.
Wanna go get something to eat or not?
I wanna know that I'm safe with you.
You are.
I promise.
[HIP-HOP MUSIC]
Let's go, then.
♪
[JAKE] First Lady, now,
when can I see you again?
[TATIANA SIGHS] I don't know.
- Look, I got a busy week.
- Can you make some time?
[TATIANA] I got a whole
life outside of you.
I only need about 20 minutes.
[TATIANA] I need longer than that.
- What you trying to say?
- [TATIANA] I'm saying I'm late.
And I don't have time for this.
Oh, so now you ain't got time for me.
[TATIANA SCOFFS] Jake, relax.
Look, I'll call you later this week.
Man, whatever.
You bring me that thing ♪
I don't even care
if you drive me crazy ♪
I'm still saying, this
whole time it's been you ♪
Them other girls,
they just eye candy ♪
You always been the only
one that really understand me ♪
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
[DOUDA] Ah, Bianca.
Couldn't stay away, could you, baby?
[CHUCKLES]
[TENSE MUSIC]
Alicia.
The one and only.
How the fuck you get in here?
♪
I have keys.
Sit the fuck down.
♪
Fine.
Remain standing
'cause you won't be standing for long.
♪
You know, your son, he tried
to shoot me, but he missed.
Yeah.
I never should've sent a
boy to do a woman's job.
[DOUDA] Oh, so now
you here to do it, huh?
In due time.
I knew it was Zay that you
had your little meeting with
when your boy tried to kill me.
Your soldiers are tired
of marching for you.
Motherfuckers will march for me
as long as I put money in their pockets.
Eventually it won't be enough.
[DOUDA] Do you know I could
kill you with my bare hands?
[GUN COCKS]
Nigga, get your hands off my woman.
Give me this shit.
Fucker.
♪
[DOUDA SIGHS]
♪
I have soldiers, too.
[FUNKY HIP-HOP MUSIC]
♪
Guns up, guns up, uh ♪
Put 'em up, put 'em up, what? ♪
Put 'em up, put 'em up ♪
♪
After dark, you know
what comes your way ♪
Reapers on the block
coming to harvest pain ♪
All the sweet jump
off, call it a phase ♪
Streets of rage blast
niggas like arcades ♪
Up the skull, bring
the heat, hell's flame ♪
Hot like lead,
point-blank, 12-gauge ♪
Haters trying to rob your blessings ♪
Just like Cain did Abel ♪
Like crumbs, you get
scraped off the table ♪
Play with my money, you can
get touched like Play-Doh ♪
With them hits on your head,
I could start up a label ♪
Blowing money fast, can't
take it when you leave ♪
Running up the
stash, putting in work ♪
All my niggas eat ♪
Hey, yo, this show of disrespect ♪
It come right back ♪
Front you the whole pack ♪
Come right back ♪
Run up on one of mine ♪
Then it's get back ♪
Click, clack ♪
Then it's get back ♪
Dish off disrespect ♪
Come right back ♪
Front you the whole pack ♪
Come right back ♪
Run up on one of mine ♪
Then it's get back ♪
Get gas, then we get back ♪
When the reaper come ♪
Put 'em up, put 'em up, what? ♪
Put 'em up, put 'em up ♪
♪