02x11 - Crabs in a Barrel

Episode transcripts for the 2016 TV show "Atlanta" Premiered September 2016 - current.*
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"Atlanta" follows two cousins navigating their way in the Atlanta rap scene in an effort to improve their lives and the lives of their families.
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02x11 - Crabs in a Barrel

Post by bunniefuu »

(PLAYING OVER RADIO): ♪ Temptation ♪

DRIVER (SINGING ALONG):
♪ Temptation and sin ♪

♪ Were my closest friends... ♪

AUTOMATED VOICE: Turn left in feet.

♪ So cold and alone... ♪

Turn left in feet.

(HUMMING)

AUTOMATED VOICE: Turn left.

Recalculating.

Was it a left back there?

Yeah, I think so.

J-Just follow the GPS, I'm in a hurry.

Oh, I don't listen to the GPS.

- No way.
- AUTOMATED VOICE: Turn left.

It's always wrong... is there another way?

Why does it keep saying "a left"?

AUTOMATED VOICE: Recalculating.

I've never been to this place before,

so just-just follow the GPS.

DRIVER: This thing is crazy.

Right? (LAUGHS)

AUTOMATED VOICE: Turn left in feet.

(DRIVER HUMMING)

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ I want to walk in the way ♪

♪ My precious savior... ♪

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

(PHONE RINGING NEARBY)

(ALFRED AND CHRISTIAN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)

EARN: Sorry.

Sit right here.

- Hey, you must be Earn.
- Yes.

Come on in. Have a seat.

- Um... hey.
- (CHUCKLES)

Sorry I'm late. Um...

My Lyft driver w-was... religious.

It's fine. Alfred just got in here.

- (LOTTIE BABBLING)
- You brought a baby.

- Had to.
- LOTTIE: I ain't a baby.

CHRISTIAN: So, gentlemen, I understand you're looking

- for an entertainment lawyer.
- Yes. Yes, we are.

Well, let me tell you a little about myself first.

I'm from the D.C. area, near U Street.

I graduated from Howard and then went to Georgetown,

but I'm definitely a Hoyas fan. (CHUCKLES)

I graduated the top ten of my class, and after school,

I went to work at the Lance and Roberts Law Firm

for almost ten years.

- (MUFFLED VOICE)
- ♪ Nah-nah nah-nah-nah-nah ♪

♪ Nah-nah-nah ♪

♪ Nah-nah nah-nah-nah-nah nah-nah-nah, nah-nah-nah... ♪

Been here in Atlanta for the past five years, now.

So who are some of the people you represent, man?

Well, I represent some singers and some rappers.

I represent the rapper A.V.

Oh, okay.

- Y-You know that dude.
- Yeah, that dude.

- He had that one song, "Program."
- ♪ Program. ♪ Yeah.

CHRISTIAN: I also represent some actors.

I have four clients on Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta right now.

(TRILLS LIPS)

LOTTIE: I don't like lemons.

Yes, I know. You hate lemons.

If he was to go with you, what would that take?

Well, um, just a few signatures,

and I would receive five percent

of any deal I looked over for you.

(SCOFFS) Five percent?

Yes, but that's the standard

that any lawyer would charge.

Look, man. I just don't want no janky-ass lawyer

putting his hands on my contracts and checks, a'ight?

I want, like, a high-level Jewish dude,

not somebody gonna rob me like Don King or some sh*t.

Man, Don King wasn't a lawyer, I'm pretty sure.

Also, Christian came highly recommended.

He-He supposedly does good work.

Recommended by who, man?

He ain't even got no clients that make actual money.

All he got is some F-level rappers

and some reality TV stars.

Reality TV stars, Earn.

Just find me, like, a big-level firm, man.

Jewish dude.

- All right.
- Yeah.

It's time to start leveling up on n*gg*s.

I gotta kick off this European tour.

sh*t about to be real different.

Luke really came through with that one.

- Yeah.
- You want changing?

But you should be headlining that tour.

Yep, I should be... but I ain't.

(LOTTIE BABBLING)

ALFRED: Oh.

(LOTTIE BABBLING)

All right. I got to... I got to run some errands

before I meet up at the house, okay? So, I'll see you there.

- Yeah. The movers coming by, right?
- Yeah.

You and Darius need to be packed up. We can't be late.

Yeah, yeah. We know, man. A'ight, Lottie.

I'll catch up with you, man.

Come on.

- Jewish.
- Yeah.

- Jewish dude, man.
- Yeah, I got you.

(CAR ENGINE STARTS)

(MUFFLED MUSIC PLAYING THROUGH HEADPHONES)

- Oh.
- (TRUCK RATTLES OVER BUMPY ROAD)

(VOCALIZING)

(LOTTIE GIGGLES)

Here you go.

Two books.

(GRUNTS)

(LOTTIE BABBLING)

You guys looking for Earn?

Sure is. I'm Kenny. What's going on?

- That's our truck?
- Cool. Yeah, yeah.

Is that beer?

No.

Okay.

This way.

(LOTTIE BABBLING QUIETLY)

All right, guys.

These are the movers.

Uh, um, the bedrooms are in the back. Okay?

Just hurry up. We got a plane to catch.

- Okay.
- Please.

- All right, little girl.
- (LOTTIE WHINING)

Here you go.

(SIGHS) You guys packed?

Yeah, bet you think you slick.

What're you talking about?

(HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYS QUIETLY)

- ALFRED: Yeah.
- (SIGHS)

I don't want that thing, man.

- See, you're gonna jam me up.
- Okay, I'm sorry.

All right? I'll-I'll-I'll get rid of it.

Just throw it in the ocean, bro.

You guys got your passports?

Yeah, but, uh, Darius gonna need some help.

Oh, yeah, I think mine is, uh,

like, ex-expired or something.

What?

I don't know. It could be just the date's a little late.

I don't know. Maybe.

Whenever you got guys that don't know what they're doing.

My n*gga, this is definitely expired.

(GRUNTS) Don't worry, my friend.

I know a place we can go, get a renewal same day. It's okay.

Well, we got to do that, like, today. Right now.

Okay. (CHUCKLING): Okay.

It's not that big of a deal.

We'll go.

(LAUGHING) You think you're slick?

(PHONE BUZZING)

LOTTIE: They have a penguin.

Monster hat.

All right. Uh, I got to go.

When I get back, we're going to this passport place.

I'm gonna make sure that happens, okay?

And Al? Could you, um, just stay on these guys?

Okay, we got an international flight, which means we got

to be there early, and I know you sell weed,

- so you don't care about time...
- True.

But it's important, all right?

All right. I'll catch you guys later. Lottie!

Why did he give me your passport?

Huh. All right, it's your turn.

Almost there.

Here we go. All right.

Now we got to... find the... room.

- Is it there?
- No.

- Wh-Where? Huh?
- (KIDS TALKING NEARBY)

Okay. Yeah. Here we...

There we go.

(WOMAN HUMMING TO THE TUNE OF "WHEELS ON THE BUS")

I'm sorry. Did we come at a wrong time?

Oh. No. No, no, no, not at all.

How are you, Vanessa? (CHUCKLES)

- Nice to see you again.
- Mm-hmm.

And you must be Lottie's father.

- Right?
- Hi.

So nice to finally meet you.

This is just a conference I wanted to have

to talk to the both of you about Lottie.

Is everything all right?

Um... she seems to be...

very... advanced.

Very gifted.

- Oh, good. (LAUGHS)
- Oh, my God. Thank God.

I thought she was pulling her hair out

- and eating it or something.
- Oh. Nothing of the sort.

Or like sniffing Wite-Out

- or something bad.
- Oh, no, no, no.

- Biting children.
- Yeah.

Far from it. Far from it.

She is excelling in everything. I mean,

she knows all her colors, she knows her letters.

She's beginning to work math problems. (CHUCKLES)

- Mmm.
- That's why I spoke

with my friend at the Holy Oak Academy.

It's one of the best schools in the Southeast.

They have space available

for their pre-K program next year,

and I think it might be a good idea

for the two of you to consider enrolling Lottie there.

EARN: Okay.

- That's a private school?
- Private school, yeah.

It's a private school. It has a reasonable tuition.

- Okay. Okay.
- Mmm.

Okay, we'll-we'll definitely do that.

That-That-That sounds like something we'd-we'd probably do,

- uh, for first grade.
- Get the money together.

Yeah. Is there anything we can do with her staying here,

to-to help her progress? Like, maybe, um,

some more books or assignments?

Stay here? No.

This school is awful.

- This school is awful?
- Yes.

There are not enough resources or faculty

to engage a student like Lottie.

She is really stunting her education here.

Is there something we could do for Lottie

that, um...

would be...

cheaper?

Keep her in a happy, two-parent household?

- Huh.
- Hmm.

- Interesting.
- Good.

- Thank you.
- Yeah. It was nice

- seeing you again, Ms. Granger.
- Nice to see you, too.

Thank you.

- VAN: Lottie.
- To... where are we going?

- EARN: Uh, we... we're gonna go home.
- We're gonna go home.

- Bye!
- Bye!

I'm sorry.

Um...

would you have told us that this school was bad

if she really was a regular student?

No.

If I see a steer smart enough to get out of the pen,

I leave the gate open.

Thank you for coming in.

Thank you.

(HUMMING SOFTLY)

VAN: So, she just compared the school

to a slaughterhouse, right?

EARN: Yeah, she definitely did. I heard that.

VAN: Okay.

I mean, she's crazy.

Schools in this area aren't that great. We knew that.

- Lottie, come here.
- Yeah.

- (PROTESTS) - But at least here, she won't be the only black kid.

I interviewed at Holy Oak's.

It is pretty white, but that's all these private schools.

- You know that. You chose Princeton.
- (SQUEAKS)

Yeah.

LOTTIE: Mm.

You leaving for, like, two months?

Yeah, but, you know, that...

that should be tuition for her now.

LOTTIE: Mm.

If she goes to this school, she's gonna need you to show up.

More than you've been able to.

- (LOTTIE SINGING INDISTINCTLY)
- Yeah, I know. We'll...

we'll make it work.

Get in the car, baby.

I was...

- Under the bridge.
- (LOTTIE MUMBLES)

- (GRUNTING)
- Let me help.

Oh, watch your head.

Oh, it's a big one.

- (GRUNTS)
- (MIMICS GRUNT)

You know, I always thought

- she was gonna be smart.
- LOTTIE: That's it.

I think every parent thinks that.

I don't know. I mean...

I thought she was, like, gonna actually be advanced.

- What makes you say that?
- (LOTTIE BABBLING)

You're smart.

I figured...

some of it would get passed along,

hopefully.

Yeah, well, you're smart, too, so...

maybe it was yours, you know?

Thanks.

All right, I got to... I got to get going.

I got to make sure Darius gets his passport

- and got to catch this flight.
- Okay.

Be good.

All right?

Be good for Mama. I love you.

(BABBLING)

- All right.
- See you.

Yeah.

VAN: You okay?

Oh, yeah. Um...

Yeah, I'm fine.

Just, you know, stupid sh*t.

It's nothing.

Okay.

Stay safe.

I will. You, too.

- Bye!
- (CAR DOOR SHUTS)

- (CAR DOOR OPENS)
- See you, okay?

- Have fun.
- I will.

- LOTTIE: Hi.
- (GRUNTS)

(CAR DOOR SHUTS)

- (BIRDS CHIRPING)
- (BRAKES SQUEAK)

Thank you.

(DOOR SHUTS)

- (g*nf*re ON TV)
- Yo.

What the hell is going on?

Man, I'm bruisin' this boy.

Who are y'all?

We're Kenny's kids.

EARN: What are y'all doing here?

DONTRELLE: School let out.

So?

Man, you sorry.

- What?
- I told you you sorry.

- (SNIFFLING)
- Whoo-wee!

Y'all went to lunch?

We get a lunch break.

It's : p.m.

Yeah. I didn't eat before I came.

Oh, yeah. Darius is packed! I'm ready to go.

Great. Just-just put your luggage in the car, man.

Oh. No, I meant I'm packed to move,

not for the airport.

n*gga, it's fine. We'll just come back here afterwards.

Kenny, I really need you to pack up everything, man.

Damn. You bruisin' that boy.

- Come on...
- EARN: Yeah, I know, but now we're late,

and I just need everything to go.

Can we eat first? My crew's hungry.

I'll give you more dollars.

Y'all get up off that table.

Dontrelle, grab something and take it to the truck.

- You, too, Shawn.
- Garbage.

(DOOR OPENS)

All right. I'll meet you downstairs, Darius.

I got your passport. Bring your keys.

Okay. Oh.

Sh-sh*t, wait, uh, I think I might've packed up the keys.

- You are not serious.
- God flabbit.

- I think I did. Um...
- g*dd*mn it.

No, no. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Actually...

- Right.
- No, I think I packed... Wait.

Ah!

The old switcheroo.

- Sometimes things just jump from pocket...
- We need to go!

(DOOR SHUTS)

(CLICKS TONGUE)

When you piss, do you go straight through the zipper

or do you go over the boxers?

Over the boxers.

Yeah. Me, too.

But is that the right way, though?

I don't think so.

Bro, you could...

But, I mean, I do switch it up when I'm wearing a suit.

You know?

EARN: I didn't even know this neighborhood existed.

DARIUS: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

- YOUNG MAN: Mr. X?
- Yep.

YOUNG MAN: Uh, we'll help you out down here.

Hey. How can I help you guys?

Yeah, we need a passport replacement.

- Today.
- Yeah.

Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um,

just, uh, fill out these forms, and we can make it happen.

All right. Thank you. I love you.

Thanks.

Really? 'Cause I-I really thought we were gonna be S.O.L.

(CHUCKLE) Yeah. It's what we do here.

Y'all, uh, going on tour?

Y'all in a rap entourage?

Manager?

How'd you know?

We kind of have a...

specific clientele here. And...

rappers are procrastinators.

No offense.

None taken.

So, who y'all work with?

Uh, Paper Boi.

We're going on tour with Clark County in Europe.

Oh, man, that's cool. Nice.

I was just listening
to that new Clark joint.

- ♪ Yoo-hoo. ♪ Yeah, yeah.
- ♪ Yoo-hoo. ♪ Yeah. (CHUCKLES)

Oh, man.

Yo, y'all need an entertainment lawyer?

My cousin is primo.

Uh, I need ID.

Oh. Yeah. (SNIFFS)

How'd your cousin get into the business?

Uh, my uncle does it.

Thanks, man.

Let me ask you something.

And, um,

be honest.

Do you think there's a black lawyer

who's as good as your cousin?

There definitely is.

But, um, part of being good at your job are your connections,

and black people just don't have the connections

that my cousin has.

For systemic reasons.

All right.

It's all good.

Oh, perfect.

Yeah, it should be, like, uh, two hours.

- Oh.
- Cool.

- That's fast.
- Yeah, yeah.

It's, uh, $ .

Oh, that's why. Okay.

Y'all take RushCards?

Yeah, I think so.

(PHONE BUZZES)


DARIUS: Here you go, my Jewish friend.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

- (BELL DINGS)
- (CHUCKLES)

(DARIUS HUMS SOFTLY)

How's it going, Earn?

You doing all right?

Definitely not.

Is Al gonna fire me?

I don't know.

Maybe.

I know you're always at peace with everything,

but my whole world's falling apart.

So...

(SIGHS)

Look, man,

Alfred, his whole world changing up with the quickness.

Everything's moving, but...

he ain't gonna never forget to take care of the ones

he's supposed to provide for, including you.

I don't want a handout.

I got to provide, too.

I'm getting better at this. You know that.

- No, I know.
- You know.

I see you, man. I see you... learning.

But... learning requires failure.

Al just trying to make sure you ain't failing in...

in his life.

You know, like, y'all both black, so...

I mean, y'all both can't afford to fail.

Do Nigerians get a chance to fail?

Hey, don't you start that.

You know Nigerians don't fail.

(LAUGHS)

(CHUCKLES)

Look, whatever he does,

he ain't gonna do it till we get to Europe.

Give you a chance to see the world.

How do you know?

Seems like an Al thing to do.

(SIGHS)

(INSECTS TRILLING)

(BIRDS SINGING)

Y'all ready to do this?

Yeah. Darius is coming down,

and I'm calling a Lyft right now.

Don't you got to take the truck back?

Kenny's gonna do it.

I offered to pay him ten dollars.

Can we talk?

Let's talk when we land, man.

(DARIUS IMITATES PLANE ENGINE BUZZING)

(DARIUS WHOOSHES)

Boom.

(DARIUS GIGGLES)

That's all you're bringing?

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, rule number one... Pack like a Navy SEAL.

Only take what you need.

EARN: Lyft'll be here in three minutes.

(CAR APPROACHES, MUSIC PLAYS WITH BOOMING b*at)

(CAR ENGINE AND MUSIC PLAYING FADE)

No.

Come on. You know you want it.

- EARN: No, I'm all right.
- ♪ Ooh-hoo! ♪

♪ Whoo-hoo, whoo-hoo! ♪

(HIGH-PITCHED): Smoke me!

I really want to be smoked.

- (LAUGHING): I'm okay.
- (ALFRED LAUGHS)

(HIGH-PITCHED): You know you want to smoke me.

(EARN CHUCKLES)

- WOMAN (OVER P.A.): Welcome to...
- EARN: Gate C .

- Atlanta, Hartsfield International Airport. - Uh-huh.

See, I told you, Earn.
We was gonna make it.

You just got to learn to trust yourself, my friend.

We're still late, actually.

She printed our tickets, but she made sure to say,

"Y'all ain't gonna make it," five times

while she was doing it, so we should probably still hurry.

MAN (OVER P.A.): Thank you.

- Excuse me, sir?
- No, no.

WOMAN (OVER PA): Elizabeth Battola,

your child is waiting for you...

CLARK: Oh, sh*t. Is that Paper Boi?

- (LAUGHS) What's up, y'all?
- Hey, what's going on, man?

- Y'all n*gg*s ready for this tour?
- Sh... Oh, yeah.

Man, we gonna be poppin' bottles in Paris, bro.

- It's gonna be crazy. Yeah.
- It's lit, bro.

Speaking sign language to hoes.

- It's gonna be dope, man.
- How you doing, man?

- I'm good, man.
- You check out that lawyer I sent you?

Hell, yeah, man. He's perfect. I appreciate it.

(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)

Hey, okay, cool. Let's-let's do this over here.

Flight's not gonna leave without Clark County, baby.

- Yeah.
- (DISTANT BEEP)

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

- (SOFT BEEPING)
- WOMAN: Please take liquids

- out of your bags...
- (BEEPING)

and laptops, too.

Place everything in the bins.

- Your pockets should be empty.
- WOMAN : Remove your jackets.

(LOUDLY): Opt out!

- MAN: Oh.
- (PEOPLE MURMURING)

You always got to opt out. Opt for the pat-down, man.

I'm telling you, this-this thing here... bad business.

That's why security stays so close to the food.

They don't want you to smell your brain frying in this thing.

(LAUGHING)

- (BEEPS)
- WOMAN: Excuse me. Sorry.

WOMAN : Everything in the bins, people.

(ZIPPERING)

(SOUND CEASES EXCEPT FOR QUIET BEEPING)

(SOUND RESUMES, INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Will you hand me a bin?

You got to get it from the front, man.

Oh, man, he asked nicely.

- (MUMBLING)
- Thanks.

(INDISTINCT, OVERLAPPING CROWD CHATTER)

- ALFRED: You know what I don't get?
- DARIUS: Huh?

How they make you take all your sh*t off, and they try to rush

to get you out of the way, like they ain't just asked me

- to take all your sh*t off ten seconds ago.
- (DARIUS LAUGHS)

ALFRED: That's why I f*ckin' hate the airport, man.

DARIUS: Yeah, it's not efficient.

- ALFRED: All that sh*t isn't.
- We should hurry.

- All right.
- WOMAN: Whose bag is this?

Hey, what-what-what...?
What's going on?

WOMAN: We're going this way.

We're starting another line this way.

CLARK: Hey, yo, Luke, come here.

(PLANE ENGINES HUMMING)

(ENGINE WHIRRING)

Man, this trip gonna be crazy, boy.

I mean, I ain't never really left Georgia before, so, yeah.

Yeah.

(CHUCKLING) Yeah, it's gonna be cool.

(SIGHS)

Yeah, it'll be cool.

- sh*t.
- (AIR HISSING)

Yeah.

(SIGHS HEAVILY)

- WOMAN: Is this yours, ma'am?
- WOMAN : Yes, ma'am.

WOMAN: Okay, I'm just gonna move this over here

to make a little more room.

I saw what you did...

- at TSA.
- Mm.

You ain't got to say sh*t.

Just know that's exactly what I'm talking about.

(ALFRED SIGHS)

n*gg*s do not care about us, man.

n*gg*s gonna do whatever they got to do to survive,

'cause they ain't got no choice.

We ain't got no choice, either.

You my family, Earn.

(PLANE ENGINE WHIRRING)

Yeah, you...

You're the only one that knows what I'm about.

You give a f*ck.

I need that.

All right?

All right, then.

Hey?

Let's get this money.

(BOTH LAUGH)

BOTH: Brrr!

- Hey, sh*t.
- Yeah, boy.

(ALFRED SNIFFLES, SIGHS)

ALFRED: Hey, Clark, man?

Let me holler at you.

Yeah. What's up, man?

Where Luke at, man?

Uh, nah, man.

Luke got in some sh*t. Cops took him.

ALFRED: What you talking about?

TSA found a tool in his bag.

Damn.

- Oh.
- It's just kind of...

Oh, he probably had a screwdriver or something.

You can't have those on a plane.

Yeah. More like a hammer.

Yeah. It was gold, too.

sh*t was clean, though.

Wish it was mine.

♪ Yoohoo! ♪ (LAUGHING)

The piece was in Clark's bag.

(ALFRED SIGHS)

(INSECTS TRILLING)

- TRACY: Yo, Alf!
- (BANGING ON DOOR)

Yo, open the door, man!

(BANGING ON DOOR)

- Darius?
- (BANGING ON DOOR)

Open up, man!

Listen, man, I got Chinese food with a side of chocolate.

- (DOG HOWLING, BARKING)
- Alfred?!

Is this mother...? Al, man,

- stop playing, bro. Let me in!
- WOMAN: Shut the f*ck up!

Hey, you shut the f*ck up!
The hell you talking to?

- (BARKING)
- Ready to whoop your ass.

- Hey! Wake up, n*gg*s!
- ♪ So I remember everything ♪

Alfred, will you open the g*dd*mn door?!

(INDISTINCT SHOUTING)

- ♪ Of every man ♪
- ♪ Ooh, ooh

♪ Who put me here ♪

Oh-oh

♪ I see my light come shining ♪

♪ From the west down ♪

♪ To the east... ♪
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