03x12 - Fight the Power

[bunniefuu]

LAURA: Simone just needs to sign here, and then the kids can move on with their lives.

I presumed this meeting was going to be more of a discussion.

It is a discussion, about how we want the kids to slow down and take more time with their relationship.

[PHONE VIBRATING]

- Well, our family took some time,

and after some soul-searching, we decided that our daughter will not be a divorcée, certainly not at years old.

It's just so déclassé.

It's an annulment.

Annulment is the same as divorce, except for the matter of letters, syllables, and legalese.

[SCOFFS]

Robert, do you want to help me out here?

Divorce is a stunning example of unstable priorities, like your estranged husband being late for this meeting.

LAURA: If you think that I'm actually gonna stand here

- and let you condescend me...

- ROBERT: All right.

- LAURA: In my own house...

- ROBERT: All right.

Let's all just... take a b*at.

[PHONE VIBRATING]

_ [POP MUSIC PLAYING]

_ MALE SINGER: ♪ Yeah! ♪

Man!

Coach had us out on that field for an extra hour of practice today.

An hour, and he ain't even bother to show up?

- What the hell is that?

- SPENCER: You do realize coaches have their assistants run practice all the time, right?

Bruh, come on now.

You know this next game is it.

We win, we make the playoffs.

We don't, that's a wrap on the season and most of our football careers.

Look, is it weird that Coach ain't here?

Yeah.

It don't matter.

Coach did his job.

We been ballin' like crazy these last few weeks.

This game ain't gonna be no different.

Exactly, and as a matter of fact,

- this is our time, baby.

- SPENCER: All right.

This is our time, this is our season.

- SPENCER: Talk to him.

- CHRIS: Ain't nobody gonna take that away from us.

Now we got this, baby.

Y'all fools better be right.

- Okay?

You better be.

- SPENCER: Heh heh!

A'ight, y'all get back to it.

- CHRIS: Let's go.

- [WEIGHTS CLANKING]

WOMAN: Billy, good to see you.

- You ready?

- BILLY: Yes.

[DOOR OPENS]

_ ROBERT: I think we can all agree, the kids did something impulsive.

TINA: Simone does not indulge impulses,

- or suffer fools.

- LAURA: Apparently, she does.

Neither of you are helping.

Jordan, Simone, this is your life.

Marriage isn't something to be taken lightly...

Dad, we know...

If you let me finish, I was going to ask what you two want.

Do you want to stay married?

[PHONE VIBRATES, LAND LINE RINGING]

TINA: Oh, for the love of God, just answer it!

Clearly, whoever it is will not stop until you do.

Hello.

What...

Shelby, slow down.

I can't understand what you're saying.

Wait...

what?

Right now?

[SCOFFS]

[TV CLICKS ON]

NEWS ANCHOR: ...

obtained a copy of the leaked bodycam footage from the officer-involved sh**ting of Tamika Pratt.

At this time, we have positively identified Ms. Pratt, along with the officers, Miller and Falls.

We warn you, what you are about to see is graphic and disturbing in nature.

- [POLICE RADIO, INDISTINCT]

- OFFICER: Wake up, ma'am.

- I said wake up!

- TAMIKA: What?

- OFFICER: I need you to get out of the car.

- [CAR DOOR OPENS]

TAMIKA: I just want to...

I'm just trying to sleep.

OFFICER: Come on, I'm not gonna ask again!

Let's go!

- JORDAN: Oh, my God.

- OFFICER: Come on!

- [g*nsh*t]

- [TV CLICKS OFF]

LAURA: How the hell did they get the bodycam footage?

I gave it to them.

- [INDISTINCT CHATTER]

KIA: That footage should have been released months ago, when it happened.

I mean, at least now, there's no way those cops don't get indicted, right?

I mean, that footage was clear as day.

- CHRIS: She was only .

- [BOTH SIGH]

CHRIS: I am too young to be feeling this tired.

Words I tell myself every day, but we can't stop fighting.

[VOICE ECHOING]

I mean, this is our lives we're talking about.

- CHRIS: Could you imagine?

- [POLICE SIREN CHIRPS]

What are you boys doing in this neighborhood?

- JORDAN: You serious right now?

- SPENCER: That ain't even necessary.

JORDAN: We've done nothing wrong, man.

SPENCER: Hey, chill!

Chill, man!

- JORDAN: Look, man!

Oh!

- OFFICER: Stop resisting.

SPENCER: Just keep lookin' at me, a'ight?

- Just keep lookin' at me.

- KIA: Spencer?

- Spencer?

- SPENCER: Yeah?

You okay?

Yeah, I'm good.

Ahem.

KIA: I, uh, I...

I asked if you've heard from Olivia.

I hit her up this morning, but it went straight to voicemail.

LAURA: Just put out the press release and we'll deal with the rest when I get there.

Because they're accusing us of a cover-up!

- Just put it out!

- [DOOR OPENS]

- BILLY: Olivia!

- [DOOR CLOSES]

Please tell me I didn't read that text correctly.

Did you release that footage?

Yes.

Do you realize what you just did?

How serious this is?

You have compromised your mother.

- Where the hell have you been?

- Sorry, I...

I got caught up.

I asked you a question, young lady!

Don't bother.

There is nothing she can say that can fix any of this right now!

I had to do something because the cops who m*rder*d Tamika shouldn't be walking around free.

The video proves that!

I mean, the question is why haven't you indicted them yet, Mom?

Did it ever occur to you that there are things going on here that you don't understand?!

Well, I know an excuse when I hear one.

- [LAURA GASPS]

- BILLY: Hey!

LAURA: You know what?

You have crossed one line too many, young lady.

You are grounded!

No phone, no podcast, no car!

I don't even want to see you breathing outside this house

- unless it's at school!

- BILLY: Apologize to your mother.

I can't do that.

Our lives are on the line, Dad.

Silence isn't an option anymore.

Okay, when you say "checked out"...

girl, I mean "Invasion of the body snatchers", like, completely blank stare, Layla.

- Blank-stare checked out.

- LAYLA: Okay, in...

in Jordan's defense, he was sitting at the table with two of the most formidable, semi-scary moms we know.

I probably would have kept my mouth shut, too.

Yeah, I mean, true, and it's not like my mom was letting anyone get a word in while she was coming

- for Ms. Baker's neck, Layla.

- [BOTH CHUCKLE]

Is it bad that I kinda wish I was a fly on the wall to see this?

Listen, if news about that leaked footage hadn't imploded everything, girl, there woulda been wigs and fur coats all up in that pool.

- LAYLA: Hmm?

- SIMONE: I need you to catch up on some old-school "Dynasty", okay?

- Because Diahann Carroll was that girl, okay?

- [LAYLA GIGGLES]

Um, speaking of implosions and leaked footage, um, how's Olivia?

You haven't called her?

Well, I'm not really sure that a phone call from me is...

Heh!

What Olivia wants right now.

Yeah, but it might be what she needs, Layla.

Her mom had smoke coming out of everywhere when we left yesterday.

Olivia needs her friends.

KIA: Is it just me, or is your mom, like, always here now?

If it's not the community garden, it's the PTA.

Think she plannin' on bein' in my limo at prom, too.

- [KIA CHUCKLES]

- SPENCER: Hey, Ma.

Hey!

So...

what do you think?

- KIA: Hmm, colorful, yeah.

- SPENCER: It's great.

- GRACE: Whatever.

- [KIA GIGGLES]

- Good to see you, Ms. Grace.

- You, too, Kia.

- Spence.

- All right.

I don't know, Ma.

Feels kind of wrong, focusing on the big game with all this real-life stuff happenin'.

Okay, first, makin' it to the playoffs, securing your future and this school future is real-life stuff, but I get it.

Seeing that Tamika Pratt video must have been hard on you.

It was hard for me.

I haven't seen it.

Don't need to.

I've lived it.

Come on, Ma.

Jordan and I almost 'came just like Tamika.

But you didn't, and while this w*r the police is wagin' against us is really messed up, you can't stop living, son.

You guys fought to play this game on Friday.

You're almost at the playoffs.

You did that, Spencer.

There's no shame in finding joy in that.

Otherwise, those bastards win.

We can fight for justice for Tamika and focus on the game on Friday.

MALE SINGER: ♪ Can we leave it all behind? ♪

They don't have to be mutually exclusive.

♪ Take the pieces that we find ♪

♪ Could we sail our past a break ♪

♪ Leaving December in our wake? ♪

[SIGHS]

- ♪ Premonitions that we write ♪

- ♪ You're the only one... ♪

- DR. MCCUNE: Okay, Billy, I'm gonna ask you a few questions, okay?

- What state are we in?

- BILLY: Uh, California.

SINGER: ♪ When our hope is gone ♪

♪ And the world we know is... ♪

DR. MCCUNE: What country are we in?

♪ Push away the clouds that cover... ♪

BILLY: U.S.A.

What city are we in?

Uh, Beverly Hills.

And what floor are we on?

- Third.

- ♪ From the ground ♪

This must be a conspiracy to send me to an early grave.

I go back to Florida for a couple of weeks.

I come back to Jordan with a concussion, his football season is done, and he's married to that girl, uh, uh, uh, Kimone.

Her name is Simone.

Don't care.

What the hell happened?

Jordan made certain decisions and now he's got to live with the consequences.

That's all I'mma say about that.

Oh, so what happened is you and Laura threw in the towel.

Where are you goin'?

I guess I'm headed to Beverly Hills.

Someone's got to check on your kids.

[SIGHS]

Hey, watch your center of gravity when you shift back on your heels.

Okay, go!

[GRUNTS]

- MALE SINGER: ♪ Break ♪

- JJ: Go!

Ah!

SINGER: ♪ Break ♪

[INDISTINCT RAPPING]

Aah!

Yeah, baby!

Run it again!

- SINGER: ♪ Break ♪

- [RAPPING INDISTINCTLY]

Hey, maybe that's enough for today.

You've been throwing nonstop for almost an hour.

Fine.

Free period's almost over anyway.

Hey.

You got a sec to talk?

- ASHER: What's up?

- SIMONE: Jordan.

How does he seem to you lately?

I mean, like, has he been acting like his normal self?

Well, he just lost football, and he's recovering from a concussion, so...

think he's doing the best he can.

Yeah.

You're right.

And of course, our marriage drama with our families is not gonna help.

Wait.

Whose marriage?

Ha ha.

Very funny, Asher.

It's cool.

Everybody knows now.

Oh, wait.

I'm sorry.

I thought Jordan would have told you by now.

What, you and Jordan are married?

Yeah.

Vegas, summer?

Who else knows?

So everyone but me?

Asher, look, I promise, it...

it's not like that.

Nah, it's cool.

I...

I got to get to class.

MALE SINGER: ♪ Baby, can we float away?

♪ Yo, why are you keepin' me in suspense?

- Coop all in, so...

- MO: Relax.

Who said I ain't relaxed?

I just know momentum is a beautiful thing.

Look, my plan is simple: Steal Coop's future the way she stole my brother's.

- [ANDRE SIGHS]

- MO: The specifics are none of your business until I need them to be.

A'ight, fine.

Do you, but as long as Preach is around, you ain't gonna be able to touch Coop.

[CHUCKLES]

Oh, ye of little faith.

MALE SINGER: ♪ Can we float away? ♪

- [CROWD OUTSIDE SHOUTING]

- MAN: Kia!

Over here!

- OLIVIA: Come in.

- KIA: That was crazy.

The press is kinda intense.

OLIVIA: Yeah, well, I wish they would go camp outside of the police station and demand justice for Tamika, but instead, they're just stalking our house.

- Your mom's not home, right?

- No, thank God.

I mean, there's no way she would have let you guys stay.

I'm grounded, remember?

We talkin' regular grounded or scorched-earth grounded?

Whatever, okay?

It doesn't matter because I don't regret what I did.

I mean, and her locking me in this house and trying to quiet me isn't gonna work.

- Okay, so what's the game plan?

- Hold up.

Liv, you're in enough trouble as it is.

Things are real messed up with your moms right now, but she's your mom.

Y'all need to fix that, and while that's happenin', me and Kia can pick up the baton and keep this fight goin'.

KIA: Spencer's right.

We're in a -mile relay.

One person ain't meant to run it alone.

Okay...

so, what's your plan?

Heh!

I mean, give us a second.

We're just gettin' on the track, field, whatever.

The field...

Hold up.

I got an idea.

SPENCER: You got to be kidding me.

What happened to "I'm too young to be this tired"?

CHRIS: No, no, I stand by what I said, but this ain't the way to fight for justice.

I'm just talkin' about the team takin' a knee

- durin' the anthem!

- CHRIS: Ain't no "just" about it, Spence!

- What the hell is your problem, man?

- CHRIS: Yo, Coach Baker,

- can you talk to him?

- BILLY: Ahem.

- CHRIS: You good, Coach?

- BILLY: Yeah, just a little bit of headache.

Look, y'all can disagree, all right, but you have to disagree with respect.

SPENCER: All right, look, Tamika was from our 'hood, our school.

Friday's game is the perfect opportunity for us to take a stand.

BILLY: Look, buddy, ain't my place to take sides, but, Spencer, you got to understand what you're askin' the team to go through.

- [SPENCER SIGHS]

- CHRIS: Exactly.

Like, you already got college interest, but what about the players who can't afford to take a stand?

Their final season could be cut short...

For what, for kneeling during the anthem?

BILLY: Yes.

Schools can and have been known to suspend athletes who kneel.

And if we suspended, that means

- no playoffs, no championship.

- CHRIS: And Carter wins.

Our program loses everything, and for some of those other Cats, that also means they sh*t at college recruitment.

BILLY: Look, fellas, I stand behind y'all in...

in supporting Tamika, but, uh, when it comes to this Friday's game and the decision that's made, it's got to be unanimous...

the entire team, everyone or no one.

Well, it ain't unanimous, so you got your answer.

[POP MUSIC PLAYING FAINTLY]

We can talk about it if you want.

Um, I actually feel pretty good about chemistry.

Can you look at me...

please?

What's up?

I'm worried about you.

[WEARILY]

I'm fine.

You just seem really distant and distracted lately.

My bad.

I mean, it's not like I don't have a lot going on at home or anything, right?

Liv and my mom are next-level and you know that.

Okay.

- I get it.

- JORDAN: Okay.

[SIGHS]

I just...

Jordan, why didn't you tell JJ and Asher that we're married?

[SIGHS]

I don't know.

Uh, it hasn't come up, I guess.

"Hasn't come up"?

Nope.

- Jordan.

- Simone, what?

Do you even want to stay married?

I mean, it's not like we really have a choice now that the rents are involved, do we?

[SCOFFS]

Wow.

You might want to bring your excitement down a notch 'cause it's not like I'm talking about our future or anything.

Why do you still want to hitch your future to mine, hmm?

Look, the guy that you married had a future.

I'm not that guy anymore.

I'm damaged, Simone.

You understand?

Without football, I'm nothing.

Is that enough excitement for you?

[PEN CLICKS]

[DESCENDING FOOTFALLS]

Shelby.

Tsk.

Wow.

So now, what, babysitting falls under your job description as Mom's Chief of Staff?

Just pickin' up a flash drive for your mom, actually.

- Mmm.

- So, yeah.

You know, it must be so nice to be this naive.

Well, I don't expect you to understand.

What I do understand is that your mother was getting justice for Tamika, and with one podcast, you blew months of work to hell.

Your mother has been fighting an excruciating battle on the inside to indict the cops that sh*t Tamika.

She actually managed to convince a few cops to agree to talk on the record and testify against Tamika's sh**t, but now that there's a perceived leak in the D.A.'s office, those cops have withdrawn; They don't trust your mom anymore.

Uh, well, why didn't she tell me?

I mean, she just kept saying that she couldn't discuss anything.

Because she can't, Olivia, and now, thanks to you, she has to try and piece her case back together while the whole world comes for her.

Have you seen the things people are saying about Laura online?

Protestors are outside her office, chanting about the r*cist D.A.

Congratulations on needing to do things your way.

[DOOR CLOSES]

ASHER: Hey, practice is that way.

Yeah, I know.

I'm takin' a pass today.

- Jordan...

- Look, man, I'm not ditching, Ash.

I already talked to Coach Montes, and she's fine with me taking a rest day, all right?

Yo, can we talk?

What's up with everyone wantin' to talk?

'Cause maybe you've been keeping secrets from people who care about you.

Look, Ash, I'm sorry, all right?

I'm sorry that we didn't tell you about the wedding.

It's just we thought that the less people who knew, the better.

- That's it.

- Dude, we've been brothers since, like, the sixth grade.

Guess I figured I qualified as more than just "people".

Can we just talk about this later?

I get it.

I messed up, all right?

Yet again.

I suck as a friend, I suck as an athlete, I... as a husband, as a son.

Does anybody else want to pile on me today?

SIMONE: Jordan!

I'm just sorry.

Jordan.

MALE SINGER: ♪ I need life, all my needs and desires... ♪

I wasn't sure you'd show.

I almost didn't.

You stood me up years ago, Mo.

Why am I back?

I wanted to apologize to you for that night.

I'm really sorry for leaving like I did.

I was immature.

So a little nostalgia dinner's supposed to fix all that?

Something like a peace offering?

The food is still the same.

I mean, I ain't one to waste the best jerk chicken and plantains in this city.

SINGER: ♪ Are you livin' like I'm livin'? ♪

♪ All my life, I've been livin' for the king ♪

Hey.

Um, can I come in?

- Since when do you ask?

- [SCOFFS]

I wasn't really sure where we stood.

I almost turned around times.

Well, I'm glad that you didn't.

Hey, listen, um, I know things are kinda weird between us, but...

- How can I help?

- OLIVIA: You can't.

No one can.

I mean, I messed things up pretty bad and, um, my mom's trending, and not in a good way, so...

LAYLA: "Dirty DAs love dirty cops".

Ouch.

I pretty much painted a target on her back, and the truth is... is that she...

she was fighting for justice, but I just...

I just don't understand why she didn't tell me that she was going after the cops or, like, hinted or something.

Because discussing the case could literally get her disbarred, Liv.

Look, your mom is a tough woman.

She can handle some lame tweets.

You guys are gonna make it out of this okay.

No, you didn't see the way that she looked at me.

I honestly don't think that she'll ever speak to me again.

Hey, I know a thing or two about messed-up parental relationships, and trust me, you guys have a bond that can make it through anything.

I know our fries are good, but they ain't "Drive across town" good.

I'm waitin' for my useless grandson.

He's late even by C.P. time.

Don't you have a game tonight?

Yeah, yeah.

I'm headed back there now.

Lookin' forward to seeing Crenshaw in the playoffs.

Careful, Pops.

Kinda sounds like you rootin' for us.

Heh heh!

Just don't tell Billy.

Heh heh heh!

Hey, can I ask you somethin'?

Depends what you want.

You were part of the ' L.A. riots, right?

I think I remember Jordan saying somethin'.

Crazy to think that we still fighting that same fight against police brutality all these years later.

Is protesting worth it?

Been through a lot of protests, son.

It's always worth it.

I just wish I'd had the courage to do more, like my granddaughter, gettin' into that good trouble,

- that necessary trouble.

- SPENCER: Okay, Congressman Lewis.

Heh heh heh!

Now there's a man who laid it all on the line to make things better.

- May he rest.

- SPENCER: Yes.

- [BOTH CHUCKLE]

- MO: Oh!

Um, like, remember how you used to make those custom t-shirts and sell 'em to folks in the neighborhood to make money to take me out?

[CHUCKLES]

I'm just glad they didn't ask for a refund.

I mean, it wasn't worth the material it was printed on.

- MO: Heh!

It was a dope idea, though.

- PREACH: Hmm.

And they paid for some real good dates.

Heh!

You know, I always thought you would end up in merchandising or something.

[SIGHS]

Servin' time kinda ruined my plan.

As long as you are drawing breath, it's not too late to change your future.

I'm right down the street.

I'mma pass.

This was a good-bye kiss we never had.

Dinner was good, though.

Thank you.

Hey.

Hey.

Sorry.

- I know you have a game.

- SPENCER: It's all good.

Come on.

This about Jordan?

[SIGHS]

Okay, so...

I know losing football has been really hard for him and emotionally...

Spencer, I don't know.

He's just...

I'm really worried.

I thought he was doing better now with you back in town.

Yeah, if you call him freaking out about his future the other day doing better.

Listen...

he gonna be a'ight.

It was mad hard for me at first when I thought I'd lost football.

Just got to give him some time.

That's actually why I wanted to talk to you, 'cause I know you've been through this.

So maybe...

I don't know, you could talk to him?

I got you, and Jordan, always.

LAURA: Billy!

[CLOSES DOOR]

[SOBS]



[CRYING]

- [LAURA SOBS]

- GRACE: Billy, I...

- [SNIFFLES]

- Oh.

I'm sorry.

I'll, uh, I'll give you some privacy.

[SOBBING]

[CELLOPHANE CRINKLES]

Thank you.

[SIGHS]

I assume you've seen the news?

[SNIFFLES]

Hard to miss.

[SIGHS]

Yeah.

You're raising two kids all by yourself.

Do you ever second-guess the decisions you've made?

[CHUCKLES]

Oh, honey, I second-guess everything.

The trick is just to not let anyone see it.

What do you do when you fail?

I mean, my own daughter doesn't trust that I cared enough to fight for Tamika.

I mean, does Olivia really think that I'm some kind of a r*cist?

[SNIFFLES]

Or, even worse...

complicit?

I cannot speak on everything that Olivia is thinking.

- [SOBS]

- But I promise you that she loves you and she doesn't think the worst of you.

- [SNIFFLES]

- Her need to stand up for what's right, that comes from you.

She told me as much.

Her passion and commitment to justice aren't accidental.

I appreciate that.

Yeah.

[SIGHS]

God.

[SNIFFLES]

Everything's so...

messed up right now with this case...

at home, in the world.

I...

I believe you want justice with Tamika, and I know you want laws to change for the sake of your own family.

But did you really believe that your internal investigation would have made a difference?

I believe the system is capable of change.

[SIGHS]

Some systems, maybe, but not ones that are predicated on our oppression since the beginning.

You don't think reform is...

possible by weeding out the bad apples?

Every time a cop kills a black person, even more boys in blue stay silent.

That's a whole lot of bad apples.

Look, our justice system is fundamentally broken.

That's just the truth.

That's why Olivia took such extreme measures.

She wasn't doubting you.

She was just fed up with an entire system who keeps k*lling people who look like her.

[SIGHS]

- [PLAYERS CHEERING]

- _ Yes, sir!

Yeah!

Whoo!

Okay, okay.

All right, y'all.

Gather round.

Gather round.

Come on, y'all.

Hurry up.

Hurry up.

[SCATTERED CHEERING]

PLAYER: Ready to do that!

I'm 'bout to do that!

- BILLY: Everybody out?

- PLAYER: Let's go!

BILLY: It took a lot of courage to get here, but it's gonna take that and a lot more for us to win tonight.

This is our last chance for us to make playoffs.

Y'all fought hard to get here, but I need you all to lay it all out on the line tonight.

No matter what happens, I'mma be proud.

Coach, can I say something?

Ahem.

"Lay it all on the line".

There's been a lot of that talk lately, right?

Hey, man, we fought like hell this season, y'all, and not just for a chance at the playoffs, not just for a state title.

Nah, we fought to save this football program that saved so many of us, but now there's something bigger to fight for.

Rome... is burnin', and as much as we'd all like to bury our heads in the sand, we can't, not when we're being hunted.

Our fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters hunted, our future kids hunted.

And if we do nothin', if we don't stand up for Tamika, for George, for Breonna, for Elijah, for ourselves, man, if we don't do that, then when's it gonna stop?

The power lies within us now.

Hey, yo, Spencer's right.

So we kneel... during the anthem

- in order to protest.

- SPENCER: No.

That's not gonna be enough no more.

We go big or we go home.

You're askin' us to forfeit the game.

- PLAYER: Nah, man.

Come on.

- [PLAYERS MURMURING]

She was one of ours!

Tamika can't fight for herself no more, but we can.

SPENCER: Look, I know this means endin' our season.

I understand the sacrifice I'm askin' y'all to make.

That's why it's gotta be a team decision.

It's either all of us or none of us, and whatever y'all decide...

I'll stand by it.

All right, gentlemen, show of hands.

No judgment.

All in favor?

[DRUMS b*ating]

BACKGROUND SINGERS: ♪ Get it ♪

♪ Get it ♪

[CROWD CHEERING AND WHISTLING]

♪ Get it ♪

♪ Get it ♪

[DRUMS CEASE]

[CROWD MURMURING]

STADIUM ANNOUNCER: Okay, we're just getting word.

It appears the South Crenshaw Chargers have just forfeited the game in protest against police brutality and the sh**ting of Tamika Pratt.

If this is true, this officially ends their run for the state championship.

Their season's over.

They... they sacrificed everything.

Does your offer to help me still stand?

[CROWD CHEERING AND WHISTLING]

[CROWD APPLAUDING]

STADIUM ANNOUNCER: Incredible.

North View Park has forfeited, too.

They had a real sh*t at the state championship title, as much as the Chargers.

What a show of allyship.

Remarkable!

Thank you, doctor.

I appreciate it.

No, no, no.

I understand.

Okay.

Boys did good!

Yeah.

Yeah, I'm...

I'm...

[CHUCKLES]

- I'm damn proud.

- WILLIE: Heh heh!

You look a little too happy

- about your season ending.

- [BOTH CHUCKLE]

Well, if we had to go out, I ain't mad that it was like that.

I'm just pissed off that Carter's gonna get what he wants now.

We may lose the entire football team and the school.

Well, Carter always hated you after you knocked him out in the ninth grade.

Heh heh heh!

You remember that, too?

Why am I the only one that doesn't?

Well...

Billy, that was a rough week for you.

For all of us.

It was when we told you Mom was sick.

Yeah, there was a...

there was a lot about Mom's sickness that, uh...

I blocked out in those early days.

Son...

you really don't remember?

Are you surprised?

I mean, you went out of your way to erase her from our lives the second she got sick.

That would be how you remember it.

[FOOTSTEPS RETREAT]

[POP MUSIC PLAYING FAINTLY]

SIMONE: Mom, what do you mean, you're planning my wedding?

I'm already married.

If we're to have everyone believe this was done with our blessing, then we need a real wedding, a classy wedding, so you're going to have a do-over.

Well, I think the Bakers are gonna have a lot to say about this.

The Baker family is focused on Laura's D.A. drama.

By the time they look up, it'll be too late.

Well, I think everything's messed up enough as it is, Mom.

And whose fault is that?

But don't you worry.

I'm here to fix everything.

Crimson or red?

Hey.

- LAURA: He lives.

- [BILLY YAWNS]

Yeah.

[GRUNTS]

How you been holdin' up?

How are things with, uh, with Olivia?

Where the hell have you been for the last few days?

You've been completely M.I.A.

while everything is falling apart, and I swear to God, if you say football, Billy...

No, no, no, I just had, uh, uh, some...

some doctors' appointments.

I've been having these memory lapses.

- Billy...

- I guess it's always been in the back of my mind, um, I took a lot of hits.

So now, every time I lose my keys or I misplace my wallet, I'm like, "Is this it?

Do I have CTE?

Is this...

is it starting?" And now, I have these gaps from...

when I was a teenager, where everybody else remembers that...

that...

that I don't.

What do the doctors say?

Well, there's no way of testing for CTE while you're still alive, but I had no signs of old, traumatic brain injuries or dementia or, you know, no loss of cognitive function, so...

That's good, right?

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- So, what?

What do they think caused the memory loss?

Grief.

Yeah, these gaps, uh, fell right during the time my mom was sick, so...

Well, anyway, back to my, uh, my original question: How are you...

like, for real?

My career is...

on life support, and, uh, I think I did irreparable damage to my relationship with Olivia, and I can't lose her, Billy.

Hey...

you won't.

[PHONE CHIMES]

JNR WILLIAMS: ♪ Keep your head, child ♪

♪ Keep your head, child ♪

- ♪ We will stand the rain ♪

- LAURA: It's Shelby.

She said Liv's podcast just went live?

- What?

- ♪ Keep your head, child ♪

♪ Keep your head, child ♪

- [SIGHS]

- ♪ The sun will shine again... ♪

LAYLA: Hi, everyone.

I am Layla Keating, and I am filling in for Olivia Baker just for today.

Um, she wanted me to read you something...

"I learned a tough lesson today.

Not everyone's fight for social justice looks the same.

I'm the scream-in-the-streets, burn-the-house-down type of warrior, which is why I released the footage I stole from my mother's computer.

That's right.

She didn't know anything about it, and while I don't regret releasing the video, I do regret hurting someone who was fighting the social-justice fight in her own, different way.

I can't sit by and listen to people questioning my mother's integrity or commitment to real reform because they couldn't be more wrong.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

Yes, my mother is the D.A., and don't get it twisted; I'm not defending the system.

My mother was and is using her seat to challenge the status quo.

She's on the right side, trying to balance the scales".

WILLIAMS: ♪ ... your head, child, we will stand the rain ♪

LAYLA: "See, the road to equality is long, and there's no one path.

It's gonna take all of us to turn our protests into progress, and that reminder is for myself as much as it is for you.

We can all make a difference".

WILLIAMS: ♪ ... your head ♪

♪ Raise ♪

♪ Your head ♪

I got your text.

You know, I was hoping it would be to celebrate the Chargers making it to the playoffs, but I...

I heard what you guys did...

And I'm sorry it ended like this.

I'm not.

Some fights are worth it...

just like you.

Fightin' off this depression, fightin' to get your life back, that's worth it.

You hear me?

That's why I hit you up.

- So look...

- Look, Spence, you're right, and I've been thinking about this... a lot.

I'm done.

I'm done lashing out at the people I love.

And like you said, fighting for myself, that's worth it.

And I know what I have to do, but I need your help.

- Anything.

- Train me.

Help me get back on the field before Beverly's season is done.

Look, nobody has to know, Spence.

Anything but that, man.

Look what we just did, bro.

Football is not worth riskin' your life.

The docs ain't even clear you to train yet.

- What's the matter with you?

- [CHUCKLES]

Look, forget the docs.

You know better than anyone how to recover from an injury.

If you would have listened to your doctors, you may not have made it back in time for the jamboree last year.

[SOFTLY]

Come on.

You gonna do this with or without me, ain't you?

I am.

All right, I'll do it.

Somebody's got to keep that dumbass safe.

But look...

it's on one condition, a'ight?

- Yeah.

- You got to go see my therapist, Dr. Spears.

He helped me.

'Cause this depression thing ain't no joke.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, sure.

I'll...

I'll chop it up with the shrink, all right?

I...

it's the least I can do, and you won't regret this, all right?

And...

I'm gonna win state for the both of us, I promise you that.