06x07 - They Would Bloom and Welcome You

[bunniefuu]

Previously nn Queen Sugar,

the party has
asked me to run for congress.

What? My mom on the squad?

[OFFICER] don't make any sudden moves!

I have no weapons.
Why have you broken into my home?

[MAN OVER PHONE]
your boy Theo got arrested.

[DARLA] how many times

did I beg you to be honest with me?

- I know.
- And you chose to lie.

Celine tried to kiss me.

She did what?

After everything that woman's done
for you, this is how you repay us?

Jimmy Dale hurt me too. I was a child.

Did you ever stop to think
if what you heard was true?

Charley said she's on her way.

Her lawyer right behind her.

I can't go back.

I can't be locked up again.

If they arrest me...

We'll pay your bail
and get you out right away.

I'm sorry, Darla...

For everything.

Just because...

We don't choose right the first time...

It doesn't mean we can't on the last.

You are so...

Strong, Ralph Angel.

I'm here for you...

No matter what.

[OPENING THEME MUSIC PLAYING]

♪ Dreams never die ♪

♪ take flight as the world turns ♪

♪ dreams never die ♪

♪ take flight as the world turns ♪

♪ keep the colors in the lines ♪

♪ take flight ♪

♪ dreams never die ♪

♪ keep the colors in the lines ♪

♪ keep the colors in the lines ♪

♪ take flight ♪

♪ hey, after all these years ♪

♪ I'm still here fingers outstretched ♪

♪ with your imprint in my bed ♪

[NOVA] hello.

Ralph turned himself in last night.

Turned himself in for what?

He uh, he got into
some trouble and, uh...

Look I... I can't

talk about all the details here,

but I need the family

to be aware and get involved.

I've been handling this alone
since late last night.

I, uh...

I'm at the police station now. Just...

Just meet me here as soon as
you can, okay?

Nova?

Yeah. I mean, yes, yes.

I'll be right there.

[CHARLEY] okay.

♪ Have I become the cavity I feared? ♪

I think you might need a few more slides

in the middle, just to animate this...

[DOOR OPENS]

[PARKER] oh.

Hi.

I didn't know anyone would be here.

Yeah, I'm just, uh,

going over everything for tomorrow.

[PARKER] wonderful.

I uh, left my purse in the lectern.

And how is the rest of
your semester been going?

Good.

Good, yeah. How about yours?

All's well. I'm really looking
forward to your talk tomorrow.

Past and present day
maroon societies, right?

Yeah, that's right.

Well... I expect you have a unique take.

Well, I'll let you
get back to your preparations.

- Hi.
- Hi.

Hey. Bye.

[MICAH] "I'll expect you'll have

- a unique take"?
- What was that about?

- I don't even know, man.
- [LAUGHS]

hey, look, I can clear my day,
if you wanna talk or chill or something.

[MICAH] nah.

I appreciate it.
I'm just gonna focus on this thing.

Yeah, all right, whatever you need.

- Peace.
- Peace.

Man, I appreciate you, bro.

Yeah.

See you later.

[BILLIE] I'll get you those documents.

Okay, bye, everyone.

Morning, daddy.

You want some coffee?

[SIGHS] so, how's work going?

Well, it looks like we'll be heading
back to the office next month.

And now that - you're on your
feet and - you have Sandy, I was...

Figuring I should probably

- think about
- heading back to Chicago.

Well then...

I'm sure Vance and the kids will
be happy to have you back, huh?

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

I think it's for the best.

[PROSPER] uh...

I, uh...

I wanted to talk to you last night,
but you had left.

You know, I just...
I never wanted you to know.

And I didn't mean to
bring it up yesterday, but...

Willa got me so frustrated.

You don't have to make believe.

If you're hurting, I want
to know about it.

Now, you can talk to me
about anything, you know that.

I'm here to listen.

[CELL PHONE RINGING]

[BEEPS]

Hello.

Yeah, he's right here.

Hold on. It's Hollywood.

Sounds important.

[BEEPS]

Hollywood.

[HOLLYWOOD] I want to let you know
what's going on out here with Ra.

Man, that boy got in some trouble.

I ain't want you to hear
about it out and about.

I'll make that coffee to go.

Uh, actually, Hollywood...

Why don't you call me
tonight and tell me all about it?

I got something important
going on here, too.

[HOLLYWOOD] all right, man.
I'll holler at you later.

Okay.

[CALL DISCONNECTS]

Why don't I make the coffee?
And then we'll talk.

Okay.

[CHARLEY] thank you.

Yeah, I'll be in touch.

[DARLA SIGHS]

[DARLA] was that your lawyer?

[CHARLEY] yeah.

The da is... Keeping things

close to his chest,
but she'll keep digging.

[DARLA] what does it mean for us now?

Well, honestly, Darla...

I just wish, that
you both would've come to me

before he turned himself in.

I'm not sure how much

even the best lawyer
can do at this point.

[DARLA] he didn't turn himself in.

He came here to answer their questions

because they've been looking
for him to ask him questions.

[SIGHS] they left messages at the farm.

They'd gone to see him at the real spot.

[SIGHS]

He didn't want the family embarrassed.

He didn't want them showing up at Vi's

or coming to your office at the council.

Hey. Are you okay?

[RALPH ANGEL] baby.

I just want to go home.

[DARLA] did they hurt you?

- Did they touch you?
- Mmm-mmm.

[DARLA] okay.

Thanks for bailing me out.

Yeah.

Charley's lawyer is working really,
really hard on your case.

How's it looking?

That bad, huh?

[SIGHS]

So, what did you tell them?

That I ain't do nothing.

Stop coming around my family,
asking questions, is what I told 'em.

Really, I was just trying to
see what evidence they had.

There wasn't no witnesses.

And cameras was off.

Made sure of it myself.

[CHARLEY] well,
I called the family to meet us here,

but I think we should
meet at my place instead.

You need to talk to us.

I ain't got no excuses.

I ain't got no reasons that's
gonna make sense to y'all. So...

All I know is how I felt
when that pandemic hit.

I had to take out a loan to...

Make sure I could bring harvest in.

Couldn't pay that back.

Just got too deep.

I was up against losing the farm...

And, uh...

I took out some payday loans just to...

Just to take care of everything.

And I couldn't pay them back either.

I did what I had to do.

Just to provide for my family.

So you think it's okay...

For you to take somebody else's things?

I was just getting back what I was owed.

What are you talking about?

Landry poisoned my crop.

- How'd he do that?
- Pesticide.

Lot of it.

Yeah, I got my soil tested.

That sh*t was off the charts.

And you can prove
that it was Sam Landry?

No, Charley, I can't prove it.

That's why I ain't tell you all.

I know you'd...

Tell me I couldn't prove it.

Probably throw some money at me...

Instead of justice.

But...

I know it was Landry, so...

I wasn't stealing.

I was just standing my damn ground.

[SIGHS]

Unfortunately, the law
won't see it that way.

[VIOLET] it sure the hell won't.

This is all about ego.

And pride.

You could have asked
any one of us for help.

Maybe you right. [CHUCKLES SOFTLY]

Maybe pride is all I got.

And I'm trying to hold on to it.

But ain't you the one
who said I wasn't a man?

For sending Blue to
get a better education.

But now you expect me
to go crawling to Charley?

Or Darla's parents?

Or you?

For money to provide for my family?

Nah.

[MELANCHOLY MUSIC CONTINUES]

That's what you call being a man?

Aunt Vi?

All these years, I...

I've been trying to get it right.

It's always something
stacked against me.

I mean... [SCOFFS]

How long you expect me to stay down?

Getting kicked.

Before I fight back
with everything I got.

- Huh?
- [HOLLYWOOD] I hear you, Ralph Angel.

So our lawyer tells me that
Theo is not in jail anymore.

He made one phone call

after his arrest...

To Sam Landry.

After that, the charges were dropped.

It looks like Theo's making a deal.

Looks like I got played.

That's what it looks like.

That's on me.

Imma have to work
this out with Sam Landry.

No, it's too dangerous
in your current situation.

I'll talk to Sam.

[VIOLET] no.

I'll go.

The hell you will.

Sam and me...

Got a lot of history.

It's time I remind him
of his place in it.

[HOLLYWOOD] well, I'm going with you.

[VIOLET] I love you...

No matter what.

I love you, too.

No matter what.

Jimmy Dale was smooth about it.

I can see that now.

So, when Nova and I would visit Violet,

he would ask me about my
dreams and my future plans.

Made me feel real...

Grown up and... Smart.

But then he tried to
take it to the next level.

And I didn't want that.

But he didn't care.

He assaulted you.

He tried.

But luckily, my daddy taught me

how to throw a pretty nice right-cross.

[MUMBLES]

Upper cut wasn't nothing
to mess with either.

[BOTH CHUCKLE SOFTLY]

Why didn't you come to me, Billie?

I would've handled that
son of a bitch myself.

I told mama.

But...

She told me it was my fault.

Said that with the way that I
acted and I dressed, I should...

Be grateful
that the worst didn't happen.

Your mama was from a different time...

I know she didn't mean to harm you.

But why didn't you still come to me?

How could I come to you, daddy?

The whole town was whispering.

And you never said one word.

You just...

Pretended like I was some
dirty little secret

you didn't wanna talk about.

And I figured... You'd believe the talk.

Look, I... I didn't know
what to believe.

I mean, I guess I just thought
that it would all go away.

I mean, I look back on myself
at that time, and I'm ashamed.

I mean, we were all friends,
Ernest, Jimmy Dale...

[SIGHS]

And at the time, I didn't know
he was galivanting around.

But it was easier for me to...

To believe him
than it was to defend you,

and I took the easy way out.

And I hurt you so bad,
you left and you never came back.

But I'm glad you're back.

Not just in St. Jo or this house...

But back with me.

[SIGHS]

I'm sorry, Billie, for all of it.

[SAMUEL] yeah, that is great.

[WOMAN] hey, excuse me,
you can't go in there.

Yeah, Tom, let gonna call you back.

All right.

-Mr. Landry
-it's fine, thank you.

Violet, Mr. Hollywood.

What brings such
a lovely couple to my door?

Well, I'm sure you've heard
of my nephew's arrest.

[SAMUEL] Ralph Angel.

Bad news travels fast.

It really seemed like he had
turned his life around.

[PHONE RINGING]

How did Theo Jackson, who was
arrested for the same crime,

mysteriously be released...

After a phone call to you?

Well, there's no mystery to it.

Theo was just smart enough
not to get caught

on The surveillance footage.

What surveillance footage?

[SAMUEL] Ralph Angel was smart
to turn off the security cameras,

but we had backups.

Less visible ones.

Theo was in on this with you
from the beginning.

You set Ralph Angel up.

Set him up? Ralph Angel
is on that video,

acting completely of his own accord.

I knew you was low...

But I didn't even think
you would stoop to this.

I'm not fooling with you,

you gonna drop these charges, Sam.

Company protocol mandates...

That we prosecute all these
cases to the full extent of the law.

[VIOLET] that is horseshit.

Now, you owe me this.

In fact, you owe my entire
family for all the crap

that the Landrys have
pulled for decades.

The Landrys are the victims here, Vi.

I have been out-maneuvered
by you bordelons

more than once over the years.

It's what our families do.

But pride goeth before the fall.

And Ralph Angel,
he's got a lot of pride.

You've got no cards to play this time.

I made damn sure of it.

[CHUCKLES]

[EXHALES]

Are you sure?

How would you like to
join your sister in prison?

Why would I go to prison
for getting robbed?

Because you coerced Theo Jackson

to conspire with you to commit fraud.

We'll be pressing charges
for agricultural terrorism.

Agricultural terrorism.

Is that woke police's
latest catch phrase?

Now, the bordelons' farm's
harvest was completely destroyed

because of excessive
levels of pesticide.

I can't help it if her nephew
is such a bad farmer

he can't properly use pesticide.

Nah, nah, nah, nah.

See, we know you did it.

And we got the proof.

We just don't go around dramatically

flashing ours in junky-ass folders.

Well, I would love to watch
you try to prove all of this

in our magnificent
St. Josephine justice system.

Listen, I'm not interested
in your empty threats.

And I don't think your family

is interested in a drawn out trial.

What would that do to the
future business of Vi's pies, hmm?

Nova's career, Micah's future?

Charley's political aspirations?

Will Blue's fancy new school...

Want a student whose
black father is on trial for theft?

There is a way out of all this.

This is all about money.

I don't want your money, Violet.

The only thing I want...

Is the farm.

Ralph Angel signs over the farm to me,

and the rest goes away.

[MICAH] and thank you,
thank you for your attention in this

exploration of the processes

by which enslaved africans
from diverse societies

created new cultures in the Americas

and on the present day status of
surviving maroon cultures, in Suriname

and French Guiana, Jamaica,
Colombia and elsewhere.

[MICAH CHUCKLES]

[PARKER] well, hold on, Mr. West.

[MICAH] yes.

I wanna interrogate that
a little bit more.

Okay.

So, what are these modern-day
forms of sl*very that you refer to?

[MICAH] redlining, voter suppression,
school defunding,

employment discrimination,
loan discrimination, mass incarceration.

Oh, that's a list, it's not an argument.

[MICAH] the list is the argument.
It's... It's evidence.

Evidence of a flawed system, yes,

but isn't every system flawed
in some way?

Perhaps, but not every system
is designed to

subjugate a specific group of people.

So then how does that make
black Americans maroons?

[MICAH] if... The structures of a system

are designed to keep a people
out of neighborhoods,

out of government,

out of education,

out of the workforce,
and in some instances,

out of society,

and in prisons, and
in a constant state of danger,

what else do you call that,
but being on the run, out in the wild?

[CLAPPING]

- Thank you, Mr. West.
- Thank you.

Well, class is dismissed,

and I'll see you all next week.

That was very impressive, Micah.

You've grown a lot.

We should celebrate.

[MICAH] I think I'm good.

[PARKER] you're good?

[MICAH] yeah, like you said, I've grown.

See you in class, professor.

[RALPH ANGEL] nah.

Nah, we ain't doing that.

- Ralph Angel...
- [RALPH ANGEL] nah,

I'll take my chances with the courts.

They could take me to trial,
but they're not taking my land.

Ralph Angel, you don't
want to go to trial on this.

- He has you on...
- Nah.

- Nah, I turned off...
- [HOLLYWOOD] it was a setup.

That Theo,
the guy who didn't show, all of it.

Yeah, you disabled the cameras,

but they had some strategical
setup just to catch you.

[RALPH ANGEL] well, I got
the best attorney, right?

Can't she tell them Theo
led up the whole thing?

Huh?

With Theo's charges dropped,

the da will put the whole thing on you.

On me?

You will take the full brunt

of the prosecution.

Because of your prior conviction,

it's, um...

It's a harder path.

It means...

Missing out

on our daughter's early years.

Like we missed out on Blue's.

Nothing is worth that gamble.

Nothing is worth
you going back to prison.

I will make sure

that the attorney works out

a rock solid deal with Sam Landry.

We'll get written and video affidavits

that Landry enterprises hired you

to move equipment...

And because of a clerical error...

Your paperwork just wasn't processed.

Your record will remain clean,

and you can just...
You can move on from this.

Ra?

Y'all serious right now?

You're gonna just let the
family legacy go like that?

Why you giving up so easy, huh?

Because you did it.

You did this!

You stole that white man's stuff, bro.

You did this sh*t.

Yeah, racism.

Yeah, the system.

But also,

you stole it!

And you were caught
red-handed, on camera!

Look at all these women...

Who put their family farm
in your hands...

They're willing to let it go.

Because they'll let that land go

before they let you go.

[VIOLET] your freedom

is worth more than any land,
Ralph Angel.

What about mama?

She buried there, you know.

We can... We can move her
next to daddy's, at the cemetery.

That way they'll...

They'll be together.

[SOBS]

[SIGHS]

- [PHONE LINE RINGING]
- [VOICEMAIL] hey, you,

you've reached Blue.

Please leave a message,
and have an astronomical day.

Blue...

It's your old man.

Just seeing how you doing up there.

I hear you've been k*lling them classes.

Showin' them white kids, what a
young black man is all about, huh.

I hope you've been having fun.

I'm proud of you.

Okay?

I just wanted to call and let you know.

I couldn't have asked for a better...

Brighter,

more kind...

Son.

Anyway... [CLEARS THROAT]

Keep reaching for them stars, boy.

Love you.

I know you got something to say.

I can take it.

[DARLA] I understand

how frustrated you must have been...

To do that.

[SIGHS] but I am so...

Angry at you.

- I know.
- No, you don't know,

because I have never actually
told you how I really feel.

You endangered our family.

You betrayed my trust.

You made me go against my gut.

You made a fool

out of all of the work that

we supposedly done together.

And what is worse

is that I bottled up

all of this anger inside...

So that I wouldn't hurt you.

[RALPH ANGEL] I know
I hurt you real bad.

You ain't gotta bottle it up.

You have every right
to feel how you feel.

You know, I thought I was past all this.

I'm still trying to be better.

I'm still trying to make good.

I'm still trying not to lose hope...

In myself.

No more secrets.

No more lies.

Let's make both of
our children proud, okay?

- I'm sorry.
- [DARLA] I know.

[KNOCK AT DOOR]

- Hi.
- [CHARLEY] hi.

Just wanted to check in on you.

Can I come in?

I, uh...

I'm not doing too great, Charley.

- None of us are.
- No, I'm trying to tell you something.

The police broke in here...

Yesterday.

What?

Wait.

They terrorized me.

[SOBS]

[SNIFFLES]

But really, this is about my power...

My activism, my voice...

My skin, my gender...

My everything.

Yes. You are everything.

They didn't take anything from you.

They gave you something.

More power.

More fire.

More.

Yes?

Yes.

Thank you.

Everything is...

[EXHALES] hitting me all at once.

I've seen att*cks
on other activists, but...

This is the first time
I felt it so directly.

Every step towards progress
gets pushed back tenfold.

That's how they want you to feel.

We have to stay fighting.

The powers that be always win.

[CHARLEY] look, I hear you.

And I am frustrated too.

I mean, I have a position of power,

in the local government here

and I still didn't have the leverage

to save the farm.

And that is why I am considering

a run for congress.

For real?

I'm thinking about it.

But whether I do or not,

I will need you in the fight with me.

So promise me...

You will not let those bastards succeed

in trying to break you.

Get up and fight again.

I promise.

Get some rest.

Take this time.

It belongs to you.

This peace belongs to you.

This home belongs to you.

[BILLIE] morning, daddy.

Oh, morning.

Made you some breakfast.

Oh, thank you, sweetie.

Hey.

Yeah, I found the recipe in
one of mama's old albums.

And I got cereal on standby
just in case it's terrible.

[CHUCKLES]

This is delicious.

- Really?
- Yeah, this is delicious.

You... You want to join me?

Uh, yeah, let me get a plate.

Uh, you...

You ever thought about staying
a while longer?

I mean, kids have grown
and you can do what you want.

May be nice.

You know, even go fishin,
maybe visit some more, and...

Catch up some more.

Yeah.

I'll definitely think about that.

Okay.

First, how are you?

[CELINE] yeah, okay.

And Gabriel?

They got Gabriel in school.

It's a good place.

Good people.

You scared the life out of me,
disappearing like that.

- I was ashamed.
- You should be.

I opened my heart,

my life,

my wallet to you.

And in return,

you hit on my husband.

Well, I'm sorry.

You need to know,

Hollywood put me straight in my place.

He wasn't having none of me.

Guess you got the last good one in.

I don't need you to tell me
nothing about my husband.

I know that man.

This is not the person I want to be.

It isn't you.

Look, I consider myself
a good judge of character.

You are a good person, Celine.

Too good for some mess like this.

What were you thinking?

I don't know.

Maybe 'cause...

I've either been with my daddy,

boyfriends or my husband all my life.

I don't even know who I am
without a man to tell me.

Hmm?

And I know you,

queen Vi, think it's pathetic.

No, baby,

that's real.

When it finally hit me, I was...

Alone.

I panicked.

[CRIES] and...

I know I shouldn't have
disrespected you, never.

Or your husband...

Or your marriage.

And if I could take it back...

I am truly sorry.

I am so, so sorry.

I swear, I'm so sorry.

When my first husband
and I got together,

I was barely out of high school.

And when I left him,

he told me that I would never
be nothing without him.

Took me a lot of time and a...

Whole lot of support.

Get to where those words weren't...

Always controlling my thinking.

It took me even longer...

To figure out what
healthy boundaries look like

in a relationship.

But that's what you gotta do.

They got me going to therapy.

I wa... I wanna be strong.

That's good.

Nothing to be scared of.

You were, truly, truly...

A good friend.

And I am so sorry.

I am so sorry.

I thank you.

Um...

So, here is...

The little last bit to help you.

You know, my family is going
through some really...

Major things right now.

And so I'm not going to be
able to see you or Gabriel.

And I want to wish you blessings.

You got a good boy.

And you're a strong spirit, Celine.

Do well by both.

[DOOR CLOSES]

[PHONE LINE RINGING]

[MAN OVER PHONE] councilwoman Bordelon.

I'm ready to run for
United States congress.

[MAN LAUGHS]

Cutting straight to the chase.
I love it.

And so does the rest of the party.

So, how do we kick this off?

[MAN] groundwork, miss Bordelon.

A national meet and greet, in Washington

with voters and donors.

Are you up for that?

More than up for it.

I'm ready to start winning.

[MAN] that's great,
but I should remind you.

Our real goal is to change

the political dynamics across the map.

To give people a reason to hope again.

And a reason to vote again.

Just like Stacey did in Georgia.

[CHARLEY] of course.

[MAN] we need to assess if Louisiana

is the best possibility for you.

Or California.

Both have vulnerable seats.

Our goal is to get you to Washington

through whichever Avenue is best.

[CHARLEY] I understand all that.

[MAN] so how'd you make the decision?

What finally convinced you?

Recent personal events have shown that

I don't currently have
the power necessary

to protect the people I love the most.

I want to change that.

Mr. Bordelon, you're looking well.

How about we save
the small talk and get to it.

Thanks for meeting with me.

I wanted to make sure,
face to face, man to man,

that we had a deal...

Before I proceed with the paperwork

and start dealing with your sister's

pain in the ass lawyers.

I don't have time to be wasting.

Then go ahead get them papers ready.

Good.

Very good.

You know, my daddy...

I don't give a damn about your daddy.

And you sure as hell don't
give a damn about mine.

You're right about that.

I'll get things in order.

And you'll have days to vacate.

♪ Standing now ♪

♪ calling all the people here
to see the show ♪

♪ calling for my demons now
to let me go ♪

♪ I need something
give me something wonderful ♪

♪ I believe ♪

♪ she won't take me somewhere
I'm not supposed to be ♪

♪ you can't steal the things
that god has given me ♪

I don't know what's about to
happen next.

♪ No more pain and
no more shame and misery ♪

but I promise this ain't the end.

♪ You can't take me down ♪

♪ you can't break me down ♪

♪ you can't take me down ♪

♪ you can't take me down ♪