01x03 - Love and w*r

[bunniefuu]

♪ We get stronger and faster ♪

♪ One blink and we pass ya ♪

♪ Now you don't know how to catch up ♪

- WOMAN: Time!
- ♪ Making moves, we don't ask ya ♪

[PANTING] So?

♪ You don't know how to act now ♪

- WOMAN: : .
- SIMONE: Yes!

- [CHEERING]
- Yes. Oh.

WOMAN: Come check this out.

Open it up.

[ZIPPER UNZIPPING]

[LAUGHS]

WOMAN: Just a little drip so you can

look and feel your best on the court.

SIMONE: Wow, y'all, this is

more than I could even ever imagine.

Congrats again on
officially making the squad.

Hey.

Thank you, y'all.

Can't believe we lost.

Again.

I mean, only by a run, bro.

Look, at least we didn't get
our asses whooped, all right?

It's progress.

SANTIAGO: I don't know how
much more losing I can take.

MARCUS: All right, circle up, fellas.

Enough with the poor body language.

Heads up, now.

I just want to say I'm proud of the hard work

I saw out there today, guys.

And we still have
time to turn it around.

So, keep them damn heads up, y'all,

and let's get back to it tomorrow.

All right. Come on. Pick
up the spirit, now. Come on.

- J.R.: Hey, yo, Coach.
- MARCUS: What's up?

We gotta do something
about the team morale

being in the dirt like this.

I mean, it's like everybody giving
up before the season even starts.

Hey, that's part of starting
over, J.R., all right?

Building a championship team back up

from the ground is gonna hurt a little.

Or a lot.

And we do what we can
to keep it to a little.

What about a new image?

Disconnect from the old team, all...

the scandal and bad vibes.

Maybe like some new
uniforms. Fresh equipment.

That could help turn the
team momentum back around.

This baseball program
is already on thin ice.

No way they're gonna give us more money.

What about individual sponsors?

College athletes, they can receive

N.I.L. endorsements now.

We can pull in our own money.

I mean, everybody having

a little piece of
their own change, Coach,

that can make a big difference.

No. Damon, the last
thing we need right now

is an already fragile team

competing with each
other for attention, man.

All right?

You're gonna make some
calls anyway, aren't you?

It's just a few old contacts.

Coach seemed pretty
adamant he wasn't with it.

I'm just gonna check the pulse
to see if they're interested

in a few potential sponsorships.

All right? I'll worry about
the Coach Marcus part later.

DAMON: The sponsorship
wouldn't just be for me.

It's actually...

Yes. My mom, she's... she's fine.

But I was calling to see
if you'd be interested

in checking out the whole team.

We're all looking for
endorsements and...

[SIGH] Uh-huh.

Yeah, that's cool. You can call me back.

Thanks.

OK, so, the only things

that get me that stressed out

are sports and financial aid, so,

what was on with it?

Um... both.

I've been calling around to a
few of my contacts to see if...

they'd be interested in
sponsoring some of the guys, but

I am striking out.

It's like either they're
not interested in...

HBCU sports or the
ones that are interested

don't want to be tied up in a team

fresh off of a cheating scandal.

I mean, I'm sure you guys'll
find something eventually.

Yeah.

Oh, snap.

It looks like all the
sponsors found you.

- OK.
- Miss fancy.

- Nice bag.
- I mean, I hope so.

They made me squeeze a mile in
under minutes just to get it.

- You sound excited.
- No. I am.

- You sure?
- I am, but

you know, it's just this
is the first of many steps.

I barely squeezed into the tenth spot

and now I have to focus on

climbing the ranks of the team,

because only the top
get to compete, so...

Whoa, hey, hey.

You need to relax, OK?

Take a deep breath.

[EXHALES]

You are a step further
than you were before.

You need to stop and enjoy this moment.

You're right.

[EXHALES]

Maybe...

I don't know. Focus on...

bonding and building
relationships with your teammates.

I'm sorry.

You take a couple weeks to
get to know your team and

all of a sudden, you're
the bonding expert. Hmm.

I mean, yeah, something like that.

- I'm a quick study.
- Boy, please.

SIMONE: Nate, I cannot thank you enough

for letting me crash
here these couple days.

All good.

No sense in stressing trying to commute

back and forth from your aunt Amara's

when there's plenty of space here.

KEISHA: Hello. Could y'all at least

pretend not to make
undercover arrangements

in front of your R.A.?

[LAUGHTER]

NATE: You got a lot going on.

Especially since my girl

done officially made the tennis squad.

SIMONE: Yeah, but I don't think
everybody's too happy about it.

I thought Thea and I had a nice moment

after queen of the court, but now she's

back to being mad that
I even made the team.

Girl, duh.

You're her biggest competition.

She's just trying to psych you out.

Forget her. What she gon' do?

Make tennis a living hell.

She's the team captain and all the girls

follow her lead. That wields the power.

OK, well, if Thea still tripping,

I can just throw this
gift bag in the trash.

Or at her head. Whichever works. Mm.

What? I make gift bags
for all my residents

when their birthdays are coming up.

Thea's birthday's in a couple of days.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

I need to talk to you.

OK.

I think I just figured out a way

to bring Thea and I together.

J.R.: Don't worry about
a sponsorship, bro.

We'll figure out another way.

I don't have no other ideas, bro.

There's all types of ways
to raise some extra money.

Yeah, like what?

I mean, give a brother a minute.

Wait, bro.

Who's that?

DAMON: That's Alden Pederson.

The head sponsor for Sprint Flex.

What? I thought you said you struck out.

Yeah. I did.

That means somebody else is responsible.

Bro, is that your mom?

Yeah.

She brought the sponsor?

I thought you said that
hell would freeze over

before she helped you here at Bringston.

Yeah, I did.

DAMON'S MOTHER: So, what,
you thought you was slick,

calling around behind my back?

Those sponsors are my contacts.

You could've just asked for my help.

Yeah, well, I didn't think...

you'd want to help, considering
how mad you got that I chose

not to enter the draft.

Baby, that's water under the bridge.

If this is what you want to do,

- we're gonna do it right.
- No, no, Ma,

you cannot just come
in here steamrolling...

- I'm not steamrolling.
- Wait, look.

There are protocols, and I just...

I don't think Coach Marcus
is gonna be cool with this.

MARCUS: I'm not.

I already expressed to you how I felt

about the sponsor thing, and you went

behind my back and called your mom?

- Coach, that's not what...
- Excuse me. Hi.

Coach Turner? Damon
actually didn't call me.

I heard about the team's needs

and decided to come help myself.

Look, Ms. Sims, whatever this is,

I don't want it to turn into

a dog and pony show around Damon.

Our focus is the team

and what's best for all of them.

Agreed.

Which is why president
Allen approved me coming here

and offering my services.

So, if you have any further issues,

I suggest you take that up with him.

I have work to do.

♪ OK, OK, OK ♪

♪ Ya, ya ♪

♪ Ki, ki, ki, ki! ♪

Hey, y'all.

Did you guys know
tomorrow's Thea's birthday?

- WOMAN: Yes.
- SIMONE: Are we gonna

plan something together
for her as a team?

Thea doesn't do birthdays.

Everyone does birthdays.

It's literally celebrating their birth.

If Thea wanted her birth celebrated,

she would tell us, but she didn't,

so, we're not.

Just like we didn't last year.

Let me guess. They don't have plans?

Nope.

Well, there you go.

I think that's more of a reason
why we should do something.

Maybe we could throw,
like, a little party.

I think you should just let it go.

See, that's the problem.

Everyone's so intimidated by Thea

that no one actually wants
to do anything nice for her.

Or she's just a raging
bitch and that's why.

I'm just throwing out all
the possibilities here.

Well, I still think that we should try.

Even though she's tough on the surface,

everyone deserves to have
somebody show up for them.

♪ So saucy, ya ya ya ♪

A few times in particular,

I've written stories

that I knew would be controversial.

MAN: Yes.

NATE: What made you publish every time?

I asked myself if it's the truth

and if it could help somebody.

Although we as journalists

must bear the weight
of those consequences,

it's our job to highlight and deliver

objective truths, no matter what.

AMARA: That takes a certain
strength of character.

How'd you develop that?

See, now you just showing out, Dr. Pat.

I learned it in this very
class a few years ago.

They should rename it
strength of character .

NATE: I know that's right.

AMARA: All right, class,
that is all the time we have.

Please show my former student

Mr. Ralph Wells some love

for blessing us with his time today.

OK.

I see you all out here on your
sophisticated, grown man status,

Mr. "Atlanta Daily News" journalist.

OK. Whatever.

You know I'm still
same old ratchet Ralph,

just with a little corporate twist.

Uh, hey, if you're free,
we should grab lunch.

Maybe catch up.

I would absolutely love that,

but I have office hours

and one more class left today,

and on top of that, a
ton of papers to grade.

Uh, listen, no pressure,
but maybe dinner?

You know, keep it low-key.

Takeout in the office.

I will even help you grade papers.

OK.

You know what? Since you...

are going to help me grade papers,

least I can do is cook.

How's : ?

- RALPH: I'm in.
- AMARA: All right. Ha!

You've really established
yourself a whole new life here.

How's it going?

The guys are becoming like family.

Enrolling here was
definitely the right call.

Well, I'm proud of you.

I am.

And I'm excited for tomorrow.

I set up a presentation for the team.

When other sponsors heard about Alden,

they didn't want to miss
the chance to capitalize

on the whole HBCU thing, so,

Alden, a few others, and
some press will be here.

Dang, Ma.

- You really going all out.
- Yeah.

There's gonna be a lot
of attention on this team.

Which makes it the perfect opportunity

for several players to reel
in personal endorsements.

J.R.: Hey, D.

You up.

[INDISTINCT].

How you doing, Ms. Sims?

J.R.

We kind of got off to
a bad start last time.

Yeah. Nice to see you again, J.R.

Your boy's a natural.

I raised him to be.

Took a lot of work 'cause
he has a hard head...

Hey, Damon?

Switch to your left profile.

Is that scar a testament
of his hard-headedness?

Probably.

I don't remember exactly when he got it.

He had it since he was a baby.

Excuse me.

Hey.

So, your mom pulled up
on her Olivia Pope-ish

and she saved the day. Hmm?

Uh, yeah, she's been

real supportive and
invested in the team.

Seems like she's turning a new leaf.

Really?

[CHUCKLES]

Wow, um,

your poker face really sucks.

Damon, do you really think
your mom changed that quickly?

Yeah. I mean,

maybe it took me

leaving home and making
my own choices for her

- to finally accept it.
- Yeah, but to be fair,

it wasn't just any choice.

You literally threw
a wrench in her plans.

And there's nothing like
going up against a mother

who has plans for her child's life.

That's all I'm saying.

OK, with all due respect, you don't...

really know her.

Damon, our moms aren't that different.

My mom and I are at odds

because Tina Hicks refuses
to accept my decisions.

[CLOSES LAPTOP]

You know, I was sharing
for you to listen,

not criticize my mom.

[ZIPPER ZIPPING]

[R&B MUSIC PLAYING]

I still can't believe

I'm drinking with my former student.

Well, to be fair, I'm an adult now.

Well, Ralph, you were always an adult.

But now I'm grown, grown.

I even got the big boy job to prove it.

Ha!

So, how are things at Bringston?

Fine. You know, same old, same old.

Yeah, OK.

I'm really supposed to believe
that everything is fine?

Exposing that baseball
scandal rocked a lot of boats.

Well, that's the other
reason why I came back.

I have a potential job offer for you.

Because like you always taught us,

journalists don't have
to take things lying down.

Hmm.

♪ Oh, you deserve it... ♪

WOMAN: This for a program or something?

It's just a little birthday
thing I'm doing for a friend.

I was planning to
come in here and study.

SIMONE: Go ahead.

WOMAN: Kind of hard to do
that with all of this going on.

Well, you know you
can study in your room.

You know you can do
all this in your room.

Or Nathaniel's, or wherever you live.

OK. One of the girls on the team

told me that you were
throwing me a birthday party.

Well, damn. There goes the surprise.

Can we help you?

OK, what are you trying to do?

I'm trying to do something
nice for my teammate.

What is this? Some kind of weird

"keep your enemies close" strategy?

Hasn't anyone ever done
something nice for you

without an ulterior motive?

You know, it doesn't matter,

because now that you
told everyone about it,

I have no choice but to show up

or look like a complete bitch.

Thea, it'll be fun.

Trust me.

Whole team will be here.

At the very least, just

let us celebrate you.

Yeah. Fine.

I'll be there.

DAMON: Oh, excuse me. President Allen.

- How's it going, gentlemen?
- Good, good, good.

You were actually about
to be my next stop, sir.

What's going on?

My mother and Coach Marcus.

Thank you again for
approving her involvement

in the sponsorship stuff, but...

Coach Marcus isn't really on board,

and I'm trying to avoid bloodshed here.

Would you mind giving us a moment?

Oh! Uh, sure. I'll, um...

I'll go start helping the guys
prepare for the presentation.

- All right.
- [PATS ARM]

I understand your concern.

Marcus Turner is old school.

DAMON: Yeah.

ZEKE: But he'll come around
when he sees that sometimes

the best thing for the team

is for the light to be
on the one special player.

You stepping into the
world of endorsements

will give credibility and publicity

to the whole team and the University.

It's not just me, sir.

My mom, she's working
on, like, sponsorships

for, like, all the starting players.

It's a team thing.

I think you misunderstood, son.

Check these out. Hmm.

Your very own logo.

And just be prepared.
When this drops tonight,

you are gonna have a storm of
sponsors flooding your inbox.

No need to be nervous.

You were born for this.

I know you're gonna make your team

and the University proud tonight.

The face you're making is
giving "I don't want to be here."

Can you at least pretend
to be surprised, Thea?

[SIGH] [SOFTLY] Yup.

Yes. OK.

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday!

See, this is

why I didn't want to have a party.

I knew no one would show.

SIMONE: Why didn't y'all
tell me nobody showed up?

WOMAN: Keisha,

can I talk to you?

Can it wait?

I'm a little busy right now, Wilinda.

I want to file a formal complaint.

I know she's been
staying here in his room,

and he doesn't have the right to risk

the safety of other residents

by letting random people
shack up in our dorms,

using up our resources.

SIMONE: First of all,

it's she.

Secondly, what is your problem?

- NATE: Simone.
- KEISHA: Come on.

If you wanna file a complaint,
I have the paperwork.

After you.

Why do you let her
disrespect you like that?

She's just trying to stir me up.

I know who I am.

If I sat around here
and tried to correct

every person that misgendered me,

I'd probably run out of air.

Well, it's still not cool.

And she's acting like a damn Karen.

And honestly,

if you don't handle it, then I will.

Simone, enough!

Let it go.

You need to start listening to people

when they tell you what they want.

Had you listened to Thea,

you would've saved her the
embarrassment of this...

this nonexistent party.

MARCUS: The whole N.I.L. sponsor
thing still doesn't sit right with me.

I don't want money and spotlight ruining

the integrity of our team.

We got enough of a stain to get rid of.

I hear you.

But to be fair,

it's also an opportunity for these...

athletes to be compensated
for their hard work

after being exploited for decades.

True. Except all players
aren't created equal.

So, what happens when some

get endorsements and others don't?

You won't know until it happens.

And it's going to happen.

Times are changing, Marcus,

whether you like it or not, so,

just keep an open
mind. S'all I'm saying.

Speaking of changing
times and open minds,

I received an offer for

a full-time journalist position
at the "Atlanta Daily News."

Congrats. Wow.

So, how are you gonna juggle
your workload with your classes?

I wouldn't.

It means leaving Bringston,

but considering the
way everything's going,

not sure there's much
left for me here anyway.

Wait a minute. Wait.

What?

I know this is hard, but Amara...

They postponed my tenure hearing.

Since when?

Found out earlier this week.

I haven't told anyone, but we both know

this is more fallout from
me being a whistleblower.

Marcus, if they're willing to

go as far as messing with my tenure,

why am I staying?

Look, Amara, don't do it, OK?

There's so much left for you here.

At Bringston.

SIMONE: Hey.

- AMARA: Hey.
- MARCUS: Hey, Simone.

Hey.

We'll talk later.

SIMONE: That seemed pretty tense.

Did you and Coach Marcus used to date?

Because y'all are giving vibes.

Simone Hicks. Now, I've been telling you

since you were a toddler...

Stay out of grown folks' business.

Sorry.

Been getting a lot of that lately.

Are you OK?

OK. Nice deflect, auntie.

But you can either tell
me about Coach Marcus now

or I could just bug you to death in
front of everyone at family dinner.

Fine.

Yes, the rumors are true.

Man, y'all are nosy!

So, why'd y'all break up?

We had a difference of opinion.

Something deeply personal to both of us.

I'll see you tonight.

J.R.: And I appreciate what Damon did...

Who else y'all think
might be there tonight?

- SANTIAGO: Steel pace.
- MEN: Ooh!

- MAN: And this team?
- MEN: Hey!

- MAN: Drill team?
- [MEN CHEERING]

[LAUGHTER]

DAMON: Hey, Coach.

You got a sec?

All ears. What's going on, son?

It's about the, um... Ahem.

Sponsor presentation tonight.

It isn't for your whole team.

It's just gonna be focused on me.

- MARCUS: Wait, what?
- DAMON: President Allen, he...

He confirmed it earlier today.

This is exactly why I didn't
want your mom involved.

Damn it, Damon!

I wish you'd listened
to me from the gate.

If you thought those
brothers was gonna be

discouraged before, this

is gonna shatter team morale, son.

Coach, I'm sorry. I genuinely wanted

to put the guys on and
for all of us to win.

Instead, my mom, she lied to my face.

I don't want the guys to be blindsided

when they walk out there tonight.

I know it'll destroy them but...

What should I do?

Be honest, son.

Talk to your team, son.

[DAMON SIGHS]

Uh, good evening.

Thank you all for coming.

Actually...

one second.

Come on up here, fellas.

One of the main reasons
that I chose Bringston

was its rich history, its resilience,

its culture.

Something nothing or no one
can ever take away from it.

Now, while other athletes
might be chasing a bag...

[LAUGHTER]

My teammates and I,
we're chasing our legacy.

While the legacy of
Bringston baseball...

May be tarnished...

But I can guarantee you guys
that we're here to bring it back.

Now, you all know me...

Damon Sims, star pitcher, MLB hopeful.

But tonight's not just about me.

It's about my teammates.

The men who are
bringing that legacy back

every single day.

And I want y'all to get to know 'em.

SANTIAGO: Santiago Reyes.

I love being an athlete,

but not just because it's dope

to compete at an elite level.

I'm the oldest of kids, all boys,

who pretty much copy everything I do.

So, it's about being a role model,

both on and off the field,

for them

and every other Colombian dreamer

that I am proud to
carry on my shoulders.

I'm possibility.

MAN: Cole Higgins.

I'm redemption.

I lost my pops junior
year of high school.

Depression hit. My GPA plummeted.

No college would admit me.

Except Bringston.

Baseball kept me alive and Bringston

gave me a fresh start.

I'm the poster child for legacy.

This team is a part
of my direct lineage,

built on the shoulders
of players who ultimately

forged their own path
through the n*gro leagues,

down to my grandfather and father,

who both played baseball
here at Bringston.

I play to honor all those great men.

I play to remind the next generation

that we belong in this sport.

And I'm keeping the legacy going

so my future son,

and your son, and any son,

can one day continue the tradition

and play baseball here at Bringston.

MAN ON VIDEO: Welcome
to Bringston University.

[ELECTRONIC MUSIC PLAYING]

- MAN: I am!
- PEOPLE: I am!

- MAN: I am!
- PEOPLE: I am!

- MAN: Brilliant!
- PEOPLE: Brilliant!

- MAN: Brilliant!
- PEOPLE: Brilliant!

- MAN: I am!
- PEOPLE: I am!

- MAN: I am!
- PEOPLE: I am!

- MAN: A leader!
- PEOPLE: A leader!

- MAN: A leader!
- PEOPLE: A leader!

- MAN: I am!
- PEOPLE: I am!

- MAN: Black excellence!
- PEOPLE: Black excellence!

- MAN: We are...
- PEOPLE: We are...

- MAN: Bringston Lions.
- PEOPLE: Bringston Lions.

MAN: And can't nobody
mess with our pride.

[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]

Again, thank you all for
coming. Hope you enjoyed it.

I gotta be honest. I
was not expecting that.

Impressed the hell outta me.

Thank you, sir.

I'll be in touch.

Yo, I can't believe we just did that.

We just landed one of the
biggest sponsors possible, bro.

No,

actually, we didn't, bro.

What?

Bro, he just said he'll be in touch.

Yeah, I've seen this enough to know that

when somebody says, "I'll be in touch,"

that actually means that they won't.

WILINDA: But I was thinking,
like, maybe we can go shopping.

I'll catch you later.

Instead of lurking around

bothering my friends,

why don't you address the person
you really have a problem with?

I just don't respect certain
people getting special treatment.

And what's that gotta do with me?

You're the only one in a special room

with its own bathroom,

while the rest of us have
to share gross communal ones.

Wilinda, honestly,

do you really wanna
share a bathroom with me?

The university assigned me this room

for this very reason.

The university had
nothing to do with it.

That room is supposed to be for RAs.

The only reason you have
it is 'cause your bestie

Keisha used her RA privileges

to make sure that you got it.

How is that fair just because
you wanna be different?

[DOOR OPENS]

[DOOR CLOSES]

I know the presentation
didn't go as planned.

But I'll save the speech and
get straight to the point.

After some reflecting
of my own, I decided to

send the team video out
to some local sponsors

here in Atlanta earlier today.

Several local businesses want
to sponsor multiple players.

[PLAYERS CHEERING]

MAN: Let's go! Dang, Coach!

You really came through.
What changed your mind?

The leadership I saw out there tonight.

All around. Y'all had each
other's backs in the best way.

Change is scary, OK, I admit.

But sometimes, it takes
a little convincing

and perspective to realize

when it's for the better.

Now, everybody may not have
secured an endorsement yet,

but that doesn't mean that
you all won't, all right?

This is just the beginning now.

And until then, I got
another suggestion.

What if we take our
individual endorsements

and create a team fund?

Pay for all the new
equipment that we need

without having to
worry about the budget.

That way, everybody wins.

That's up to the team.

Vote by a show of hands.

It's a deal.

[PLAYERS CHEERING]

Proud of you, man, proud of you.

DAMON: Man, that went great.

I'mma see y'all.

Hey, uh, can we talk?

Well, I was on my way
to go find Thea, but

yeah, um, I wanted to talk, too.

Look, I want to apologize for

projecting my mommy issues onto you.

That's just it.

You don't have to.

You were right.

I guess I just wanted to see
the best in her, you know?

But you can't force
something to be true.

No, you can't,

but your instinct on
wanting to fix things

with your mom is not wrong,

and I think you still should
before she heads back to Chicago.

You gotta make her hear you, Damon.

For some of us, it just
takes a couple tries.

Hey.

Look, I wasn't trying
to ruin your birthday.

I really did just want to
celebrate you with your friends.

Have you ever seen me with friends?

And the girls from the team don't count.

They only tolerate me.

'Cause of who I am to the team.

My parents paid for the
damn tennis facility.

But if they had the choice,

as you saw,

none of them would actually choose

to hang out with me outside of tennis.

Well, maybe they didn't come because

they thought you wouldn't come.

- [THEA SIGHS]
- SIMONE: You know what?

I messed up.

OK, I love birthdays.

When it's mine, I want all
the birthday shenanigans.

Parties, balloons,

impromptu dancing and singing.

And that's the problem.

I took over your birthday

and gave you the birthday
that I would've wanted

instead of just listening to you.

Thea, I'm sorry.

Well, at least you tried.

That's... commendable.

Well, the day's not over yet, so...

How do you want to celebrate

the rest of your special day?

Well, I am kinda hungry.

Well,

I think I know the perfect place.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

Great. Another written complaint.

I spoke to some of the other residents

and come to find out Wilinda here

has been sneaking her boyfriend

in and out of the dorms after hours.

No, wait. That's not factually accurate.

You sure about that?

I have their signatures
here as witnesses.

Hey, Wilinda?

We're gonna be friends one day.

It's a promise.

Sims.

All right, J.R., that's you.

ZEKE: Congratulations, Coach.

You did it.

No. They did it, man.

I heard.

Got word the baseball team is

buzzing with interested sponsors.

You know under Georgia law,

we can require the players to share

up to % of their money with

the University's Athletic Department.

Zeke, no disrespect, but hell no.

My boys successfully circumnavigated

that damn commercial
circus you and Keena Sims

dragged them into, and
that will be the last time.

- ZEKE: Excuse me?
- MARCUS: Bringston is gonna lose

every great thing it has
going for it if you don't stop

shuckin' and jivin' for these trustees

and stand up for what's right.

You have the audacity to
insinuate I'm a sellout?

Do not...

get too comfortable, Coach.

Or else what?

You'll shuffle me up outta here
like y'all trying to do with Amara?

- What are you talking about?
- Withholding her tenure.

What?

Everything is on pause.

All the professors' tenure
is postponed, not just hers.

All professors?

Wait a minute. Why?
What's going on, Zeke?

I don't owe you an explanation.

Your job, Coach, is just that.

I suggest you stay in your lane.

Don't get involved in business
you know nothing about.

KEENA: I can't lie.

I am impressed.

You figured out my plan
and you flipped the script.

That speaks to a strong business mind.

What's the problem now?

The problem is that

I don't want a relationship with...

Me and my mom, where we
have to flip the script

and fight each other over business.

- Damon, that's not what I meant.
- Yeah.

I'm listening.

I love you, Ma. You know that, right?

And that's why I gotta...

I gotta fire you as
my unofficial manager.

Look, Ma,

I am an adult now.

I'm in college.

And my baseball career
is just that now...

It is mine.

I want to build a relationship

where it is just us.

Me and you.

Mother and son.

Nothing else.

I need my mother.

I'm sorry.

I don't know how

or when the lines got blurred, but...

Clearly, they did.

Nothing,

nothing

makes me happier than being your mom.

Hey. I love you.

I love you

more than anything.

And I don't wanna lose you.

So, whatever you want...

I'll do.

Whatever you want.

Come here.

MARCUS: He slipped and said all
tenure-track professors' hearing

has been postponed indefinitely.

So, you're not alone.

Amara, that's a good thing.

It means you're not being targeted.

At least not this time.

Yeah, I'm glad it's not personal, but

I don't know.

An University would only do something

that aggressive for one reason.

Bringston must be in a lot more

financial trouble than
we initially thought.

SIMONE: Hey, auntie.

Hey, baby.

Oh, hey, Thea. Welcome.

I'm glad you could make it.

Oh, come on in.

- AMARA: I'm gonna make a quick call.
- SIMONE: OK.

MAN: What's goin' on, baby?

Lookin' good...

Hey, Ralph.

Thank you for the job opportunity,

but I'm gonna ride things
out here at Bringston.

I know.

How do you feel about a
freelance for the publication?

I may have a potential story.

Damn, sis. About time.

I need to talk to you real quick.

You sound like Wilinda now.

This is serious.

Look.

I appreciate you looking out for me,

but I don't need you
going behind my back

and fighting my battles.

What are you talking about?

Wilinda told me about my room situation.

- KEISHA: Oh.
- NATE: Here I was thinking

the university was being inclusive,

only to find out

you made it all happen

so I wouldn't have
to encounter ignorance

from the dormmates in
the communal bathroom.

I just wanted you to feel safe

and comfortable.

I know.

And I appreciate that, but

in the real world,

I won't always have my, um...

My Keisha shield.

And I need to fight these battles now

so I can create a space for myself

in this world.

Whether it's over my right
to stay in the girls' wing

or the boys' wing

or whatever.

[CRYING] These are the
battles I'm gonna have to fight

outside of Bringston one day.

And I just need to be prepared.

I'm sorry.

[SNIFFLES]

And I...

I hear you.

No more Keisha shield.

Until you tell me you need
me to b*at somebody's ass.

[LAUGHTER]

I love you.

♪ To leave this cross behind ♪

[LAUGHTER]

Wow. So, you guys, like,

seriously do this every week.

NATE: Every week. This
is what gets us through.

[RAP MUSIC PLAYING]

Why are you looking at them like that?

- Huh?
- I'm just saying.

You're looking like you're trying
to figure something out, or someone.

Look, I gotta tell somebody,

'cause I can't take it anymore.

But this has to stay between us.

OK.

Ahem.

Look, I know this might
sound crazy, but...

I think Damon might be my brother.

- SIMONE: Wait, what?
- J.R.: Yeah.

Like how?

Look, when I was a toddler, I swear

my parents had another baby,

and then one day, the
baby was just gone,

and everybody acted
like it never happened.

And I would've thought
I just made it up,

except a couple years ago,

I found a picture of that baby
in a Bible that my mom gave me,

and that baby looked a lot like Damon,

right down to the scar.

Oh, my God.

And his birth parents went to Bringston.

- So did mine.
- OK, but,

so did other people.

I know, but...

I mean, so did my aunt and Coach Marcus.

And they were a serious couple until

something super personal broke them up.

Wait. You don't think that...

That what?

Coach Marcus and your
aunt are his birth parents?

Simone, that's crazy.

What, crazier than you thinking
he's a baby phantom from your past?

Look, I know this whole thing is wild.

But maybe we both just
jumping to crazy conclusions.

Or maybe one of us is actually right.

Pole dancing is absolutely a sport.

OK, thank you.

Please. Tell them.

You going hard for pole dancers
like you've done it before.

No, I haven't, but...

To be honest, I've
always, like, wanted to.

Girl, say less,

'cause if you for real, I have

the perfect cap for your birthday.

♪ Somebody come tip her ♪

♪ She's dancing like a stripper ♪

♪ Somebody come get her,
she's feeling all the liquor ♪