05x01 - This Is What You Came For

[bunniefuu]

[ fabolous' "so ny"
plays ] ♪ new york ♪

♪ I said I'm so new york ♪

♪ weezy probably
don't like me ♪

♪ I'm so new york, weezy
probably don't like me ♪

♪ I'm so new york, weezy
probably don't like me ♪

♪ la da da da, da da da da ♪

first signs of life
post-graduation, b*tches!

Woman: Who you calling
a "bitch," bitch?

Yeah? Say it to my face!

I love new york. [ chuckles ]

everyone said life after college
would be hard, but, honestly...

♪ I'm so new york,
weezy probably... ♪

Your girl's thriving.

♪ La da da da, da da da da ♪

[ ding ]

honestly, my entire crew
is k*lling the game.

Zoey: Which I
kind of expected.

The only real surprise is that
these two are still together.

No one saw that coming.

♪ I'm only comin' out to play ♪

and, of course, there
is a certain someone

that I haven't mentioned yet.

After years of countless
breakups and make-ups,

an incarceration,
a six-hour marriage

officiated by a cartel pastor,

I'm sure it comes
as no surprise...

We're doing great.

Thanks to google calendars

and a couple
after-dark snapchats...

Just to keep the
mystery alive...

We are making long
distance work.

Flight attendant:
Welcome to los angeles.

Mm!

♪ What about today? ♪

And now I'm back
to surprise my guy.

Zoey: After aaron's afro-salon

became an international success,

cal u made him an offer
he couldn't refuse...

Assistant professor,
tenure track.

Today's not just a
fresh start for aaron,

it's also a new beginning
for someone else.

Bro, it is geometry.
Just turn left.

That's what I'm doing.

No, your other left.
Use the hypotenuse.

Use english when
you're talking to me.

I am! Hypotenuse!

My little brother's
taking on my alma mater!

You heard that right...

Junior is enrolled
as a freshman,

so of course I had to be here.

You're not using your knees.

I am. Surprise!

[ camera shutter clicking ]

ah! Ah!

Zoey. You gotta be
[bleep] kidding me.

[ giggles ]

they're so excited to see me!

That's my toe.

♪ Watch out, world,
I'm grown now ♪

♪ I'm grown ♪

♪ learn something
new every day ♪

♪ I don't know, so
I'mma feel my way ♪

♪ got the weight of
the world on me ♪

♪ but no regrets,
this is what I say ♪

♪ watch out, world,
I'm grown now ♪

♪ I'm grown ♪
♪ you can tell me ♪

♪ my heart b*ating so loud ♪

♪ mama, look, I'm grown now ♪

♪ I'm grown ♪

aren't you excited to see me?

Yeah, yeah, so excited.

Just didn't get the alert
on our shared calendar.

Okay.

Today is a huge day
for both of you,

so I flew in on
business class...

You mean, "used dad's miles."

point is, I am here
for 19 1/2 hours,

and I can multitask
for the men I love.

Or man and boy.

I... you are 11
months older than me.

I mean...

All right, that is a
collectible charizard statue,

limited number.

You know, I don't need
to justify it to you.

Mnh-mnh. All I'm saying
is I'm proud of you.

I mean, you're finally embracing
the whole college experience.

Look, I'm not here
to butt-chug beers

and go to pep rallies.

I'm here to get in, get out,

and get back into
the real world.

What I realized during my
gap year is that college

is a stepping stone,
not a standstill.

Uh, that was a gap year?

Yeah, well, hey, listen,
there's nothing wrong with being

a geriatric freshman.
That's fine.

The point is,
I've got this. Oh.

Nice to meet you. Hi!

Zaara. Zoey.

Dig your vibe, z.

Ooh, thank you.

But, oh, I'm actually
not your roommate.

I'm here to help my
brother settle in.

This is the brother
right here. Yeah.

Hi. I'm junior.

Lakers flag, jordans,

axe three-in-one body wash.

This is what I get
for rolling the dice

on gender-inclusive housing.

All right. Yeah.

Godspeed.

And why don't you just
text me when you need me?

Yeah. And, um,
you will need me.

Yep. You guys have fun.

You got this, j.

Thanks.

Rule number one...

If you're gonna watch
p*rn or "pokémon,"

headphones on.

♪

[ sighs ] some people say

returning to campus
as an alumnus

is like being the ghost
of christmas past,

haunting a life that's
technically no longer yours.

I mean, what if cal
u's forgotten me?

♪ Zoooooeeeeyyyyyyy ♪

♪ yeah, yeah, yeah ♪

yes!

Who am I kidding? It
is great to be back.

This is such a crazy surprise.

Hey, there is no way

I'd miss seeing my dude
stroll down his campus

as a tenure-track
assistant professor.

Mm-hmm. Oh, yeah.
Class of '22, whaddup!

Oh! Wait.

Did you not graduate?
[ chuckles ]

of course I did,
dummy! Barely.

I had to take a sociology
class online over the summer.

But real question is, what
are you doing on campus?

Welcome brunch with the
graduating class of gammas.

Mm-hmm. My frat brothers
needed me, so...

Mm. They make him dress like

he's selling bean
pies for farrakhan.

Hey, oh, don't hate. Yeah.

Hey, when you work at the
number-three marketing firm

in cali, you gotta
dress the part.

All right, okay, gucci loafers.

And right, right, right.

Turner and hyde... That
is such a sick company.

Congrats, doug. Yeah.

Hey, you gotta come to my black
excellence white party tonight.

Mm. So you're celebrating
blackness with whiteness?

Wait, a party?

You really can't throw a party
without telling big zo-zo.

But, hey, your girl's here now.

What if I make my
infamous jungle juice?

'cause I still have that
grain alcohol connect.

We just have to drive to fresno.

Zoey, no jungle juice. This
is not a college party.

This is an adult party, okay?

Mm-hmm. They only
turn up just because.

If anybody needs to turn
up, it's teachers, okay?

I literally feel like I'm...

I'm shaping the future
minds of america.

Mm. You never forget
that first professor

who made an impact, you know?

Actually, I...

I can't remember the names
of any of my professors.

I'm so glad I'm
not the only one.

But not to say that's
gonna happen with you.

Everyone's gonna
remember your name, baby.

Yeah.

Tenure-track assistant
professor aaron jackson. Ooh!

♪ You're now rockin'
with the best, yes ♪

♪ better than the rest ♪

♪ this a level up 'cause
I'm way too fresh ♪

♪ all I do is win, so
I tend to say less ♪

♪ except when I come
through to flex ♪

♪ rockin' with the best, yes ♪

♪ better than the rest ♪

so, while aaron and I got
reacquainted with cal u,

junior was in the
middle of freshman-ing.

And he was beginning to question

if he had made the
right decision.

Hey, so welcome to your first
day as residents of king hall.

I'm kiela, your ra.

And, you know, let's
start this orientation off

with an icebreaker.

Tell me your name and why cal u.

I'll start.

I'm kiela, sophomore, and
I'm at cal u to figure out

how to save our democracy
before the next insurrection.

Who's next?

I'm annika, freshman,
repping brooklyn.

I came to cal u because of
the legacy, the history,

and, statistically, cal u
has the most attractive,

financially stable
students on this coast,

so it was a no-brainer.

Yo, I'm slick.

Um, I'm just... I'm
just happy to be here.

Wherever "here" is.

Uh...

Wait. What was the question?

I'm zeke, freshman, and
I'm just here for football.

And the ladies.

So get at me before
I get drafted.

I'm zaara, freshman.

Why did I pick cal u?

Um, because harvard,
brown, and yale

don't offer accelerated
medical-degree programs.

Go, titans.

[ clears throat ]

oh. Um, right.

Sorry. I... why am I here?

Why am I here? Right.

Uh, I guess, because, after
dropping out of howard,

I got a job that
didn't pay enough.

Thought I found the
love of my life,

tried to settle down,
but that didn't work out.

And since my high school
ap credits can get me

in and out of cal
u in three years,

I thought, hey, it's
a means to an end.

♪♪

Oh, and, uh, I'm junior.

Kiela: Uh, yeah, so...

[ cellphone vibrates ] You
know, second icebreaker.

Let's just get right into that.

Everyone a fan?

[ conversation
continues indistinctly ]

♪♪

We're excited to
have you, aaron.

Hey, it's good to be here.

Actually, I wanted to run
a couple things by you...

Basically my plans
for the semester.

I've written out a proposal...

Now, while I love
your enthusiasm,

as a new member of faculty,

your focus should really
be on your intro course.

Right. Uh...

But when you hired me,
you told me to think big,

so that's what I did.

Well, for the time being,
maybe think a little...

Smaller.

Smaller, right.

Okay.

So, aaron's got a new place,

and I'd say it is in desperate
need of a woman's touch.

I mean, why wouldn't you put
almond milk in the fridge?

[ sniffs ] whoo! That is why.

Yikes!

Hey, babe.

I put your almond
milk in the fridge.

[ sighs ]

which, I guess if you
really don't like it,

I could put it back
on the counter.

It's not that.

You remember that I
had those three, uh,

competing job offers?

Yeah, but then cal u offered
you a tenure-track position.

How could you turn that down?

I think I made a mistake.

Really? Yeah, dean watson...

He promised me I would
have more agency,

but I-I can't even choose
what color markers I have.

It's the same bureaucratic bs.

I...

Think I played myself.

[ groans ]

that's a cry for help, right?

I'm glad you're here.

He needs me.

Um, babe, you know,

anti-muse is mainly
virtual these days,

which means, technically,
I can work from anywhere.

So how about I stay with
you for a few weeks?

Yeah? Really?

Of course. You're sure?

Hundred percent.

Mm. Yeah?

Mm.

[ whispering ] I
love being needed.

[ mid-tempo music plays ]

♪

I know that the food here
is kinda weird, right?

Oh, junior.

Airdrop me your info so I can
add you to friend tracker.

We've known each
other for 12 hours.

Why do we need to
find each other?

People get lost. Exactly.

You never seen "abducted
in plain sight"?

Well, a bunch of us
are hanging out later.

Come through.

Oh, um, I'd love to, but
I actually have something.

Maybe next time, though.

Well, in case your plans
change, you know how to find me.

[ cellphone dings ]

anyway, that's exactly
what I was talking about...

♪ hey, hey, hey ♪

♪ I came to steal the show ♪

♪ hey, hey ♪

♪ 'cause it's my time to flow ♪

♪ hey, hey, hey ♪

♪ I came to steal the show ♪

♪ whoo, whoo ♪

if there is anything
diddy taught us,

it's that the two-step
will never die,

and nothing screams
"black success"

like an all-white party.

Ironic, but somehow still true.

♪ sh*ts! ♪

♪ sh*ts, sh*ts, sh*ts,
sh*ts, anybod... ♪

Zoey, zoey, zoey.

W-what are you doing?

I'm helping bring on a
mild but pleasing buzz.

No, no, no.

I-I-I have
mixologists over there

making overpriced
lychee cocktails. Mm.

And you're out here doing
this red jell-o thing.

I don't want people
thinking that this is

some low-budget college party.

You see what I'm doing here?

Oh, gotchu, gotchu, gotchu.

But people love jell-o sh*ts.

So why don't we just
agree to disagree?

No. Why don't we just
agree to disagree?

No. [ sighs ]

♪ bring the entourage ♪ aaron:
This is like old times, huh?

Zoey: Mm-hmm.

I mean, not like the
times when we broke up

and got back together
again, or even got arrested,

but, like, the good old times.

Mm-hmm. I'm so glad I'm home.

I feel like we have so many good
new old times in our future.

Speaking of our
future... Yeah.

I was thinking we really
should, like... Yeah?

Try to spend more time
together, you know?

Like, one-on-one time. Mm.

J-just the two of us.
You know what I'm saying?

Mm-hmm. Vibing, connecting.

Yeah. Because I've missed you.

Aw. Baby, I missed you, too.

[ megan thee stallion's
"girls in the hood" plays ]

yeah? Oh!

♪ I'm a hot girl, oh,
I do hot sh*t, ah! ♪

♪ Hate under my
pictures on the 'gram ♪

♪ bitch, you better hope ♪ ♪ I
never run across your man, uh ♪

remember?

Sophomore year, I'd
have them play this

every single night at titanium.

I'd make the bartender
play this at closing.

This is my song,
this is my song.

This is my mother [bleep] song!

Right. ♪ I don't text quick
'cause I ain't thirsty ♪

♪ mad, mad, they
wanna hurt me ♪

♪ I'm a hot girl, I do hot... ♪

♪ spend his income
on my outfit ♪

♪ I don't text quick
'cause I ain't thirsty ♪

♪ these b*tches mad, mad ♪

♪ they wanna hurt me ♪
yeah!

[ litty kitty's "move
somethin" plays ]

♪ move somethin', baby,
move somethin', unh ♪

♪ tell me if you wanna
do somethin', unh ♪

♪ what you want, baby?
Choose something, unh ♪

you're the ra who wants to stop
the next insurrection, right?

Mm, and you're the freshman

who's already over
college, right?

[ scoffs ] I never said that.

Maybe not, but that's
your whole, um, vibe.

Oh. Yeah.

♪ Move, move something ♪

♪ feel the b*at like the... ♪

kiela.

Junior.

Okay, junior, same question...

Why cal u?

I don't know. I guess...
To get a degree.

You know, same as
everybody else.

Look, I... I know, for me,
to come all the way to cal u

and live with strangers,
eat on a meal plan,

and leave thousands
of dollars in debt,

it just... you know,
it has to be worth

more than some piece of
paper in a fancy-ass frame.

Also, it'll help if
you just loosen up

and enjoy this
whole college thing.

[ chuckles ] yeah.

You never know what will happen.

All: 97, 98, 99, 100!

[ cheering ]

raah!

Some people might say
that traveling 2,789 miles

to sh**t copious
alcohol down your throat

is poor decision-making,
and they would be wrong.

The good news is, I still
have a high tolerance

and remain the keg-stand goat!

Hunh!

Anybody that says that you
cannot relive the good old days,

they're probably
just in their 30s.

Ooh! Okay.

Here comes the time of the night
that every party girl hates.

I gotta break the seal.

All right, excuse me, guys.

Really gotta pee.
Really gotta pee.

Tryin' to keep
this outfit white.

Oh, my god! Aahhh!

[ screams ]

excuse me.

Hey, I need a
drink that'll erase

the last three
minutes from my brain.

Make it a double. Sure.

Zoey, I'm sorry... Shh! Shh!

Okay. Cool. It's
understandable.

Wow.

Ooh. Zoey, I am sorry

that you had to see me
engage in carnal activities.

Uh, again.

Not as sorry as me. Okay.

But do you think
this is why I'm here?

To have sex with kiela?

No! No.

But maybe? I don't know.

I-I feel like I started
here feeling out of place,

like I was too old, and
I think that kept me

from embracing the
college experience.

But college needs
to be more than me

just keeping my head down
and getting my degree.

Yeah. Of course it does.

I mean, I fell in love here.

I figured out who I
was and what I wanted,

how to go after it.

College made me who I am.

And I just know it can
be all of that for you.

And let me remind you...

It is so much easier
than the real world.

I just want my
life to be easier.

I miss my meal plan.

Oh. Does that sound crazy?

It's a little weird.

That's crazy.
That food sucked.

But sometimes I just wish...

I could come home.

No, no, no, no, no.

Zoey, you cannot go backwards.

What do you think
future zoey is gonna say

when she looks back at herself

and sees that you gave up just
because things weren't easy?

Yeah.

Also, you have always
wanted to live in new york.

It's all you've
ever talked about.

Yeah, I know.

What if I'm not ready for the
life I always talked about?

We are never ready.

Yeah. But that's just life.

We both need to take
that next step forward.

Yeah.

This is weird. Yeah.

Us talking like this, like...

Yeah. Adults.

I mean, you're just a
real grown-up, dude.

Yeah, you too. It's...

So weird.

Also, it seems like the
elder johnsons have a type.

What do you mean?

You know, kiela is
luca's little sister.

No! Mm-hmm.

Oh, my... oh, my god.

Uh, excuse me. Bartender?

I'll have what she's having.

Make it a double double.
You're gonna need it.

♪ Step out when I do it ♪

♪ got the phone with
the panoramic views ♪

♪ 'cause my view different ♪

♪ let 'em watch how I do it ♪

♪ mr. Wild wild west ♪

hey. Hey.

I am so sorry that
I was out there

acting like a spring-breaker
on south padre island.

[ chuckles ] I was just
having a good time,

and then I didn't want
that time to ever end.

Why? I thought things were
going good in new york.

Yeah, they are.

Anti-muse is bigger than I
could've ever imagined, but...

I only have work-friends,
and I'm starting

to really hate being away
from my family and from you.

I thought coming back to cal
u would bring out the old me,

but I think that
chapter's closed.

And I'm okay with that.

Look, zoey, I love you,
and whatever you want,

wherever you want to
be, we'll make it work.

All right?

So you got this
flight tomorrow. Yeah.

What do you want
to do until then?

Just make the most
of our time together.

Let's do that. Yeah.

I love you.

I love you.

[ down-tempo music plays ]

♪♪

Zoey: New beginnings are
exciting and terrifying

for the same reason...

Anything can happen.

What? [ laughs ]

I mean...

[ yoste's "arc" plays ]

♪ heaving ♪

♪ hollow ♪

♪ breathing ♪

♪ so slow ♪

oh, guys, you remember junior.

What's up, y'all? What's up?

♪ But tiring ♪

♪ lost sight ♪

♪ climbing ♪

♪ coming to rest ♪

after graduation,
everyone tells you

you have your whole
life ahead of you.

But no one ever tells you
just how scary that is.

♪ I could breathe in
the colors so bright ♪

for the first time,
you're really on your own.

♪

Junior: Sometimes you
have to start over

to get where you need to go.

And you know what?

Both: I'm not scared.

Let's get it right
this time, gentlemen.

This is a love song to someone
who lives 3,000 miles away.

Give it to me with
some soul, right?

5, 6, 7, 8.

♪ You're a hot girl ♪
hot!

♪ You do hot sh... ♪
sh!

♪ You're a hot girl ♪
hot!

♪ You do hot sh... ♪

♪ you're a hot girl ♪

♪ you do hot sh...,
you're a hot girl ♪

what are we talkin' about?

Give it to 'em tender now.

[ softly ] ♪ you
do hot sh... ♪

♪ you're a hot girl ♪

♪ you do hot sh... ♪
♪ you do hot sh... ♪

♪ you're a hot girl,
you do hot sh... ♪

I don't think they can
hear us in the back.

2, 3, hey! [ loudly ]
♪ you're a hot girl ♪

♪ you're a hot girl, what ♪
♪ you do hot sh ♪

what! ♪ You're a hot girl ♪

♪ you do hot sh... ♪

my baby's hot. ♪
You're a hot girl ♪

my baby's hot. My baby's hot.

♪ You do hot sh... ♪

♪ you're a hot girl ♪

2, 3, and zzt!