God bless your hands,
Grandma. Tastiest Kunafa in the world.
I'm glad to see you again, habibi.
I missed you so much, dear.
God bless you, Grandma.
I wish we could visit
the family more often?
I wish that too.
Habibi, your cousin Rima says
you have a relationship with Beyoncé.
She has an idea for a song.
It's very good.
I don't know Beyoncé.
She's from Houston.
How could you not know her?
Habibi, I gave your grandmother
a box of sneakers from your trunk.
What are you saying?
Why do you have over 20 pairs
of sunglasses? For what?
Can I keep these?
- Grandma, where did you get those?
- Mohammed has a tattoo.
- No.
- May God forgive you.
Why are you creating a scandal?
What are you doing? No, no…
- Here it is.
- What?
What the f*ck?
Relax, habibi. Take a drink.
It will calm your nerves.
- What are you doing, Auntie?
- This drink will calm your nerves.
- No, Grandma, no.
- It's so tasty.
This is nonsense, I swear!
- It'll calm you down.
- Why?
This drink is so tasty.
To your health, habibi.
Thank you for calling
DS White Law.
If you've reached us after hours,
please leave a message, and we will return
your call as soon as we possibly can.
- Bro, I could a be peeing!
- Mama wants you.
- You couldn't tell me through the door?
- Eye contact.
Message sent.
Damn it! Well, can't call them again.
We don't have time for this. Let's go.
God forgive me.
- Why do you play the diamond?
- You threw in diamonds.
- I thought you were leading me in.
- No table talk during Tarneeb.
How I can shut up
when this assh*le plays like this?
Just play.
Yalla, it's mine anyway. Aywa! Batizek.
That's what you get for f*ring me.
Did you find a lawyer?
Not yet. It's hard to settle on one.
I don't want another Modad situation.
I got a good lawyer.
Lizzie Horowitz, a good Jewish lawyer.
Hey, man, I'm not looking
for a My Cousin Vinny thing.
- It's how I got in this mess.
- Somebody play.
You should pray for that type of lawyer,
a fast-talking genius who works for free.
Mm. Fair point.
I think Horowitz
is a good lawyer, actually.
- What?
- What? Wait, you're agreeing with Aba?
- A victory for the Jews.
- Hell is freezing over!
Come on, guys, I didn't mean it this way.
I never agree with this guy, but she got
Ziyad his status, did you know that?
- No, I didn't.
- That's why, but I don't agree...
This woman's a very good lawyer.
She's my lawyer also. Lizzie.
- Holy sh*t. You have a lawyer?
- Yeah. Shee foo. Crazy, man.
Will you get us
another round of tea, please?
I never have a clue of what he says.
- Yeah, tea, okay.
- Okay, thank you.
- Shee foo.
- Yalla. Play. You have to play, not the…
All right. Fled Kuwait in '91.
Applied for asylum,
fear of political persecution. Of course.
- Delay. Delay. Delay.
- That doesn't bother you?
Oh, no, actually,
it helps me find my zen, you know?
Sounds like someone peeing.
If your bladder gets triggered,
there's a bathroom right down the hall.
All right, denial of work permit,
re-issued a date, court rescheduled,
reissued another date,
court rescheduled again.
Your 2017 date was...
Yeah, Hurricane Harvey.
Yeah. Our court date
was reassigned 36 months later.
This is like a depressing
Groundhog's Day. I'm so sorry.
How's your file much bigger than Modad's?
It's a lot, I know,
but it's really helpful.
I get the initial petition, the supporting
documents regarding the t*rture.
- The psych evaluation to get your father...
- Hold on. The what?
The asylum claim is based
on your father's t*rture.
Having the supporting documents
really brings it all into focus.
Oh, I'm sorry. Mo, I… Uh…
- I thought that you knew about...
- Can I see that?
Um…
- There's some sensitive stuff in here.
- It's okay. Can I see it, please?
Thank you.
They put cigarettes out on his body.
My mom signed this. She knew about it.
How about we take a minute, and just, uh…
No, I'm fine. I'm just, uh…
I'm just absorbing it. It's fine.
Have… Have you ever spoken
to someone professionally?
Well, you're a professional.
I meant like a therapist, because…
- I see a lot of trauma in my practice...
- I'm here for legal advice.
All right. Let's get to work.
Do the legal thing.
Please.
Okay.
♪ Well either way
We're gonna be just fine ♪
♪ Everything's gonna be all right ♪
♪ Even when you try to bring me down ♪
♪ Everything's gonna be all right ♪
♪ You see, I'm still here
Let me adjust my crown ♪
♪ Everything's gonna be all right ♪
♪ It will be all right ♪
Try some for me, mama. Open.
Want some?
No, bless you.
I don't want any.
What is the matter?
I'm just not hungry.
- You have diarrhea again?
- No, man. I don't diarrhea.
- What do you mean "again"?
- Dunno.
- Let's go to Funplex like old times.
- Okay.
It's a weekday.
It'll be quiet. Come with me.
You're a grown man, Hamoodi.
You wanna play games? What is that?
- I have my shift in two hours.
- Well, call in sick.
I can't. I'm perfectly healthy, Hamoodi.
You're the one with diarrhea.
I don't have diarrhea, man.
Why do you keep saying… I don't…
Whatever. To your health.
Enjoy.
My love!
Yes!
Hi, baby.
Missed you so much. Come here.
Can you believe they got all these games
and no Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter?
- Why are you looking at us like that?
- What's wrong?
Because I love you guys.
- I love you, babe, so much.
- I love you too.
I love you all, so… I love you, babe.
I love you, bro.
All right.
- No, for real. I love you.
- Okay, I love you too.
- No, for real.
- No, I love you too.
- Why are you pointing?
- For real...
Get the hell off me.
- We've known each other since 6th grade?
- Yeah.
Remember we stole all the bathroom soaps,
put them in the fountain outside.
And it all foamed over?
Then Doug was pissed off.
He went, "It's slippery out here!
Who are the sonufabitches doing that?"
- All right, Let's go play.
- All right.
- Let's play. You're playing games!
- I'm not playing no games.
- All right, bye, Mama.
- Bye, habibi.
Afternoon, Curtis.
♪ Yes, sir ♪
All right.
♪ In my soul, in my mind ♪
♪ In my heart, I know ♪
♪ There's a spark inside of me… ♪
♪ Yes, it is ♪
♪ I'm moving in the right direction ♪
♪ Do it good, beyond division ♪
♪ Never been so sure ♪
Congratulations,
here's the garlic Parmesan. Enjoy.
Hey, Yusra.
- Habibti, Linda.
- Mm-hm.
How much for these bottles?
Well, all together, uh, 50.
Twenty.
- Fifty.
- Twenty-five.
Forty-five.
- Never mind, Linda.
- I'll come another day.
Forty, final offer.
Forty?
I can't find my wallet.
Linda, I have only this.
- What am I supposed to do with that?
- Wait, my friend. Be patient.
A small piece from this,
you dip it with this, and now try.
Mm!
You like it?
I like it. Yusra, this is the oil
we should have invaded Iraq for.
You should be selling this stuff,
not haggling with it.
Let's see how many tickets we get.
Go, baby, get it. Get it.
Like throwing rocks.
Palestinians should be the best at this.
Just gotta let it skip,
like… ba-ba-ba-bap.
- Oh, that was...
- sh**t it, honey.
- Let's call this what it is.
- What is it?
- A slot machine for kids.
- Five tickets?
See? It's very obvious this is grooming
kids to be degenerate gamblers.
Another kiss. All right.
Space Invaders. What do they know
about invaders? Die, bitch! Die!
Where do you see a ring toss
at casinos? Look.
I want more tickets.
- Did you break it?
- No.
Feels like a lot of m*rder,
is all I'm saying.
It's a perfect location too.
Half my customers
come from the north side anyway,
so I'm thinking of starting
with some swangas.
Hold on, you finna have a second shop
purely dedicated to slabs?
That's the plan. Once the loan's approved,
then I can move forward with the lease.
Hell yeah. About to have your boy
poking out here one time for the wheels.
Any time.
Mo,
why didn't you tell me about this?
sh*t!
- Oh, he ain't listening.
- No, I was listening.
Slabs, swangas, new location.
It's gonna be amazing, baby.
f*ck Skee-Ball.
Probably has r*cist origins.
Yo. What the hell's wrong with him?
- You okay?
- Yeah, babe. Just having fun at Funplex.
Shut up!
Why is he heckling kids?
Shut up, Sponge Bob!
Calm down, habibi.
I'm fine.
This assh*le keeps laughing at me.
What?
What the hell is wrong with him?
Let me give it a try.
Oh!
Hold on. Okay.
Mo!
sh*t.
Let's go eat!
Yeah. Okay, baby. I'm coming.
- What's up with that new lawyer?
- She's on that vibe sh*t.
You know, yoga, "Om." You know.
I went in there for legal advice,
and it turned into a therapy session.
- You could use a session.
- Hell yeah.
- Talk about what happened with Sponge Bob.
- I don't believe in therapy. It's a scam.
How's therapy a scam?
Because you pay some Ph.D. $200 an hour
when you could talk
to God for free anytime.
I don't ever see you get on a prayer mat.
Yeah, I don't walk around
with a prayer rug all the time.
What am I, Aladdin?
This isn't Disney, okay?
Islam is real practical.
I can just pray right here if I wanted to.
Just take a tissue, put it on the ground.
Bam. Done. All right?
Why don't you just talk to someone?
Well, because…
I'm not traumatized,
which is what she said.
Oh. Because of the sh**ting?
No, uh…
I'm fine.
Mo, you can't bring in the new
until you process the old.
n*gg*s everywhere are figuring that out.
You weighing in now?
You don't talk to anybody.
Yes, I do. Every Wednesday at eight.
I holler at Dr. Mehta.
You pay somebody $200 an hour?
I don't believe that sh*t.
Hell no. I cut him a deal at the shop.
He cuts me a deal with the sessions.
The barter system.
That's the most Nigerian sh*t
I heard you say.
All I know is
two haircuts equals 50 minutes
of sweet and tantalizing
conversation with Dr. Mehta.
Very simple thing. You should try it.
I'm not gonna do that.
Hey, Damon?
- Hi.
- Hey, Sameer.
I… Um…
Could you… Do you have a minute to talk?
Uh-huh.
Chicken tahini.
The newest flavor in the Chick'n Kong…
Chic'n Kong… I'm just nervous.
- Chick'n Cone.
- Chick'n Cone's sauce lineup.
- Uh-huh.
- My mom makes it.
And it's really delicious.
- Great.
- Yeah.
But, oh no, I forgot.
There's already one big idea here,
and that's chicken in…
- Waffles.
- Waffle cones.
- Yeah.
- So you know what I mean, right?
Yeah, yeah, I know, but, uh…
Because that's the sun
that our sauces orbit.
I think we could attract more customers
if we bring my mom's sauce.
- Because I think they'd like...
- Yeah. I'll think about that.
I'll think about the "chicken-hini"
and your mom and the sauces.
I'll think about that. Great initiative.
- Chicken tahini.
- What's nine plus seven?
- 16.
- Okay, thank you very much.
That's what I got too.
Back to work, guys. Time is money.
Miguel, you out of your mind?
This car will never sustain those tires.
- Take it back.
- Take it to the warehouse.
Hello?
Uh, speaking.
Um…
I didn't apply for the cards, my dad did.
I didn't know of them until years later.
Well, I haven't…
I haven't spoken to him in years.
No, you're not understanding.
I didn't max out those cards. My dad did.
No, no, no, but this loan is not personal.
It's for my LLC.
Like, what… f*ck!
What are you saying?
I can never get a loan from a bank?
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
You fellas having a great time out there?
Just remember, no smoking
that close to the stage, please.
Hey, man, you with the hat.
Please put out your cigarette.
Wrong f*cking day.
I don't have time for this sh*t.
Country-ass m*therf*cker.
Think you're tough, huh?
All right. Let's see how tough you are.
- Big guy, put that f*cking cigarette out.
- What's up, Osama-bin-Pumpkin?
- You got jokes? Put the cigarette out.
- Relax, man. It's a f*cking strip club.
Put it out, Amber's got asthma.
Oh, sh*t. Well, I don't want to have
Amber having an asthma att*ck, so…
Don't make me ask again,
put the f*cking cigarette out.
- Hey, man, it's out.
- No, it's not.
- Stop doing that. It's out, man!
- It's not out.
Now it's out.
- Don't do it. Don't do it.
- Don't do this?
- Don't do it.
- Hm? Don't do this?
You know exactly
what the f*ck I'm talking about. Don't.
I said don't f*cking do it, I said!
- You m*therf*cker, don't...
- Do it, bitch! You like that?
- I said put it out, f*cking put it out!
- Mo!
- What?
- I told you about the ninja sh*t.
He was smoking inside.
So?
And it's illegal.
It's a titty club.
Nobody gives a f*ck about lungs here.
Lungs are one of the most vital organs.
But, m*therf*cker, you were smoking.
By myself outside.
Take your ass back outside
because you're fired.
- No, I got a lot going on. Please don't.
- No, no, no. Don't "Rich" me, bitch.
You argue with my customers,
and now you argue with me?
No, I knew you weren't Dreams material.
Get his ass the f*ck outta here.
This the Samoan you were talking about?
- Dreams, more like a damn nightmare.
- Everybody get back to business.
Get the asses dropping, titties popping.
Shouldn't be working here
in the first f*cking place. Get off me.
This is Dreams, where all
your m*therf*cking dreams come true!
How was work?
I think
I need to talk to somebody.
Okay.
I got you.
- Is this a good idea?
- Yes, trust me.
This is the best way to unburden yourself.
- What are you doing?
- It's what we do at the mosque.
It's disrespectful here.
Disrespectful to walk in with all kinds
of dog sh... stuff that's out there.
Cleanliness is next to godliness.
It's a place of worship.
Okay. Someone might trip, though.
Okay, fine, fine. One step at a time.
- You have Zamzam water here?
- Here.
Jeez, I told you, baby,
I'm not comfortable with that.
- Okay, I'll do it.
- God forgive me.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
I'm just nervous.
It's the OG hijab.
You just go in there?
This is just like my bedroom.
Amen.
How long since your last confession,
my son?
Mind just sticking with "Mo"?
We just met, you know?
I don't mean to be disrespectful.
I'm Muslim.
We usually confess straight to God.
What's on your mind, Mo?
Can we start with the cross?
You always have Jesus on there
with nails in his hands and his feet.
Thorns on his head
and blood's coming down.
Why do you have to eat
the body and drink the blood?
It's just a little much, don't you think?
You bring your kids here?
I'm not trying to be disrespectful.
Just trying to understand.
I love Jesus. I believe in Jesus.
Jesus was Palestinian.
Isn't it a t*rture device?
I mean, why glorify it?
Well, there's no glory in suffering,
but there is in sacrifice.
I'm sorry.
My father was tortured.
It happened years ago, but…
I just found out.
It pains me to hear that, Mo.
How's that make you feel?
Just angry.
I'm angry at myself.
Yourself?
My father sent us to Houston,
two years ahead.
Two years. I didn't see him.
I had to be the man of the house.
I couldn't live up to that.
I didn't know what he was doing there.
And I resented him.
I was just kept in the dark.
But now I know.
He sacrificed so much.
They put cigarettes out on his body.
But he held it together.
I get grazed by a b*llet,
and I'm addicted to lean.
It's a joke.
My father came from nothing and…
Became a telecommunications engineer.
What am I?
Can't even hold a job at a strip club.
You know, we lost a lot of Houston legends
from sipping lean,
but everyone processes
their pain differently.
And it doesn't matter
what you do for a living.
Jesus was a carpenter.
Let me ask you this, Mo,
you think your father would want you
to b*at yourself up over this
or would he want you to find happiness?
♪ How great ♪
♪ Is our God ♪
♪ I was lost in the jungle
Like Simba after the death of Mufasa ♪
♪ No hog, no meerkat ♪
♪ Hakuna Mat at a by day but I spent
My nighttime fighting tears back ♪
♪ I prayed and left messages
But never got no hear-back ♪
♪ Or so it seemed ♪
♪ A mustard seed was all
I needed to sow a dream ♪
♪ I build the ark to gently
Gently row my boat ♪
Thank you.
- Hey, Buddy.
- Hey!
Do you remember me?
- Mo, right?
- Yes, sir.
- I bought those trackers you mentioned.
- Oh, yeah?
Yeah. What's going on?
I… I was wondering if you need
an extra pair of hands.
Well…
I need somebody
to help me set up the trackers.
I don't have the sense God gave an ant
when it comes to technology.
Might as well be you.
You start Monday morning, 5:00 a.m.
- Yes, sir.
- All right.
01x03 - Remorse
This series is loosely based on Amer's own life as a Palestinian refugee living in Houston, Texas.