You know what we need?
A big-screen tv.
What for?
You know, something
to do all day
While we're here.
Suzanne, we have
something to do... We work.
Oh, come on.
As a matter of fact,
We have a client we're
meeting right now.
Anthony just went
to pick up randa oliver.
Oh, sh**t. I completely forgot.
Randa oliver?
Oh, I hate her.
I'm getting out of here.
Nobody's going anywhere.
Now, I will admit
Randa's not the
most pleasant client
We have ever had, but
we are professionals.
The oliver house
is almost finished.
If we just finish randa's
personal bedroom,
We'll be the recipients
of a substantial check
Which won't be spent
on a large-screen tv,
But rather on
incidental luxuries
Such as heat, light, and oxygen.
Sure, everything you want.
Here they come.
Ok. When she gets in here,
I don't care how picky she is,
Nobody's going to say a thing,
And that includes you sneezing
And saying "bitch"
under your breath.
All right!
Hi, randa. Hi, randa.
How was your trip over?
Oh, great.
I really enjoy riding in a van,
He wouldn't even let me drive.
I don't care about
your chauffeur,
I'm not driving anywhere
With a 10-year-old
white girl on my lap.
We have some really
nice, new things
For you to look at.
Now, since you didn't like
The english country
drawings we did,
We thought you might like this.
We call it french provincial.
I'm sorry,
But these ideas are
simply unacceptable.
You'll have to do
better than this
To keep my business.
If you'll excuse me,
I have to make a tinkle.
Through that door.
Look, all mrs.
Oliver asked us to do
Before she left for europe
Was to finish randa's
room to randa's liking.
Surely we can do that.
Furthermore, I don't approve
Of disciplining other
people's children.
Oh, come on, julia.
That little girl has to
have everything she wants
Exactly how she
wants it and right away.
If everybody lets
her get away with that,
You know what
she'll grow up to be?
Yeah.
You.
Ah, that poor child.
Her mother's always
in the south of france.
Why is it always
the mother's fault?
We assume because
mrs. Oliver's away a lot
That that is why randa's
this evil devil-child.
Maybe randa would
be that way anyway.
Why do we always
blame the mother?
Mary jo,
Is there something
wrong... At your house?
Well, actually, I wasn't
going to tell y'all,
But quint has gotten
himself into a little trouble.
What did he do?
Broke into a house.
Oh, mary jo... Well,
that's what he did,
And it's all my fault
Because we don't have nintendo.
Anyway, mark... Quint's little
friend... Does have nintendo,
And mark's mother told quint
he could come play it anytime.
Quint took that literally.
Oh, no.
Oh, yes.
So, one afternoon
when they weren't in,
Quint, apparently in the
grip of some nintendo frenzy,
Pried open the window of
their basement rec room,
Setting off the silent alarm.
About 10 minutes later,
the security guards come
And find little
8-year-old housebreaker
Glued to super
mario brothers iii.
Mark's mother was
very nice about it,
Although she did mention
That perhaps it
wouldn't have happened
If I had been at
home, not working.
Said it kind of snotty, too.
Here she comes.
Hi, randa. Hi, randa.
That powder room
is absolutely vulgar.
Did you have any new
ideas for my room?
Actually, we took the time
To kind of sluff
off and lay around
Like big old wart hogs.
Oh, this is the limit.
My candy lipstick's gone.
One of you took it.
You took it. That's my shade.
Randa, suzanne's a grown woman.
She didn't take
your candy lipstick.
Did you?
No.
[Telephone rings]
Sugarbaker's.
Mrs. Philpott, is everything ok?
Oh, good.
If that's all for today,
I might as well go home.
Driver.
Uh, randa... My name is anthony.
Yes, I know.
I don't like using names.
I prefer to call
people what they are.
Oh, good. I'm glad we've
adopted this policy.
That means I'll
call you... Anthony.
I don't think she's
really a little girl.
Somebody just took leona
helmsley and boiled her.
I can't wait to see.
Give her a kiss for me.
All right. Bye.
Olivia took her first step.
That's great. Oh, that's great.
Yeah. She's getting so big.
What's the matter, charlene?
I missed it!
I'm missing everything.
She's not a baby anymore.
These are things I'll
never, ever get back again.
Charlene, take the rest
of the afternoon off.
Go on home and
see olivia walking.
Thanks, but that
won't solve anything.
You saw that randa.
We were all talking about
how her mom's never home.
I've already made my decision.
I just didn't know
how to tell y'all.
Charlene... You
want to quit work?
Yeah.
She's not going to quit.
You've thought about this?
I'm sure, but I'd
leave you hanging.
Oh, don't you worry about us.
We're your friends.
If you need to
take some time off,
We'll just call a
temporary agency.
How much time do
you think you'd need?
I don't know.
Um, a year maybe?
A year? Oh, charlene, come on.
Being home for a
year, you'd go crazy.
She's not going to go.
Ok. These are your invoices.
Order them by invoice number,
Record them in this book,
File the pink copy under
the customer's name
And the yellow copy
under the store's name.
Understand?
Sure.
Ok.
Uh, what do you want
me to do with these?
Ok. Let's...
Let's just take
it a step at a time.
Just file the pink copy
under the customer's name
In alphabetical order.
You know the
alphabet, don't you?
Yeah, I know the alphabet.
Why do people keep asking that?
I don't know what that
agency was thinking.
Well, it was short notice.
♪ A, b, c, d, e,
f, g ♪ h, i... J.
Look long and hard, girls.
That's the future of our country
Standing over there
singing the alphabet song.
Well, he's just a temp.
We'll get someone
permanent soon.
We don't have to do that.
Why not?
Because charlene is coming back.
Any minute, she's
going to be calling us,
Telling us the
life of a housewife
Doesn't agree with her.
She wants to go
to lunch, to talk,
To hang out with us.
She misses us and the job.
She's miserable.
Miserable!
Hi, y'all!
Hi, charlene.
What a surprise.
Whatever are you doing here?
Just stopped to say hi,
Maybe make a lunch date.
Yeah.
How are things at home?
Oh, wonderful.
Won-der-ful!
Really.
We can hang out
just like before.
I got the best of both worlds.
Lunch thursday?
Sure. Fine.
Ok, we got to run.
It is such a gorgeous day!
Isn't life great?
Say bye, livvy.
Bye.
Bye.
You see?
Miserable.
Y'all won't have to worry
about randa oliver anymore.
I'm going to take care
of her myself today.
What do you mean?
I'm going to k*ll her.
With kindness.
My job is to entertain clients,
So I'll take randa to the mall.
Anthony, you'll drive
us in my mercedes.
Me? Why do I have to drive?
Sometimes there aren't
any parking places up close.
So I'll spend some happy
hours circling the mall
While you two shop.
Don't worry, I wrote
this note for you.
Show this to the
mall security people
In case they wonder
why a black man's
Circling the mall in a mercedes.
Thank you, suzanne.
That's very thoughtful.
Adam,
You are not a completely
unintelligent young man,
Are you?
I don't know.
What I'm trying to say
Is that if you applied
yourself more,
Your opportunities
could be limitless.
You could be anything.
You mean like president
of the united states?
In your case, perhaps
vice-president.
Wow.
Cool.
He has to go.
What do you suggest?
I suggest we get ourselves
over to charlene's
And plead and beg
for her to come back.
Crawl, cry, roll
around on the floor,
Something like that.
We'll work on it in the car.
[Knock on door]
[Tv plays]
Hey, y'all, what
are you doing here?
We don't want to intrude.
Uh-oh, julia.
Bad timing.
I think we may have
interrupted a crucial moment
In her soap opera.
So how are erica,
tempest, brandy, and kane?
I wasn't watching.
It was just on.
Oh, look who's here.
Hi, miss olivia.
How are you doing?
She's fine.
She was about to
have her apple juice.
Could I give it to her?
Thanks. It's in the fridge.
Actually, charlene...
Julia and I came over
To try talking you into
coming back to work.
Mary jo, no. Please
don't do this to me.
Staying at home may not be
working out exactly as planned,
But I still want to do it.
What's the problem?
It seems like ever since
I decided to stay home,
All the other neighborhood
women who do go to jobs
Are kind of using me.
They say, "charlene, since
you're going to be home,
Could you just..." And
then fill in the blank,
Everything from having
their u.p.s. Stuff delivered here
To looking in on
their sick gerbils.
I have stuff to
do. I have stress.
Stress? Yes, I know.
Deciding between phil
and oprah's hellish. I hate it.
Mary jo, you don't mean to,
But you're hurting my feelings.
Oh, come on, charlene. I
was just joking around.
Have you lost your
sense of humor
Since you haven't been working?
Mary jo, I am working.
I know that. You
know what I mean.
What if I joked
with you like that?
Like what?
Like, "if you hadn't
been working,
Maybe quint wouldn't
be in trouble."
Mary jo, I'm sorry.
I didn't mean that.
Obviously, you've wanted
to say it for a long time.
I didn't mean it.
I'm really glad you got it out.
Obviously, my kids won't
take children of the year,
And I probably am to blame.
I don't have a rich
husband, or even a husband.
My work's not a hobby
I can drop or pick up.
Now I'm a rich old
frump, is that it?
What's going on in here?
You're leaving.
Fine with me.
I have to earn a living.
Mary jo!
Hi, adam.
Heard anything from
anthony and suzanne?
Who?
Never mind.
I know you're mad
about that fight,
But charlene started it
with that remark about quint.
I wasn't going to say anything.
It's between you and charlene.
How was the trip to the
mall? Where's suzanne?
Suzanne, what happened to you?
Where is randa?
I want to know what
happened to the both of you,
And I want to know now.
She started it!
She did!
That's not an answer.
We were finishing a
lovely day of shopping.
You know how they
have those pushcarts
Where you can buy jewelry?
I had picked out a stunning
string of lapis lazuli beads...
I had them first!
I was shaking one way,
and she shook the other,
Then the necklace broke
And she fell into
the reflecting pool.
She pushed me!
Did you?
Oh, julia, be serious.
I'd never push that
little child into the pool.
I'd push her into
something deeper.
Oh, yeah?
When I tried to help her out,
She grabbed my hairpiece
And threw it up
into a mall tree.
I ask you, was that necessary?
I can take the story from there.
Then they b*at the
tar out of each other.
The mall police broke it up.
Maybe you should have written
a note for yourself, suzanne.
It was her fault!
It was hers!
All right!
I will deal with
you later, suzanne.
Now, randa...
I do not believe in disciplining
Other people's children.
In your case, I'll
make an exception.
I do believe in disciplining
out-of-control clients.
You are going to
straighten up and fly right,
And that includes good manners,
Appreciation for our work,
And respect for your elders.
That is to say
your mental elders.
Ok.
Ok?
Yes, ma'am.
Yes, ma'am?
Randa, I want to
ask you something.
Why have you been giving us
Such a hard time these weeks?
I thought that was how you're
supposed to treat decorators.
Mama told mrs. Walker you
had to be tough with them
Or they'll sit around
on their big butts.
I heard her.
Oh, you did, did you?
Yes, and she also said,
"They'll cheat you if
you don't watch them."
She says that about
the cleaning lady, too.
She tells me to say
"please" and "thank you,"
But she never says those
things to the cleaning lady.
I like the cleaning lady.
Randa, you just go on
saying "please" and "thank you"
To that lady,
No matter what your mama does.
Well, there you are.
It's so simple, we
always forget it.
Children don't learn
what we teach them,
But what we show them.
Did I tell you why I
didn't ask for alimony?
No, we just assumed...
It's because you were stupid.
It's because of what you said.
Kids learn what you show them.
I wanted to show my kids
That when you get knocked down,
You don't have to
rely on other people
To pick you up.
I knew that I couldn't be
around for them as much
If I made that decision.
But I wanted to show them that.
I've been a good mother.
You've been a great mother...
And a great decorator.
And a great decorator.
I just need to work on
being a better friend.
[Knock on door]
Hi.
Hi.
Am I interrupting anything?
No. You caught
me at a good time.
Phil and oprah are over,
And knot's landing isn't
on for a few more hours.
I deserved that.
Can I come in?
Sure. Bill's upstairs
giving olivia her bath.
What's this?
Oh, it's a baby quilt I'm making
Out of pieces of baby
clothes she's outgrown.
I'm almost finished.
It's beautiful.
My friend mary
markey offered me $200
To make one for her son.
Mary said something else.
She said, "I think you
made the right decision
To stay at home,"
Like she secretly
disapproved of me before.
I don't like that very much.
It's possible she
didn't mean that at all.
I swear, it's just
so hard these days.
Whatever choice a mother makes,
She feels guilty about it.
You think the
world's judging you
Whether they are or not.
I know. Bill and I
went to a party
With some friends of his,
And this woman
asked me what I did.
I said, "I work within the home.
"You think running
a house is easy?
It's the most important
work you can do."
You think I overreacted?
Just a tad.
I'll have to find
a better answer,
Something that describes
what I do accurately
But shows that I have
chosen my life carefully,
That I'm aware of
my alternatives
And still deserve respect
For my brains and abilities.
You don't have to do that.
Thank goodness. That
was going to be a hard one.
There will always
be a few people
That think stay-at-home
moms are lazy or dumb
And others that think
that working moms
Are selfish yuppies.
We can't worry
about those people.
What we've got to do,
The stay-at-home moms
and 9:00-to-5:00 moms,
Is keep from turning
on each other.
I'm so sorry about
those cracks I made.
I've just felt so insecure
about raising my own kids.
I took it out on you.
No, mary jo, I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
I have a confession to make.
I was watching that soap opera.
I'm not around you guys all day.
I get starved for the sound
Of intelligent
adult conversation.
Well...
Look.
We've got something for you.
Come on in.
Ok. Look out for that end table.
When I asked you to help me,
That's exactly what I meant...
You pointing out the end table.
What is it?
Just something we
call "hernia in a box."
It's a computer.
We've got another
one down at the office.
I know this doesn't
solve all your problems,
But we could hook them together
And you could do
paperwork here at home.
You know, I mean...
If you wanted to.
You guys... Can we afford this?
Hey, look.
They printed the
arrow on this box
Upside down.
I think the question is,
Can we afford that?
What do you say?
I don't know.
Wait, wait. Maybe...
Maybe we can work something out.
Adam... I'm fired, aren't i?
Not fired, just... Let go.
Ok.
Aah!
05x03 - Working Mother
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Series centers on the lives of four women and one man working together at an interior designing firm in 1980s Atlanta, Georgia, called Sugarbaker & Associates.
Series centers on the lives of four women and one man working together at an interior designing firm in 1980s Atlanta, Georgia, called Sugarbaker & Associates.