04x01 - Staying Alive

[bunniefuu]

I spent 15 years in prison.

And I know this is an opportunity

for me to find out who I am.

- [HIP-HOP MUSIC]
- Previously on on The Last O.G...

Josh was there for you
when I couldn't be there.

- We're family.
- Like in a "Diff'rent Strokes" type of way.

Dyn-o-mite!

No, that's the wrong Black show.

I am not trying to complicate your life.

You're the best thing
in my world as it is.

- You still messing with Bobby?
- Ma, he's family.

Don't worry about it. I got this.

Bobby, what are you doing?

♪

The little con that I been running...

I'm gonna make it worth your while.

[g*nsh*t]

[UPBEAT CONTEMPORARY ORCHESTRAL MUSIC]

♪

LeBron James buys Knicks

and becomes the first player/owner

to win NBA title!

♪

Hey!

♪

Hi!

♪

- Hey.
- How you doing?

♪

Hey, sexy.

- I see you.
- Mm-hmm.

- [SIRENS WAIL]
- Here come the bullshit.

That's right, wise guy.
You know what time it is.

Why your man gotta go to the trunk, man?

- Because.
- We got milk chocolate, dark chocolate,

butter toffee crunch,
rocky road, and several vegan options.

Y'all slinging candy?

We prefer the term crowdfunding.

Since Brooklyn
reimagined the police force,

we have to make up for those dollars

any way we can. Can you
help us meet our goal?

- I would, but I ain't got no cash.
- All good.

We probably owe this to you anyway.

Apple Sticks.

Blow Pops. Now-And-Laters.

Hubba Bubba? I love Hubba Bubba.

Hey, Dad, you ready to go bird watching?

Yeah, you won't believe
the birds we saw already.

Oh, thank God. My name is Karen.

And I'd like to report
an adult Black male and two Black teens.

And they're amazing.

♪

[BACK-UP WARNING BEEPING]

[HEART MONITOR BEEPING]

Father God, the one who
makes all things possible...

wake up my son.

Patient name, Barker.

This is his 14th day
in a comatose state.

Patient suffered traumatic brain injury,

some broken bones, and g*nsh*t wound.

This isn't fair.

[SNIFFLES] I was just
getting to know you.

Get those negative thoughts
out of your head, okay?

Please don't leave me. [SNIFFLES]

I love you, Daddy.

I love you, too.

Oh, she was talking about... okay.

[GROANING]

What? Is that my baby boy?

- Tray? Tray? Tray?
- Dad? Dad?

He said something, I think he did.

He did. He said something.

Shush, shush. Quiet, quiet, quiet.

- Ma...
- Yes, I'm here.

Stop praying over me.

I already died and went
to Heaven and spoke to God.

Oh, God, what did he say, baby?

He said, "Tell your
mother to shut the f*ck up.

Between her and Twitter, I
can't get no f*cking sleep."

You...

Okay, if you don't stop,

I'm gonna wash your mouth out

as soon as you come to, okay?

He's... did you hear what you said?

- There he is.
- He's back!

Your father is back.

Why would somebody sh**t at you, man?

You ain't got no beef with nobody.

No, Wavy. What if they wasn't after me?

You know, it breaks my heart to say it.

I been awake for a week,

and my cousin Bobby
ain't come see me yet.

I'ma dig into that.
It's gonna take me a minute, though,

'cause my edible arrangement
business is just on fire right now.

I got mad orders.

- But I gotchu.
- Again,

I wanna thank you
for your generous gift.

I just wanna be clear,
though, it's edible,

but it ain't edibles.

- You know I can't have weed.
- That's Brussels sprouts, son.

It's like collard greens?

They cousins.

[UPBEAT MUSIC]

♪

Mom said to say hi.

She's gonna Skype with
you when you get home.

She also said that she's jealous

she couldn'ta been the one to sh**t you.

But I'm pretty sure she was joking.

Yo, Dad, tell us who
you saw in Heaven again?

Well, I saw Biggie
Smalls. He looked good.

He lost weight, he got
that diabetes under control,

he wears skinny jeans now.

I saw Old Dirty b*stard.

He got eight angels pregnant,
and they was all sisters.

I saw Michael Jackson.
He told me what really happened.

He said, "Tray I died in
that Pepsi commercial."

- [KNOCK AT DOOR]
- Good news.

I got the order to
take out your catheter.

- Uh, I gotta go Dad.
- Where you goin'?

Ooh, I love you, but I'm
not trying see that happen.

Where y'all leaving? Y'all going?

- That's nasty.
- Why y'all going?

- It's just a catheter. Where y'all going?
- Bye.

Okay, well, your room is
all ready for you to move in.

And you don't have to worry
about bumping into Carl.

He's already moved out.

Ma, I'm sorry for
inconveniencing your relationship.

You are not sorry.

No, I'm not, 'cause he was a duck!

- Stop it!
- [KNOCK AT DOOR]

- Hey, Mrs. Barker, how you doing?
- Oh, hi.

- What's popping, Tray?
- Yo, OC!

Yo, Tray, who you got?

Spinners or The Whispers?

The Spinners.
You know my style. All day.

Ah, I knew you'd say the Spinners,

because you and Philippé Wynne
got that same size cranium.

That's only cause of the swelling.

Yeah, a lot a storage
space in that up there, man?

- How we feeling?
- I'm good, but talk to me.

What's up with my legs, man?

When I'm gonna be able
to play for the Knicks?

How you rep Brooklyn but
still root for the Knicks?

Political.

Anyway, regarding the legs,

I'll spare you the medical jargon,
all right? Simply put,

your coma caused your
body to forget how to walk.

And what do we do to remind it?

One name: Althea.

She's the PT nurse I'm
putting in charge of your rehab.

She's no joke.

Well, you ain't got to worry about me.

I just hope Miss Althea is ready

because I'm gonna work harder than
a Chinese restaurant on Christmas.

- My dude.
- No doubt.

Doc, do you speak to all
your patients like this?

Hell, no, not the
white ones. Stay up, fam.

Peace.

Uh...

Okay, Mr. Tray, you're
mine for the next few weeks.

The old you died in that incident.

We're about to birth the new you.

But you will be stillborn
if you don't do as I say.

Bring it on.

You gotta squeeze one.

- Take the blue one.
- Okay.

- My favorite color.
- Mm-hmm. No.

What do you think this is?
Put it in your dead hand.

[GROANS]

I'm gonna give you a little motivation.

I'ma get that Jamaican beef pie.

- Ah.
- Beef patty. It's a beef patty!

I've been saying "pie" since I was five.

You can have this one
if you call it a patty!

Ah!

[UPBEAT SOUL MUSIC]

You're only as strong
as your core, Mister Tray.

- What?
- You have a lady friend, right?

You can't grind if you
don't have a stable core.

Why you ain't say
that in the first place?

♪ I found a brand-new... ♪

You got too many knots.

I'm going to give you a massage.

Finally, you doing
something nice for me.

♪ So how you like me now? ♪

♪ How you like me now? ♪

[GROANS]

Put me back in a coma. [GROANS]

♪ How you like me now? ♪

♪ How you like me now? ♪

♪ Oh ♪

[GROANING]

- That got rice and peas in it?
- Maybe.

You gotta come find out.
I'm gonna do it.

Oh, go, go, go, go! Oh, Mister Tray!

Oh, h*, h*, h*, h*!

Here we go.

This is for you, Mommy.

Yes!

- Ha, ha!
- [ALL CHEERING]

[ETHEREAL CHORAL MUSIC]

♪

Yeah, he's got it.

♪

Yeah, you got it.

[ALL CHEERING]

Look, Ma, no hands.

[MUSIC DISTORTS AND FADES]

Oh, Lord.

Wow, you didn't touch your breakfast.

What happened? You didn't like it?

I'm not hungry. I don't get it, Ma.

All that work I put in,

all that progress, it's
like I never rehabbed at all.

Well, you have to eat something.

'Cause you gotta strengthen
those legs so you can walk again.

My legs forgot how to work.
You heard what the doctor said.

That is not what I heard.

The doctor said

that there's nothing
wrong with you physically.

But it's gonna take time
and a positive attitude.

That's why I thought it
would be good if you was

to come to church with me today,

and then we can turn it over to God.

Turn it over to God?

Where was God when I got
jumped in that hallway and shot?

Tell me that.

You know it's always
darkest before dawn.

- You talk to God, Ma?
- Yes.

- Close to Him?
- Yes.

Next time you talk to Him,

ask that n*gga when He
gonna give me a break.

Don't you ever question God.

There's a reason for everything.

Stop feeling sorry for yourself.

You know how many people in this world

don't have nobody to love
and nobody loves them?

Huh?

I'm sorry, Mommy.

Tray, I love you.

And God loves you, too.

[GENTLE FUNK MUSIC]

♪

We have the place all to ourselves.
Just me and you.

Ma Dukes said, "Do anything"?

Those were her exact words.

Ma Dukes said, "Do anything
to put him in a positive mood"?

That's what she said.

She come a long way from
"Give yourself to Jesus."

I can't wiggle my toes,
but one of my legs work.

Oh, it's fine.

If this don't make my
legs work, nothing will.

Ooh, baby, watch out
for my b*llet wound.

So... so how was it?

It was fine.

Fine?

No, no, it was great.

How could it be great?

If I can't bend my knees, then
I can't do my signature move.

Oh, honey, I'm just happy you're alive.

It was hard seeing you
laying in that coma.

I'm just happy you not dead.

I take pride in my lovemaking.

I mean, what good is sex
if you can't please a woman?

No, no, no, don't
do that. Don't do that.

It's time to be positive.

I'm positively sure my life is over.

Real men brag after sex, not apologize.

[LIGHT MUSIC]

♪

[KNOCK AT DOOR]

I'm coming.

And before you start,
I ain't buying nothing.

Well, good, 'cause I ain't selling it.

Wait a minute.

- Mrs. Barker?
- Yeah?

Mrs. Barker, it's me, Veesy.

- Veesy Diggs.
- Oh,

Shaveese Diggs. From down the hall?

- That's me.
- Girl, get in here.

Oh, my God, I remember
you as a little old thing.

You used to come and
borrow my food stamps

on the 15th every month.

[LAUGHS] So whatchu talking?

Well, I'm tryna, you
know, help out the children

in our community fight
against further G*ntrification.

Oh, okay, I hear that.

Ooh, I have somebody

- who'd be so happy to see you.
- What?

Girl. [LAUGHS]

I know you could cheer him up.

Honey, you'll never guess who's here.

Yes, my dear.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪

Tray Barker.

Veesy? I done died and went to hell.

Shut the hell up. What the f*ck
you doing in a wheelchair, huh?

What, this some kinda
workman's comp scam, n*gga?

Ma, get her out the house

and take that truckload of
positivity somewhere else.

- Okay, he's a little grumpy.
- 'Cause I got shot!

Nah, n*gga, you got f*cked up.

Ma, get her out the crib.

It's okay, I'm leaving...
on my own two legs,

'cause I got them, and they work,
because I wasn't shot like you.

But good luck. Good luck
with your whole insurance scam. Okay.

Okay, Veesy, wait a minute.

- I wanna sign your petition.
- Yes, ma'am.

Ma, why would you bring her in the house

knowing me and her never got along?

Tray, how am I supposed to keep up
with all your childhood beefs?

God.

Yo, we gotta get the
dudes that did this, Tray.

Look, just say the word, and
I got the brigade on deck.

They ready to go.

Look, Alejandro,

I have no idea who shot me.

So, please, slow your roll.

All right, Barbara,
stand down and stand by.

Hey, you wanna get your beak wet?
Krystal still thinks you're cute.

That's cause she a hooker.
She think everybody cute.

I'm just saying, you're already in
a lap dance position, you know?

[CHAIR SQUEAKING]

- What?
- I don't want a hooker.

- Are you sure?
- She does pull-and-grab Thursdays.

- That's fifty percent off.
- I already got a girl.

- Krystal don't care.
- Yeah, bring her, too.

I don't want a hooker.

- We got to get Dad outta here.
- I know.

Come on.

One of the benefits
of meeting you at 15 is,

I remember all of our "firsts".

- This is where we first saw you.
- Yeah.

Across the street is
where cousin Bobby hit

that old man with the car. [CHUCKLES]

And this is the first place
you bought us ice cream.

Then we discovered lactose
intolerance ran in our family,

so it was also the
last place. [CHUCKLES]

And this is the first place
that you told us you loved us.

And the second place
you told us you loved us.

And the third.

Well, I hope you're
ready for the fourth.

Little help, little help!
Ball, ball, ball, ball, ball.

[UPBEAT MUSIC]

♪

Guys, look, my brain
is talking to my foot.

My brain is talking to my foot.

- That's amazing.
- Yes!

Oh, God, Dad.

Oh, thank You, thank
You, thank You, Lord.

Where we going now?

We have one last surprise.

Hey, mister, would you like to
help save the community center?

Hey little mama,

I can't believe they closed
Tompkins-Marcy Community Center.

That was my life when I was your age.

Uh-uh. Sonae, come on, baby.

Come over here and sit
here by the table, okay?

Stay away from this creepy old man.

Veesy, they let you out in the daytime.

I thought I smelled
dead legs and bad choices.

Dad, do you know this woman?

Amira, Shahzad, don't
look her in the eye.

She'll snatch your soul.

Now, children, if this
creepy man is holding you

against your will, blink
twice, 'cause I know what to do.

- He's our dad.
- Yeah.

There is no way that these
cute kids belong to you.

- Thank you.
- Baby, you are welcome.

Now, I'ma tell you, if it was me,

I'd go and get a DNA test
immediately, 'cause, you know,

you can never be too sure with this one.

Yo, she funny, Dad.

Ain't I, though? [LAUGHTER]

Amira, Shahzad, let's go.
This train is pulling out.

I'm express, she local.

Y'all ever get tired of him
and you just wanna push him

into traffic, I won't say nothing.

[LAUGHS]

Here it is.

Wait... wait, I don't
ever remember being here.

That's because this is a new first.

That's right. This is the first time
you laid eyes on our new place.

Josh, what's the deal?

I thought y'all was lamping
in the cut in New Jersey.

We sold it. Moved back to Brooklyn.

The kids wanted to be closer to you.

Thanks so much, man,
for bringing my family

back to me across the bridge, man.

- It really means a lot.
- It's better for me, too.

I was spending a fortune on tolls.

You know, uh, until Shay
gets back from Europe,

it's you and me.

♪

- What's all this?
- We knew cooking would cheer you up.

Hey. Who made y'all
the greatest children in the world?

- AMIRA AND SHAHZAD: Y'all did.
- Who made us the greatest dads in the world?

AMIRA AND SHAHZAD: We did.

TRAY AND JOSH: You
better believe it, pal.

There it is, there it is. Six cheeses.

Roll that around in your mouth.

Well, thank you, Tray.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Thank you, Ma. Thank all of y'all.

Y'all deserve it, man.

I made a lot of progress this week

because y'all wouldn't let me give up.

- I know I ain't make it easy.
- You got that right.

- I'm sorry, Mommy.
- It's all right, baby.

I'm so sorry for what
I put y'all through.

My legs might not be
working all the way,

but my mind and my soul is.

And, Ma, this week, I'ma go to church.

I wanna make a testimony.

Hallelujah, hallelujah.

Thank you, Jesus.

Moses...

was the author of one of the
original redemption stories.

And speaking of redemption,

we have a brother who used
to run through this church

as a child with his mother, Roberta.

Now he returns like the prodigal son.

Let's welcome Tray Barker.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

Yes, sir, yes, sir.

- Take your time, Tray.
- As most of you might know,

I was recently in a coma.

I was jumped, I was shot,
and I was left for dead.

But through the grace
of God, I'm still here.

Amen. [INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Amen!

And as I went through my rehab,

I realized in order for me to heal,

I had to let go of my anger.

I really started wondering,

what is my purpose in this world?

'Cause success is an illusion.

Purpose...

- is the conclusion.
- Yes.

But this ain't about me.

- This is about y'all.
- Amen. Hallelujah.

How many of y'all know
your purpose in this world?

Are you here to heal,
or you here to hurt?

So I challenge each and
every one of y'all here today.

Grow and find your purpose
and walk towards it.

Don't run from it, walk to it.

[APPLAUSE]

[UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING]

♪

- Yes.
- God is good!

- I'm so proud of you.
- Well...

I think I'ma let God guide
my next steps, you know?

I feel so good.

I'm not even thinking about who shot me.

Yeah, baby, just heal. Let
them worry about all that.

- I'ma go get the car, okay?
- Okay. Be careful.

[LIGHT PERCUSSIVE MUSIC]

♪

Yo.

I found out who shot you, man.

Or maybe God has different plans.