01x07 - lockdown

[bunniefuu]

Major gallery owners

- who would love your work.

- Yeah?

'Cause I have no idea how to connect

with people who can help me.

That's where I come in, my man.

I'm the connector.

[UPBEAT MUSIC]

We just haven't really talked

since the other night.

[JESS] Yeah, but listen, Dan,

let's just keep it professional.

Terry came through, man.

- It's happening.

- Yo, that's great.

Yeah, I still don't have a spot though.

[DAN] You know what? There's

this multipurpose room at school.

Are you sure it's all right?

You're using it for a purpose.

That's literally what

the multipurpose room is for.

[ADMINISTRATOR] School is on lockdown.

Code white.

[STUDENTS CHATTER]

[OVERLAPPING CHATTER]

[ADMINISTRATOR] Code white, code white.

Lockdown protocol in effect.

We are locked down!

Remain in your classrooms.

Okay, guys, let's remain

calm and quiet.

You know what to do.

They don't care if we quiet!

That boy not gonna change his mind

and not sh**t up the school

'cause it's quiet.

First of all, it's not a sh**ter.

It is probably a boy, though,

but you're all gonna be fine.

You did not say that confidently.

[DAMI] Do they know who it is or no?

Girl, now you know

they don't tell him nothing.

I'm like, can we go home? Because

- Sis, how you, like

- This one's giving.

But how are you gonna get home

when someone

- trying to sh**t us?

- [CHUCKLES]

Mr. Joseph, so if it's not

a sh**ter, what is it then?

I I don't know.

- See?

- He don't know.

I told you they don't tell him nothing.

[LAUGHS] I'll say.

Now, I hope it's a b*mb

because if this b*tch blow

we don't got school for a whole month!

- Oh!

- Hey!

Stop. Stop cheering. Settle.

You guys have to respect

my job as your teacher.

Why are they cheering?

Kids cope with crisis

in their own ways.

And-and put your phones away.

[STUDENT] Oh, hell yeah.

[SANTOS] Barreto.

The kid's still locked himself

in the utility closet.

Still insisting he has a b*mb.

I don't know what to do.

Please come by.

[STUDENT] Oh!

[STUDENTS MURMUR]

Okay. That was a lucky guess.

It's all still gonna be fine.

[LAUGHTER, CHATTER]

A sh**ter. [IMITATES MACHINE g*n]

[QUIETLY] What's Principal Douglas say?

Douglas isn't even here.

He's at a meeting at the district,

so I'm in charge of the kids' safety,

- and we're not safe right now.

- Okay.

Let's keep speaking quietly

because I'm pretending

that we are safe. So what's the plan?

Well, I called the police,

but they're still on their way.

The security guard's standing watch

at the utility closet door

having a panic attack,

so-so I gotta go do the rounds

and make sure

each room is secured. I'm just

It's just a lot doing three people's

- f*cking job right now.

- Well, how can I help?

Just stay locked down.

Do not leave your students

under any circumstances, okay?

I'm gonna go do the rounds.

Wait, wait, I'm sorry.

Wait, just to be clear,

you're about to check

every room in the school,

like, right now?

Yeah. Why?

[ADMINISTRATOR] Code white, code white,

please remain in lockdown protocol.

Are you sure we shouldn't leave?

[CHUCKLES] Nah, it's just a drill.

That's why they call it a code white.

It's like "a white lie,"

so don't worry about it.

Uh-huh, okay.

Oh, my God.

[PHONE CHIMING]

[BAYANO]

My buyers are generally looking

for something that feels

current yet nostalgic.

What sort of buyers are we discussing?

Eh, it ranges.

We got smaller clients

that are usually looking

for a single piece,

and my bigger clients

are usually looking

to curate a collection.

We've also built up the careers

of some pretty well-known artists.

We've got Martine Gutierrez,

Amy Sherald.

- Wow.

- And, uh,

Cynthia Nixon.

I'm sorry. Who?

The redhead from Sex and the City.

Oh, okay. You talking about Miranda?

All right. Gotcha.

Yeah.

Well, let's dig in.

Terry's got some good things

to say about your work.

[PHONE BUZZING]

Sorry, I have to take this. One minute.

Yo, what's up?

[DAN] You gotta leave right now.

Bro, Bayano just got here.

What are you talking about?

Kev, this is a real lockdown.

Former student says he has a b*mb.

You have to leave.

No, I'm good.

[DAN] It's not good.

I propped the door open for you,

so it's my fault this kid snuck in,

plus Jess is on her way

to your room right now.

If she sees you, it'll be traced

back to me, and I'm f*cked.

[TUTS] Man, I thought y'all were cool.

[DAN] It's weird right now.

Just sneak out the back

with your art guy.

You can finish the meeting

at, like, a Golden Krust?

I don't know, there's, like,

three in walking distance.

[KEVIN] Fine, I'll dip,

but just chill on the texts, man.

[DAN] Exactly. Now you know how I feel.

Too many texts.

[BAYANO] Who was that?

[KEVIN] Just a friend from the Met.

You know, they wanted to invite me

to an event next week. Yeah, sorry.

[JESS] Hello? Anyone in there?

[DOORKNOB RATTLING]

Hello? All clear on this floor.

The youth, man, delinquents.

Half of them don't got parents,

so it's like

What you think of this piece here?

Do you like it?

You said it reminded you of something?

[STUDENTS CHATTER]

[DAMI] Hey, Mr. Joseph,

why don't they just evacuate us?

Because it's too risky

when we don't know

exactly what's going on.

We have to shelter in place.

- That's the protocol.

- That's stupid.

- The protocol makes no sense.

- It never does.

It's like fire drills.

They make us slowly walk and stand

right outside a burning building.

It never makes sense.

That's an important lesson in life.

Things don't make sense,

but you just go along with it.

Write that down.

Bro, my mom's psychic or some sh*t.

[DAN] I need to do a head count.

She blowing my jack like crazy.

I don't even know what to text her.

[CHUCKLES] Say you dead.

[LAUGHS] I'm dead.

Did you text Drew?

Nah, I'm not trying to scare him.

He busy working.

- That n*gga always working.

- [CHUCKLES]

- That's how he got you the 12?

- Nah, my father bought it.

How your dad buy you a phone from jail?

b*tch, he in jail, not broke.

One thing my family do is get a bag.

- Dang.

- [LAUGHTER]

[DAN] Yo, no laughing.

You guys should be nervous,

and I should be the calm one.

It should not be the reverse.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

[WHITE MARCUS] have built a b*mb.

It's outside the school

and I will detonate it

unless Dami dates me again.

Dami, we went on one date,

and it was perfect.

He's saying y'all used to date.

- Well, it wasn't a date

- Ew!

- Never! What?

- He's sayin' it.

Let me find out you like white boys.

Don't play with me.

You see, your mama be texting you

about the wrong thing, AKA moi.

- I wish I would.

- [WHITE MARCUS CONTINUING]

- Yeah.

- [LAUGHTER]

Okay, I'm taking your phone.

But Dami ex White Marcus,

he in the utility closet

- talking crazy on live.

- Bro, chill.

Who's White Marcus?

She talking about

Marcus Bufkin from our class.

Oh, the white kid named Marcus, sure.

You call the other Marcus

"Black Marcus"?

No, he's Marcus.

- That's not r*cist?

- Keep up.

How is he this lost?

Yo, but didn't he get expelled?

How he get inside?

So they just letting anybody

in the school?

- He's white.

- No offense, man.

[ZAYNA LAUGHS]

Marcus Bufkin claims he has a b*mb?

Yo, Mr. J, you buy me lunch,

I'll bust his mouth open.

[ZAYNA AND DAMI LAUGHING]

All right, everyone

Everyone stay calm.

I have to go do something.

You're all gonna have to wait here.

Uh, Dami, you're in charge

while I'm gone.

Everybody listen to Dami. Great kid.

Okay?

If everyone behaves, sit tight,

you all get As.

- All right, hang in there.

- [DAMI CLEARS HER THROAT]

Yeah, let's listen up or Miss Dami

gonna give all y'all detention.

- [STUDENT] Hey, girl.

- Hi.

- There it is right there.

- Yeah.

[SANTOS, KNOCKING]

Open up this door, Marcus.

This isn't funny.

You gotta come out of there.

That's enough, Marcus.

Police are on their way.

Please open the door.

[WHITE MARCUS] Nah, m*therf*cker.

You're too late.

I already programmed the b*mb

to go off in 30 minutes,

so that's what's going down

unless you actually start

f*cking listening to me, b*tch.

[SANTOS] Come on, man, please.

- Hey. Officer Santos.

- He's a lunatic, Dan.

- He's got me all stressed out.

- I know.

I think I can help

with this Marcus situation.

- It's White Marcus.

- White Marcus, yeah.

Everyone knows his nickname, I guess.

Look, if you just give me

a chance to talk to this kid

[JESS] Dan, I told you to stay

in your classroom.

- Why are you

- [DAN] Jess, Jess.

I think I can help.

No, look, we just need

to wait for the police.

Apparently, they're all held up

raiding a funeral of

Hasidic Jews in Williamsburg.

- Yeah, that'll be a while.

- Yeah.

Officer Santos,

I-I finished the rounds.

I'm just gonna go check in

with the cops now.

Wait, wait, wait. Can I do it?

I just can't stand here anymore.

These white kids

scare the f*ck out of me.

I mean the Black kids,

I can handle them,

but these lonely white boys,

you don't know what they're gonna do.

And I want to keep my limbs intact.

Okay, yeah.

Well, thanks for trying

for a few minutes.

Yeah, why don't you stay in my office

and check in with the cops then.

Okay, thanks, and good luck.

Dan, come on, you really need to

Jess, Jess, there is no way

that he made a b*mb.

First of all, he failed chemistry,

and I know that because I'm the one

who failed to teach him

chemistry for two years

since he got held back.

This kid does not have

a b*mb-making skill set.

Okay, well, he claims he has a b*mb.

He could have bought the thing.

Please, go back to your classroom.

Just let me talk to the kid.

I know him really well.

I was his teacher for two years.

I think he looks up to me.

Fine. I don't know, fine, try.

Okay.

Marcus?

It's me, Mr. Joseph.

[WHITE MARCUS] Who?

Uh, I was your science teacher

up until a week ago

for two years.

We learned a lot of

chemistry but also bonded.

[WHITE MARCUS]

It's not ringing any bells.

Marcus, it's Ms. Barreto.

- You expelled me, b*tch.

- Yo, hey, now,

- there's no need to curse.

- Marcus. No, no.

- It's a school.

- It's okay.

Marcus, I sat with you

for two hours while you cried.

I didn't cry.

[JESS] I wanted to find a solution.

I-I really tried.

[WHITE MARCUS] Suck my d*ck.

Yo, Marcus, come on.

[expl*si*n]

[DAN] f*ck.

Okay.

If only he's dead,

I think that's a win.

[EASY-LISTENING MUSIC]

In this piece, I created it a white man

with African-American features.

Wanted to pontificate the dichotomy

that white America has with the society

that both fascinates

and frightens them.

It was also the perfect medium

to capture the subjects, uh,

"Chura-scaro," so

Chiaroscuro.

I've heard it both ways.

Look, Kevin, your work is good.

Thank you.

You clearly have the technical skill.

I like what you're trying to do,

but I do think it best if you

kept developing your style.

What do you mean?

Well

[CHUCKLES] Your work is derivative.

- Thank you.

- No, it's okay.

It's it's not bad.

It's just not ready.

Okay. I'm sorry.

If it's not bad,

then how am I not ready?

I just can't tell who you are.

It's all over the place.

Nothing is congruous.

Look, these two pieces

look like they're done

by a different person,

and the one on the left is much weaker.

Build a more cohesive portfolio.

Get your work up in some café

or put it up in the NFT marketplace.

Now, if you figure out

your you and the why,

put that into the art.

Well, that would be worth

more than getting any painting

thrown up in some gallery

where people can walk past your work

and then wanna take a picture

next to the fire extinguisher

thinking that that's art too.

You understand me?

It's always easy to get seen early,

but you can never be seen too late.

Look, bro, I hear you, but I just

I need money now.

[LAUGHS]

Well, man, I got some

other business in the city.

It was, uh, nice to meet you, Kevin.

You got my email

if you need anything else.

Wait, hold on. The drill.

I'll be fine.

It's not a drill. There's a real b*mb.

n*gga, what?

See me for a minute ♪

Sitting in the back, ♪

can't breathe for a minute ♪

She gonna be, she can't ♪

breathe for a minute ♪

VVs on the tenants ♪

Forgiatos, and me spinning one ♪

On the Ben-y, come carry the boo ♪

[ZAYNA] Yeah, that's the one. Post it.

Bro, I can't.

My moms, like, be following me

from fake pages and sh*t.

[LAUGHS] You post it.

Drew don't care what you do.

- He care about some sh*t.

- Like what?

[ZEKE CONTINUES RAPPING]

He care if I leave the lights on.

He care if I don't take

the meat out the freezer

so it can thaw.

And he care if I get an "A" in science.

Bro, that list should be,

like, way longer than that.

What are y'all doing?

Y'all need to relax for real.

Shorty, you're talking like you

ain't f*ck a whole t*rror1st.

- [LAUGHTER]

- Oh!

[STUDENTS CHATTER]

That's funny?

A little. [CHUCKLES]

Marcus, uh, we know

that was just a firecracker.

We're watching

the security footage right now.

[QUIETLY] You have

security tapes in the closet?

[MOUTHING "NO"]

[WHITE MARCUS]

Just let me talk to Dami.

Yeah, Marcus, you're not coming out

of this with, like, a date.

This whole approach you took

was just, like, a really big swing

that was not the move.

Look, Marcus, I know

you didn't build a b*mb.

It requires a basic understanding

of math and science.

m*therf*cker, I got YouTube!

That's how kids learn sh*t now.

Marcus, we're here to listen.

No one is actually listening to me,

you f*cking boomer!

[QUIETLY] I'm-I'm not that old.

Do I seem that old?

[WHITE MARCUS] I have

no friends, so f*ck 'em.

I'll blow it all up.

[SANTOS] Barreto, we located

the alleged package outside.

[DAN] Marcus, look, I get it.

High school is a nightmare.

I had a rough time too.

Oh, my God, I f*cking hate you.

[DAN] No, no, no, no.

You're about to relate to me.

Look, when I was in high school,

I had one friend, Kevin.

We hung out every day

until he had to move away.

I remember the week before he moved,

some kid stole both my shoes.

I had to walk around all day

in just my socks,

and you know what my friend did?

He gave me one of his shoes

so we'd both look weird.

I stepped on a thumbtack,

and he didn't,

but it was nice to know

we both could've.

Kev never cared what

anybody else thought about him.

You know? He was always himself.

White Marcus, we waste all this energy

trying to avoid judgment

from people who don't matter.

None of them matter long term.

Even after my friend moved away,

I was still okay 'cause

he had showed me not to be

so in my own head, you know?

And you'll find people

like that, White Marcus.

It won't be Dami. Give up on that.

She's never gonna date you.

You played this wrong.

But there'll be others.

Think I went on a little long there.

[JESS] I think it helped though.

[SNORING]

[STUDENTS CHATTER]

Bro, why was you laughing

when Zeke said that sh*t?

'Cause that sh*t was funny. [CHUCKLES]

No, it wasn't.

You draggin' it, relax.

What they said about me

and Will was way worse,

and I ain't feel no way.

You and Drew,

that went to Will's house.

You felt a way. Stop it.

Okay, that was Drew.

I never asked him to do that.

[DAMI] You didn't stop him either.

You sit here laughing at me,

but if it wasn't for Drew,

these n*gg*s would be

laughing right at you too.

- So don't do that.

- Mm, no.

Drew made it worse.

I handle my sh*t myself.

Zay, you stay blaming Drew

for everything, bro.

But when your back is against the wall,

that's the only reason that you

be gettin' away with anything.

That n*gga do too much for you.

Well, thank God he let me

get away with some sh*t.

Yo, your parents won't even

let me hang out with you, bro.

That's my moms, bro.

She told me if she catch me

hanging out with you again,

she's sending my a*s to Nigeria.

And I'm not trying

to end up like Donovan.

[STUDENT] Ooh, she love you, D.

[STUDENT]

Your shirt's banging, Donovan!

That's f*cked up.

[TUTS] Yeah, Drew might

be extra and all,

but, like, your whole family unit

is out of pocket, so Drew not that bad.

"Drew not that bad." [CHUCKLES]

Okay.

What that mean?

Nothing. I just heard some sh*t.

Okay, I heard sh*t

about your people you too.

Okay. Like what?

I heard that your father

got caught stealing bread

from his own congregation.

Word, mm, well

- I heard

- [ZAYNA GIGGLES]

Drew is the reason

that your father is in jail.

Bro, what? What you talking about?

Bro, you didn't know that sh*t?

Your father got booked

for something that Drew did.

I heard my parents talking about it.

I thought you knew.

[OFFICER] Come on, move that barricade!

[DISPATCHER]

73 Baker, we have a code six

on 105 North Vandeveer Street.

[OFFICER] Clear the perimeter!

[OFFICER] Give me a hand

with that. Area clear!

[OFFICER] Five feet away from the door!

Let's go, move it!

[OFFICER] Everybody back, everybody!

[OFFICER] What's the ETA

on the b*mb squad?

[OFFICER] Make way, coming through!

[OFFICER] b*mb squad coming in!

[OFFICER]

Come on, get back, tough guys.

- Come on!

- [OFFICER] Get clear!

[OFFICER] Need eyes up over the exits.

[BAYANO] See, see, see,

this is what happens

when I don't respect my own boundaries.

Why'd you even take this meeting?

[BAYANO] Because Terry's father

funds my gallery,

so, at the end of the day,

I'm doing what I have to do to get by.

But Terry told me you were

looking for Black artists.

- Is that not true?

- No, it's true.

[PHONE RINGING]

Okay, and Terry loves my work, so

[BAYANO] Man, listen,

Terry, can't tell the difference

between a Budweiser ad

and the Last Supper.

The guy's an idiot, okay?

He thinks that every Black person

that draws is Basquiat.

Now I'm trapped here

in a room because of him.

So the people that love my sh*t

don't know sh*t about art, and you do?

Bro, you don't even know me,

and you're telling me

who my voice is or isn't.

You know what?

Wait, what what are you doing?

Bruh, if you're not feeling me,

somebody else will.

Not finna listen to a n*gga

that don't even wear socks.

I can't believe I dressed up

for this sh*t, bro.

f*cking bullshit.

Don't open What about the lockdown?

I don't work here, n*gga.

[OFFICER] Go, move in.

Move in. Let's go.

- [OFFICER] Eyes on the target.

- [OFFICER] Watch it.

- You go back.

- Boss, the b*mb's spotted.

[OFFICER, OVER RADIO]

Take your positions

[RATTLING]

- [OFFICER] Hold it, Southwest.

- [OFFICER] Eyes up, eyes up.

[OFFICER] Technician on the move.

[OFFICER] Technician moving in.

[OFFICER] Possible movement.

[OFFICER] Sir, stay away

from the package!

[OFFICER] Yo, be careful, it's a b*mb!

- Move!

- [OVERLAPPING SHOUTING]

It's a b*mb!

[OFFICER] Okay, false. Pull us back.

- It's not the b*mb.

- [OFFICER] We're good, clear.

- Copy that.

- [OFFICER] 10-4.

b*mb has been neutralized.

- We're ready to go.

- [OFFICER] 10-4!

Pointless.

[OFFICER] Yeah, it's all clear.

Our squad detonated it.

- We were very careful.

- It's a waste of time.

- Come on, sir, should we go?

- Yeah, let's go.

[SIGHS]

[SANTOS] Apparently, there was no b*mb.

This a*s hat

just wasted everybody's time.

I knew it was nothing.

- Yeah, you were very brave.

- [BANGS ON DOOR]

[SANTOS] Marcus, get out here!

We know you made the whole thing up.

You're full of sh*t.

Hey, maybe don't go so hard on him.

What?

It's just White Marcus and I sort of

came to an understanding

through this moving story

I told him.

Officer, take it.

I don't I don't think

we really need to

Stand back!

- Have empathy!

- Oh, my

Freeze! Don't move, White Marcus.

He's sleeping. Wake him up.

Oh, I do remember you now.

Yeah, your class was boring as f*ck.

My class was not boring.

You were just asleep all the time.

Did it ever occur to you the reason

I slept in your science class

was 'cause I was

ahead of your sh*t.

Your dumbass class is remedial.

I go at a pace that works for everyone.

[UNDER BREATH] b*tch.

Oh, my God. You are such a f*ck.

You were a f*ck all two years

- I taught you.

- Dan

And I knew you didn't have a b*mb.

- Okay, stop.

- You know what? I would love

- to see you try to make a b*mb.

- Dan, come on.

- [DAN] Just to watch you fail.

- [JESS] Dan, stop.

I dare you to blow up

the school. You know what?

I don't even know why Dami dated you,

but I can see why she dumped you.

- You f*cking loser.

- [JESS] Okay, all right, Dan,

how about you just come over here.

- Take him away, officer.

- Come on.

He is my least favorite Marcus

of all the Marcuses.

Just take a deep breath.

Bro, I bet nothing is even

about to happen to White Marcus.

Like most cops probably just

going to take his a*s

to Burger King or some sh*t.

[LAUGHS]

Yeah.

Bro, I'm sorry. I thought you knew.

Like, my dad was there

in the church when your mom was

going through it, bro.

It's whatever.

I-I legit thought you knew.

I don't

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

[JESS] Thanks for not

leaving me alone today.

It was all my fault.

I expelled White Marcus.

It's not your fault.

Always blame the parents.

I would have kept giving him chances,

but, like, Principal Douglas

was breathing down my neck

about White Marcus and all

this bullshit about procedure,

and I I should've

listened to my gut.

The kid is a f*cking idiot.

He deserved to be expelled.

You're just saying that

'cause he was mean to you.

Yeah, fine.

Imagine if he did have a b*mb,

if I had helped

Jess, it's not your fault. It's mine.

I'm the one who left the back

door propped open this morning,

which is how White Marcus

snuck back in.

Dan, the kid didn't

sneak through a crack door.

He walked through the entrance.

He's white.

[LAUGHS] Oh, man.

For real?

Oh, f*ck. That's great.

Oh, that's really good news.

Oh, my God.

I was feeling guilty

for a second, Jess.

[LAUGHS] What a beautiful day.

[SIGHS]

[LAUGHS] That was close.

I swear to God, I almost felt bad.

Whew, thank Christ.

It's not your fault either, by the way.

Yeah.

Thanks again, Dan.

W-would you wanna

maybe get dinner later?

Was that your answer, the spitting?

Uh, no.

No, it's a "no," or?

No, no. I'd get dinner.

Oh, okay. Cool.

Okay. Cool.

- [OFFICER] Here you go.

- You know

getting arrested isn't even that bad.

Yeah.

Hey, you guys want in on this?

[Sleigh Bells' "Crown on the Ground"]

[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

Ah, ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah ♪

Ah, ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah ♪

Hey! ♪

You never doubted it ♪

You're so proud of it ♪

You straight shouted it ♪

There's no doubt of it ♪

You couldn't care less ♪

You love goodness ♪

You think it's endless, ♪

endless, endless ♪

You think you started this ♪

It doesn't bother us ♪

No clue about it ♪

No, you never knew about it ♪