01x08 - The Whole Book

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Greenleaf". Aired: June 2016 to August 2020.*
Watch/Buy Amazon


"Greenleaf" follows the unscrupulous world of the Greenleaf family with scandalous secrets and lies, and their sprawling Memphis megachurch with predominantly African-American members.
Post Reply

01x08 - The Whole Book

Post by bunniefuu »

Lady Mae: Previously, on "Greenleaf"...

I think he's coming to ask me about David Nelson, that trigger-happy cop.

But I've never even met the man.


We are here demanding justice for Kenny Collins.

Do you and Isabel have a venue yet?

I want you to have it at the house.

Full disclosure... I'm gay.

Your Uncle Mac.

He did it again?

I know everything.

You don't know, and you don't know what you don't know.

Stay the hell out of my business.

This one or this one?

Do you have a preference?

No.

Yeah, you do, Izzie.

I know you do.

I think they're both fine.

I just want to know which one you like.

This one.

(sighs)

Seriously?

Why do you do this to me?

Because I want you to choose.

What you want.

No, I'm just assuming just once in this process you're going to want the same thing I want.

I'm just waiting to see what it's going to be about.

Okay, I like this one.

It's cool, right?

Yeah, I meant that one.

You did not, you just thought too hard, but I know you like this one.

Okay, and I think that's all we have to decide today, Mr. Kendall.

Amazing, only a ten-decision day.

It's the lightest wedding workload I've had since I asked you to marry me.

Assuming you've told Lady Mae we're moving after the wedding.

You haven't told her yet, have you?

I'll tell her today.

Baby, if you don't want to move, just tell me.

We'll stay. I'll do whatever you want.

I'll tell her today.

Okay. You promise?

I promise.

Grace: Hey, cowboy.

Oh, hey, Gigi.

I'm sorry to interrupt.

No, you're not interrupting.

You two have work to do, I assume.

Yeah, yeah. It's just a quick thing.

Is there not school today?

There is, there is.

I'm just taking time off to plan.

Which reminds me, who's your plus-one, Grace?

I'm having the place cards printed.

Sophia.

Really?

There's no one special you'd rather bring?

It's going to be a really romantic weekend.

No, just me and Sophia.

Oh.

Well, maybe you'll meet somebody on the dance floor.

I'll pray for you.

Okay, you promise you'll tell her?

I promise.

Bye, cowgirl.

What's up?

You got a minute?

So, when Mac came into my office, he said, "You don't know, and you don't know what you don't know."

What does that even mean?

I don't know.

But I do know that he's in DC today meeting with somebody, so...

I'm wondering, and forgive me if this is whatever...

What?

Is there any way to get in his computer and, like, look around?

I've got one girl who won't testify and no other leads.

But I'm... is there no way to do that that won't get you in trouble?

Getting in trouble doesn't matter given the circumstances.

Meaning what?

Look, no one knows this yet.

We're moving after the wedding.

Where?

Denver.

Izzie's got a cousin that works for Lockheed Martin.

He's setting me up with a job.

Congratulations.

Yeah, thanks.

I still haven't told your mother yet.

Why? She'll be happy for you.

Oh, after paying for our wedding?

Well, she'll act like she's happy.

Just take the money and run.

Yeah, I guess.

So, is there any way to get into his computer, for an hour, even?

Yeah, I'll just have Antoine tell his secretary we're updating his operating system.

We'll copy Mac's whole computer onto a zip drive.

You sound like you've done this before.

Yeah, we had a guy a couple years back downloading p*rn at work.

Downloading p*rn in church.

Yeah, it's always something.

Yeah.

I will not miss that.

♪ Amen ♪
♪ Amen ♪

(vocalizing)

♪ Well ♪

(vocalizing)

♪ Amen, amen, ooh. ♪


I swear, people can't just live their lives.

Everybody's got to be up in everybody else's business.

What happened now, babe?

This is the fifth email I've gotten this week.

Apparently Carlton and his partner held hands at church on Sunday, so call out the guard.

I told you it wasn't going to be simple hiring an out gay man, babe.

Yeah, but it's just...

Excuse me.

...frustrating.

Sorry about that.

I just realized how prejudiced people really are.

I mean, what does it cost them if two men hold hands or kiss or whatever?

Welcome, the Bible says it's wrong.

The Bible says that if you don't have love, you have nothing... 1 Corinthians 13.

Read the whole book.

Mm-hmm.

And we're going to line this whole road with cherry trees in pots, and it's just going to be this wonderful, lovely white tunnel of love.

And we're going to put the band right here.

Okay.

And then I'm going to build a dance floor right down to the edge of the lake.

Oh! Wow.

It could all be more modest, you know that, right?

Oh, why would we do this modestly?

Isabel, so few people find happiness and love.

When it happens, you have to celebrate.

You think Noah's happy?

Marrying you? Of course.

What?

Sometimes I wonder if he isn't still holding a torch for Grace.

Isabel.

With you on his arm?

Well, pardon my lapse of loyalty, but no.

Are you sure?

I know they were talking about getting married once.

Twenty years ago... a lifetime.

They were children.

I know, but now she's here, and she's preaching, and she's good, and...

Isabel, all men, and I mean all of them, Bishop included... he put me through it... think as their wedding day approaches, "Is she the one, really? Is she or is she?"

And they flip through that Rolodex of broken dreams and make you watch while they do it.

You mark my words.

Noah loves you.

If you say so.

It's a whole lot of fuss for nothing.

(television chatter)

We already know what the answer's going to be.

You don't think they're going to charge him?

I know they won't.

Go on in.

Carlton: They might. Nelson is black.

Did they announce yet?

Waiting for the prosecutor.

Announcer: Here comes Mr. Pelke now.

I suspect this will be the news all of Memphis...


Here he comes. Turn it up.

Mm-hmm.

Good morning.

A grand jury comprised of citizens from Shelby County, after a thorough investigation into the fatal sh**ting of 16-year-old Kenneth Collins based on the evidence they heard and the laws that apply to the police use of force, has declined to bring criminal charges against Memphis City police officer David Nelson.

Like I said.

This was also my recommendation...

Put it on local.

...and the recommendation of my office.

Thank you.

Well, there's no doubt that Calvary's public support of this m*rder*r went a long way to shifting public opinion on this issue, and now we're all a little less safe and a little more sorry.

Karine? Get Triumph on the phone.

I'm going to go talk to that boy.

(crowd chanting)

(phone ringing)

Hello?

David, it's Grace.

Hey.

(chanting continues)

Hey, I just heard. How you doing?

I'm not sure.

People are pretty upset.

I guess I'm going to be dealing with this for the rest of my life.

That's what it is.

Are you still at the Templeton?

Yeah, I can't get out.

There's protestors at all the exits.

(chanting continues)

It's insane.

I'll be right over.

Was that Dave Nelson?

Yeah.

I thought I'd just, you know, check in.

He sounds like he's in shock.

Good shock or bad shock?

Both.

I'm going to go talk to Antoine.

Noah?

Yeah?

Thank you.

You got it.

The Voice of Life, huh?

Number two Christian network in the country now, sir.

And the gist of it, if I understand correctly, is we pay you.

Well, the syndication fee is just to cover distribution and marketing.

It's not like you're airing commercials, if that's your question, Bishop.

It wasn't a question, young man, it was a statement of fact.

You'll make ten times the fee once you're on the air.

Look at it this way.

We rent you the land.

You put up your well. You keep the oil.

Oil? Another dirty business.

Jacob mentioned you were predisposed against doing TV.

Would you mind explaining why?

I'm not sure I see the need.

The Lord has filled my cup to overflowing, giving this boy from the back woods of Arkansas more than he ever dreamed possible.

And you don't think God wants you to have even more?

Don't limit the Lord, Bishop, that's what I say.

You know, I never thought I would drive a Jaguar, and now I have three, you feel me?

Well... you've certainly given us a lot to think about.

I know it's a lot to take in.

It wasn't that much, really.

I was just being polite.

I can circle back next week.

That won't be necessary.

We'll call you.

Don't encourage him, Jacob.

Well, I just meant after we talk...

About what?

The answer's no.

Why, though?

Son, the Bible says time and again that Jesus went into a solitary place and people came to him.

He also went into Jerusalem.

On a donkey to die.

I'm not going to hawk the Gospel like a Ginsu Kn*fe.

Sir, if you don't mind me saying, that's exactly the kind of righteous rhetoric that gets people to tune in and tithing that big green.

Get out.

I'm just saying you're good.

I'm just saying get out.

Okay, then.

That's twice.

Shut the front door.

What was that?

A rather uninteresting waste of 17 minutes of life.

Did I miss something?

Pop, why did you even bother taking this meeting if you knew you weren't interested?

I was hoping that you would see the folly of this thing for yourself.

More fool me.

There are a dozen pastors in Memphis who would k*ll to have that slot on Voice of Life.

Sadly, I think that's true.

Now, if you'll excuse me...

I'm going to see one of them.

Black lives matter! Black lives matter!

Black lives matter! Black lives matter!

Where will you go?

I don't know.

Delaware?

Why Delaware?

Or Utah, Wyoming, wherever.

Somewhere nobody knows my name or my face.

Can I say something?

I tried to run away.

I ran harder than anybody's ever run.

But 20 years later, here I am.

Running away doesn't fix anything.

Was anybody spitting on you or calling you a m*rder*r?

I got a feeling it fixes that.

That's probably true, partly anyway.

I guess I just feel like whatever's going to heal this city, David, if that healing is even possible, you're holding a part of it.

And if you leave, you're going to take that part away with you.

And then someone with less authority, someone with less firsthand experience of what actually went wrong, someone like me is going to have to talk and talk to try to make up for what's missing from the conversation because you are not here.

And no one will listen.

They'll say, "It's talk. It's all talk."

And they're right, it will be.

But if you stayed and you said, "I'm sorry, how can we make sure that this doesn't happen again or at least happens less often?"

David, people might listen.

I'm not saying that it wouldn't be hard.

I'm just saying...

(soft laugh)

I'll send you a postcard from Delaware.

I'll look forward to that.

(beeping)

There you go.

30 minutes or less.

Not a word about this, okay?

Peace.

Peace.

So, when are you leaving?

Tonight, if I can.

Well, wherever you actually end up going, I hope you find some peace.

I don't know if I deserve it.

You do. We all do.

Thanks for returning my call.

Any time.

Good luck, Pastor.

You, too.

(chanting continues)

Noah.

Oh, hey, Lady Mae.

Are you dieting for this wedding?

Because you're looking more chiseled than usual.

Well, Isabel's got me pretty busy for this.

Oh, I am sure she does.

I remember reading that planning a wedding is the ninth most stressful thing a person can experience.

Yeah, that sounds about right.

Yeah, and the tenth is being fired.

I'll have to have a look at that list.

I'll be sure to send it to you.

Noah, do you remember back when Gigi arrived and I asked you to keep an eye on her for me?

Yes, ma'am.

This David Nelson fiasco, it's such a bad penny.

Yeah, I knew nothing about that.

Oh, I'm sure you didn't, but it got me wondering if there's something else, though, that I should know about.

No, not that I know of.

Noah?

Yes, ma'am.

There's something you're not telling me.

I know that look.

Isabel and I have been talking about moving after the wedding.

Moving? Marvelous.

Where?

Denver.

She's got people there.

Then why haven't you said anything?

I don't know.

I guess I felt bad.

You and the bishop have been doing so much for us.

It's a gift. No strings.

Oh, this is so exciting!

Thank you for understanding.

Oh, you don't have to thank me.

It is our pleasure.

Well, run along.

I know you have things to do, busy man.

Go on.

God is good.

All the time.

Basie: Now make sure we're hitting Harbor Town and Victorian Village.

I don't want to just be in black neighborhoods.

Bishop Greenleaf, come to join us?

We're getting the word out.

What word is that, Pastor?

That God wins in the end.

I'm not sure that perpetuating a spirit of conflict in a city that sorely needs peace is a win for God or anybody else.

You brought the smackdown and now you just want us to keep quiet?

I'm sorry, you could silence me and all the rest of these fine folks...

And the rocks and stones would cry out.

I'm familiar with the passage, Pastor.

Thank you.

Mm-hmm.
How's that audit coming?

Oh, it's over.

Barely noticed it.

Oh, no, I wasn't talking about the church audit.

No, I prayed for a swift and painless completion to that one.

It wouldn't profit any black church if one as prominent as yours was caught cooking the books.

No, it would just make everybody look bad.

No, I meant the personal audit.

That one.

We were all concerned around here when we heard about that.

May we possibly speak in private?

I'm afraid I don't have time for that.

Besides, that whole behind closed doors thing?

It's history.

No, that's for people with something to hide.

Go on and say what you got to say.

Whip people up all you want.

Make all your big mistakes now, Pastor.

Lord knows, I've made some in my day.

But you keep me and Calvary out of it.

Now, why would I do that?

My Lord commands me in His holy word to speak out against evil.

David Nelson is a member of my church, and this ain't about the police.

Oh, I know. They are all brave men and women.

They're so admirable.

I saw your sermon online, the way you painted that whole picture in such glorious color, Bishop, I almost forgot it was a m*rder scene.

Almost.

But I'm afraid you fail to understand, Bishop.

I was talking about you.

I'm not sure I understand.

Oh, I know you don't.

But soon, Bishop James Greenleaf, soon enough.

Yes, soon, Lord, that sun of righteousness will rise on you like a fiery furnace and you'll be longing for the days when all I did was call you out.

Count on it.

Pastor, we're ready for you.

(whispers)

(beeping)

Noah: Still nothing?

Grace: I'm looking through his calendar around the time Danielle went to the cops, around the time she recanted.

I'm hoping there will be something there.

If you need to go...

No, no, I'm good.

If I go back to my office, I'll just have to write my vows.

Just say how you feel.

Huh.

What? Did you find something?

I'm not sure yet.

It's an address in Nashville.

Sometimes when you add something into your calendar directly from an email, it automatically imports the contact info along with the event.

So...

Oh.

Take a look at this.

Yeah.

We got him.

Hey, you want to help?

It's not a question.

Sure. What do I do?

Zora can show you.

What are these for?

Isabel's wedding.

Cool.

We'll see how cool your fingers feel 50 cranes from now.

How's your Bible coming?

I have to read the whole Bible this year from start to finish.

Wow.

So, where are you? Tell me.

Judges.

Oh, Judges.

That's the one with Samson and Delilah.

It's also the one with the tale of the Levite's concubine.

What's a Levite's concubine?

You ready to flip the eff out?

Zora.

It's a Bible story.

Tell me.

All right.

Get ready.

(doorbell rings)

What are you doing here?

I need to talk to you.

My mom will be home soon.

I told you, nothing happened.

Danielle, I know about Nashville.

I mean, TV's a great idea.

It might not be the most original one in the world, but it's a good one.

But why didn't you tell me you were going to go to him with this?

Because I wanted him to say yes on its own merits, not because you made him do it.

If he ever does reinstate me, I just want it to be because I deserve it.

But television is something he'll never do.

Now, Mac told you that, didn't he?

Uncle Mac told you I talked to him?

What's tragic is because you didn't run it by me, you now discredited yourself further.

Why won't he do TV, though?

I mean, he beats the hell out of marketing and outreach at every staff meeting, telling them get more people in the doors.

That's all TV is, just more people in the doors.

Jacob...

He says he wants me to be humble.

He's not humble.

All right, Jacob, stop.

The damage is done.

There's no need complaining.

It's just...

I just wish I understood.

So...

Thank you for making this.

Thank you for asking me.

You know I like making you your bread pudding.

He helped my mama out.

She got into some trouble for writing bad checks and had to go to court.

She said he'd be better than any of the lawyers, for free.

He came over a lot... to work on the case.

Then he started coming over just to, like, check in.

He would pick me up from school when my mom couldn't, and he would bring us dinner.

He seemed nice.

Then he said he'd teach me to fish.

That's when he started taking me out to the church camp... to fish.

I swore to myself I wouldn't tell anyone, and I didn't.

Till you realized you were pregnant.

So I went to the police, and they called my mom.

Then her and Uncle Mac said I should say I made the whole thing up.

So I did.

Then they brought me to Nashville and...

Hey.

Am I going to go to Hell?

What for?

k*lling my baby.

No, sweetheart.

No, you're not going to go to Hell.

You're not going to go to Hell.

Sweetheart.

Danielle, honey, do you think now that you can come with me to the police?

Tell them what really happened?

Is there anyone else?

What do you mean?

Before, you said you'd find someone else that he'd done this to so they'd believe me.

I can try, but... hey, what's that look?

Mama's going to get in trouble.

Why, because she told you to lie?

No, because of the scholarship.

What scholarship?

The one Uncle Mac got her.

Your drawer. Hey, wait a sec.

Don't worry. It will all be back after the wedding with more clothes than you've ever seen in your life.

Good thing that we're moving.

You talked to Lady Mae?

I did.

And?

No problem. Full speed ahead.

I'm sorry if I've been difficult.

Oh, no, you haven't been difficult.

I've been directive.

You've been interesting.

I just can't wait to be your wife and have this whole waiting behind us.

You and me both.

Okay. Okay.

We made it this far without totally breaking our vows.

Come on, just one last...

Mm-mm.

Just one?

You be good.

When we're married, we'll still do that, right?

Make room in that closet.

I will.

Thank you, God, for this love.

Thank you, God, for this love.

Amen.

Amen.

Good morning, Darlene.

Good morning, Pastor Greenleaf.

Thank you for being so willing to come in on a Saturday.

Oh, it's nothing but a thing.

So, what's on the docket for today?

Why don't you come on in to my office?

Sounds good.

Darlene, let me start by apologizing for the strangeness of what I'm about to say.

Oh, have I done something wrong?

No, no. No.

Nothing like that.

Oh, praise the Lord.

Lady Mae's annual luncheon is coming up in a few weeks.

I know. I can't wait.

She always delivers such a strong message.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but part of the ceremony will be the presentation of her scholarship to ten local women, right?

Mm-hmm. That's right.

She gives out money from her auxiliary funds for education and entrepreneurial projects.

Yes, she has made such a huge difference in the community with those grants.

Your daughter Vida was a recipient a few years ago, wasn't she?

About eight years ago, yes.

To send her to beauty school.

That's right.

I was looking through some paperwork related to the scholarships and all the other recipients submitted applications.

Vida didn't.

Well, because I work here, it wasn't really necessary on account of everyone knew what Vida was hoping to do.

It just happened.

Mm-hmm.

Is Vida in trouble?

No, Darlene.

No.

I think I should go.

Darlene?

Yes, Pastor?

Did Lady Mae know?

Know what?

The reason Vida got that money.

No.

Mr. McCready arranged it.

I don't think Lady Mae ever knew.

She was just happy to help.

I knew it wasn't right.

Why did you stay, with him right down the hall all these years?

Calvary's my church, and I thought we had put it past us.

The Bible says don't look back.

I'm so sorry.

(knocking on door)

Hey, is Isabel here?

No, she's with her folks.

Why?

Can I come in?

Yeah, come on in.

Ten women a year for the past 15 years have received scholarships from that fund.

I know at least two of those were actually payoffs for Mac.

I think it's safe to assume there are more.

That would make sense. If it worked twice...

Which means if we turn Mac in, the fact that money from the church was used to silence these girls...

Yeah, but it was just Mac, right?

I mean, he was acting alone.

Yeah, but it doesn't look that way, and he knew that.

In the time between it looking like my mother knew about it and proving that she didn't...

There would be a huge scandal.

It would look like she knew about it.

It would look like my dad knew about it.

That's what he meant when he said I didn't know what I didn't know.

I could just k*ll him.

Look, I know it's not simple, but you got the proof you were looking for.

Danielle will come forward now that you have this other girl, right?

That's what she said.

So, you can go to the police.

Yeah, and destroy the church.

Look, you knew that might be the case when you came back.

You said...

I know what I said, Noah.

I didn't know what it would mean to me.

I didn't know.

Who was that on the phone?

Mac.

How'd it go with his friend in DC?

They've called off the dogs.

There won't be any personal audit.

Don't look at me like that.

He got us in that mess.

I don't think he deserves no prize for getting us out of it.

It would have been better if the whole thing hadn't happened in the first place.

Ah.

When are you going to tell the children or let me?

Our son is laboring under the supposition that he's disappointed you and that's why you won't go on TV.

What are you going to do?

I don't know.

I'm remembering now why I left the first time.

Just go to the police.

That's what you came back to do.

Do it.

Yeah.

What?

You're getting married.

I know.

It's crazy, right?

What?

Nothing.

No, say it.

We might not get the chance to talk like this again.

I was just thinking...

I was just thinking, if all this hadn't happened, that son of a bitch hadn't done what he did to Faith... we'd still be together.

I don't know about that.

We might be.

I always thought you'd wind up with someone more exciting.

You think that's what I want?

Someone more exciting?

Noah.

You were home to me.

When I was with you, I was home.

He took that away from me, along with everything else.

I hate him for that.

Noah.

I should go.

Yeah.

You probably should.

God, I'm sorry.

No, no. Don't be.

Again.

Noah, come here. Come here.

(belt unbuckling)

I love you.

I love you, too.

You're up early.

Yeah, you, too, Mama.

Oh, I've been up most of the night worrying about your brother.

Why? What happened now?

What happened? You.

You happened.

I got to get ready for church.

Don't you walk away from me.

Mama, can we just not, please?

Grace, as long as you're here, your father's going to continue to deny Jacob his rightful place.

His rightful place.

Mama, before I left, Jacob was talking about playing minor league baseball.

He never wanted to preach.

No, he didn't.

But you ran off and left your father with nobody to help and he stepped up.

Because you pushed him.

Church is not a family business.

Preaching is a call from God.

And who are you to stand here talking about being called by God, looking like you been rode hard and put away wet?

Where have you been all night?

Out.

Well, your car never left the driveway.

So, where were you, Pastor Greenleaf?

It's not what you think.

Lying. You want to add that to your list of sins this morning?

Sometimes it seems like you won't be satisfied until you have b*rned this place to the ground.

Are...

I'd be angry if I wasn't so filled with sympathy for you.

You must be so lonely.

So, anyway, on their way back home, they stop in this little town.

Mm-hmm.

And a bunch of men come to the door of the house they're staying at and say, "Send out the Levite that we may know him."

Which Zora said means they want to have sex with him?

Yeah, that's what that means.

But he's scared, which of course he would be, so he makes his concubine go out there instead.

And the men, they, like, att*ck her.

All night.

And then in the morning, he's so upset, he kills her and cuts her into twelve pieces and sends one to each of the twelve tribes.

Why is that in the Bible?

I don't know, honey.

I mean, it's so awful.

What's the point?

I don't know, maybe that sometimes life is awful?

It doesn't say that it was a good thing.

It just said that it happened.

Maybe the point is that sometimes people do terrible things.

But that isn't the end of the story.

No, it wasn't the end of the story.

After that, there was a w*r.

Okay, honey. Why don't you go get dressed, baby?

We're going to be late.

Okay, but I'm just saying...

I know.

There was a w*r. There was a w*r.

Pastor Greenleaf?

Hey, honey, I'll meet you inside, okay?

Is that...

Yeah.

Save me a seat? This is a surprise.

I thought you'd be halfway to Delaware by now.

Yeah, well, you got me thinking.

I'm sorry about that.

No, it's a good thing.

For my brother.

Oh, my God!

David!

Oh, my God!

David. Somebody get some help!

Get some help!

Get some help!

David, look at me.

♪ The mothers are going to pray ♪
♪ Pray your kingdom down ♪
♪ Good God Almighty ♪
♪ For the mothers ♪
♪ Are going to pray ♪
♪ Going to pray your ♪
♪ Kingdom down ♪
♪ You know what, you know what ♪
♪ You've been building ♪
♪ Building your kingdom ♪
♪ Born in the house of God. ♪
Post Reply