04x17 - Feeling Lost

[bunniefuu]

MARY JANE: Previously,
on "Being Mary Jane"...

How many zeroes do we think
Mary Jane's producerbae has?

But Miss Mary Jane Paul is
definitely not dating down.

Is it really so bad that people know

that you have $ million?

How did you know it was $ million?

This is wrong.

MARY JANE: #JustinKissedALotOfFrogs?

What is this?

KARA: Justin's
ex-girlfriend, apparently.

This is Simone?

HELEN: Please, don't go.

I'm not going anywhere.

This is for you.

I'm going to Paris. Tonight.

Garrett's sending you to
cover the hacking story?

I asked to go.

♪ Ooh I got a moon for you ♪

AALIYAH: [LAUGHING]

You know, for your first
warehouse party in Bushwick,

you didn't embarrass me too much.

Girl, I still party like it's .

You sure do... with that
Will Smith reference.

It's actually a Prince reference.

Damn millennials. Oh, yeah.

Justin's flowers are still looking good.

[SIGHS] The flowers you sent.

Hey, you have to keep
the romance alive somehow.

Yeah, well, unfortunately,

it has not detracted from
#JustinKissedALotOfFrogs.

Ohhh...

How's Justin taking it?

It has been radio silence
since he got to Paris.

I'm just...afraid that I'm
making matters worse, you know,

especially for his ex.

What if they find her?
What if she's reading these?

You know what? Let me...let me...

What are you doing?

Apologizing and telling him to warn her.

Hm, he says she has
no digital footprint.

Who was he dating... Dave Chappelle?

Please tell me you didn't text him that?

What's he saying?

He sent me a link.

AALIYAH: What?

"Simone Norton, ,

succumbed to her battle
with cancer in ."

Justin's ex who's getting
dragged on social media is dead?

Oh, my God...

♪

It's that bitch from the Dugout Club,

the one always winking at him
when he goes up to the deck.

That's who he's with,
isn't he? Sexy Sasha?

- Yes!
- No.

- No?
- Carmelo's hittin' that.

Yeah? Then which hoe is it,

'cause I know he's
with one of those hoes,

so, which one is it? Which one is it?

He would tell me if he
was cheating. I would know.

I would know. He wouldn't
be dodging me like this.

"I would know." You know
what? That's not an answer.

You know what, you
need to leave right now,

and don't come back
here until you find him!

♪

[RAPPING ON DOOR]

You can come out now.

[LAUGHING]

I deserve an Oscar for that performance.

Oh, gosh, thanks. I owe you big time.

Why on earth didn't you just tell him

that you were busy tonight

prepping for your "GDU" interview?

[SCOFFS] My boys don't care about that.

The only thing they care about
is me playing out on that field.

So, what, are you gonna
play forever to appease them?

Of course not. I'm gonna
get out while I'm on top.

Yeah, now with all these
eyes on you, Orlando,

and you and your teammates
taking a stand on immigration...

It's the perfect time to pivot. I know.

Yes.

Hey, you said that Gumbel's
producers asked about me, right?

They sure did.

Do you think you can get
them to watch my segment?

[LAUGHS] Sure. Are you ready for that?

It'd be huge, right?

I think you'd be the next
Gumbel, for crying out loud.

Talk to them.

Invite them over to "GDU."

I'll talk to Marco.

Good, because I'm tired
of lying for your ass.

You wanted this, papi,
okay, so this is on you.

[KISSES]

♪

MARY JANE: Hey, Kara, I know
how Justin got his money.

- KARA: Oh. The plot thickens.
- MARY JANE: Mm-hm.

His ex-girlfriend.

- She d*ed?
- Yeah.

She left him stock options

at a multi-billion dollar tech start-up,

- that she founded.
- Oh.

She's a genius and, apparently, a saint.

It says she was on the
board of several charities

and volunteered a lot.

Okay, whoopie-Doo.

She had standing room
only at her funeral.

Oh.

In a church that seats thousands.

We have a show to do.

We don't have time to
compare you to a dead woman.

Oh.

AARON: ¡Ay, caramba!

[MARIACHI MUSIC]

Whose idea was it to do
this r*cist segment again?

♪

AARON: Ah! Wow!

That was fantastic!

And you can catch Mario
and his Mariachi Band

on "Dancing Around the World."

Season premieres next
Tuesday at : pm on CTS.

Oh, it's a shame
Justin's gonna miss this.

You're not gonna watch
it without him, are ya?

Well, I have to, otherwise,
you're gonna ruin it for me.

AARON: [CHUCKLES]

Oh, and he's doing such
important work in Paris.

That hacking story will not go away.

And I'll be speaking with the reporter

that broke that story via
satellite later on this morning.

But, first, we're gonna
talk to Hollywood A-Lister

Jessie Lords about her
tips for raising kids

in the age of entitlement.

All that, and more, on "Great Day USA."

Uh, Mary Jane, your story
about voter suppression,

we've gotta cut it.

Uh, the, uh, the dance
segment, uh, went on too long.

Okay, great, we'll dance a two-step

while basic human rights are violated.

Uh, but the, uh, Jessie Lords interview,

that's still a go.

Oh, fantastic.

Oh, and, uh, great job
working in the Justin banter.

Keep that up.

Yeah, uh, Garrett, about that.

I don't know if I wanna keep doing it.

Don't you think it's
kind of old news by now?

Oh, you can't stop the train
once it's been picking up steam.

Garrett, if I keep talking
about my relationship on air,

I'm not gonna have a relationship.

You know what I mean?

Look, uh, we haven't seen
numbers like this since...

Yeah, since Ronda's
departure, right, yeah.

Yeah, so, we've gotta milk this cow

until the thing runs dry.

- Got it?
- [LAUGHS]

KARA: I'm sure you must
have had some kind of help.

If I had a ghost writer,

it wouldn't have taken me two years

to write the damn thing.

[LAUGHS] I can't imagine how you managed

with your crazy schedule.

Jessie, hi. Mary Jane Paul.

Mary Jane.

Nice to meet you.

I've gotta say, I devoured
your book in record time.

You don't have to do that...

pretend to be genuinely interested.

It's okay.

No, I...when I do an
interview, I do the research.

I mean, I read cover to cover.

An advice guide for parents?

- Yeah.
- [LAUGHING]

Did you tweet about it or...

I'm sorry, it's just that I noticed

that you are always
out there on Twitter,

and it is one of the things
I warn parents against.

Some of us use social
media for our jobs.

But I did appreciate you promoting

selflessness over narcissism.

- You did read it.
- I did.

Excuse me, Miss Lords,

I can take you to the Green Room.

Great.

Nice to meet you.

♪

[LAUGHS]

Okay, uh...

I'm not sure, but I believe that woman

just threw a whole hell
of a lot of shade at me...

like blot-out-the-sun shade.

All right, well, we
haven't confirmed it yet,

but Ty heard that sh...

she's dating Lee.

[CHORTLES]

You've gotta be freakin' kidding me.

KARA: No.

That's why the woman was so salty.

Lee wouldn't talk sh*t
about you like that,

like would he?

All he'd have to do is talk to you.

Okay, well...

she could be salty with everybody.

KARA: Yeah.

Mary Jane, I can't believe that

they're throwing this at me now.

MARY JANE: Throwing what at you?

The Jessie Lords interview.

Apparently, they want me to do it.

Oh! [CHORTLES]

Salty.

The bitch is salty.

Look who's salty.

Her!

She has to follow me. [CHORTLES]

I'd be salty, too.

[CHORTLING]

♪

Hey, morning, Dad.

Morning, Son.

PATRICK: [SIGHS]

Mom on strike or something?

She's not here.

Your mother and I decided
to take some time apart.

Y'all finally had it out about that leak

in the guest room, didn't you?

I told you to call a repairman.

No, no, it's not about the leak, son.

What's goin' on?

I think you should ask your mother.

♪

MARY JANE: [LAUGHS]

Jessie, look, I know why

you requested Emma for the interview.

Obviously, Lee gave you
all the dirt about me, so...

No, no.

Look, there are two
sides to every story.

Hold on, hold on. I didn't ask for Emma.

The producer guy Garrett
said he wanted to pair me

with a correspondent who has kids.

Right. Emma has kids.

Lee hasn't said much
about you at all, actually.

I think he worked through all his issues

with his comedy routine.

Right, yeah, that's par
for the course, right?

I'm sure half of New York

has heard about our break up right now.

Well, that audience is
about to get a lot wider.

- What do you mean?
- It all happened so fast.

You know, one minute he's
doing stand-up about you,

the next, he is selling
a pilot to a major studio.

That's Hollywood for you, huh?

Wait, wait, I'm sorry.

What? Hold...hold... hold up, Jessie.

So, uh, Lee is making a TV show...

- Yes.
- ...about our break up.

Yes.

- ♪

KARA: What'd I miss?

[LAUGHS] We are in full crisis mode.

Uh-oh, don't tell me another
b*mb was dropped on you.

Oh, it's like World w*r
III up in this bitch.

Lee wrote a TV pilot
based on his stand-up

about our break up.

What? Are you kidding me?

Even the assistants at CAA are buzzing.

They claim your character said,

"Tell me you love me"
on the first night.

Who's gonna buy that?

[SQUEAKY] Uh...uh...uh...

Okay, well, no one
will believe it's true.

Anyway, let's just figure this out.

I...I just wanna step
out of the spotlight,

and I keep getting pulled back in.

Honey, you're a celebrity.
There's no stepping out for you.

Well, maybe the show won't go,

and I won't have to talk about it.

Oh, no, the rumor
mill is in full effect.

It's already generating publicity.

So, what do I do?

How do I get in front of the story?

Control the narrative.

Look, your story with
Lee's gonna be told

with our without you.

So, I tell the story first.

In fact, Ryan Seacrest has
been asking for an interview.

All you have to do is congratulate Lee

on his ability to find the
humor in a mundane break up.

KARA: Hmmm...

AALIYAH: Or you could do a statement.

No Seacrest.

I want my core audience
to know how I get down.

So, let's do the interview
with The Breakfast Club.

Yeah, yeah, and then let the
other media outlets pick it up.

I can do this because I
genuinely wish Lee well.

Yeah, honey, you know, I...
I'm sure you feel that way.

But this is Shock Jock radio. Yeah.

And they're gonna bait
you to dish the dirt.

I'm a journalist. I know
how to play the game.

All right. I'll set it up.

But we should definitely

run through talking
points before you go on.

You know me. I'm always prepared.

I will have them so wrapped
tightly around my little finger,

they're gonna think I'm the saint.

Oh, um, Orlando's here.

I'm sorry, baby girl, I
wish I could help more,

but, you know what?

Your public image is in good hands

with this little smart one right here.

Okay.

Hey! [LAUGHING]

[KISSES]

There'll be plenty
of time for that soon.

Right now, we have to
work on your segment.

You know what? You're gonna
k*ll it in the ratings.

Everybody's talking about

how brave you and your teammates are.

- Really?
- Yep.

I figured everyone would just think

we were ripping off Colin
Kaepernick's protest.

Oh, please.

If every Latino player
did what you're doing,

you'd be getting calls
from world leaders.

I'm just trying to
figure out how to retire,

not start a civil w*r.

- Oh. Does that mean you...
- Spoke to Marco?

Yeah, and he's down with it.

- The segment.
- Mmhm.

And retirement. Yes.

Once I told him it's
what I wanted, he got it.

I'm so proud of you. [LAUGHING]

What about Gumbel's
people? Are they coming?

Oh, they sure are.

Big things are gonna
happen for us, papi.

You can't put me back on the board.

Look, I know I went too far with

that interview with
the school board member,

but I can learn from my mistakes.

All I'm asking for is one story.

With what you pulled,

getting benched was an act of mercy.

I'm sorry.

If there's anything that I can do

to convince you, I'll do it.

I appreciate that,

but for now, my decision stands.

[SCOFFS]

Mmm! That's stiches
for your b*tches, playboy.

- [LAUGHING]
- _

Put the phone down, old man.

Get ready to get your
ass whooped. Come on.

- Hmmm...
- JOVAN: [LAUGHS]

- Twenty.
- Oh...

All right. All right. Damn.

If you ever gonna talk smack,
now's your chance, brother.

Talking smack doesn't make
you better at anything.

Practice does.

Fifteen.

So, you play this a lot, huh?

Every addict needs his diversions.

Yeah, so, even after all that time,

you still worried that people
look at you differently?

Ten, old boy.

You know, I lost some
friends along the way,

but my family stuck by me.

That's all that matters.

Wish my family was like that.

Well, the thing is...

other people can support you, too.

It doesn't matter if
it's your kin or not.

What matters is you get
the support you need...

however it comes.

What I'm trying to
say is I got your back.

It doesn't mean I won't
stop whoopin' your ass

- at this game, though.
- JOVAN: [LAUGHS]

Dominoes, son!

BOTH: [LAUGHING]

I'll be in your ear the whole time.

Whatever you need,
I'm gonna talk to you.

I'll guide you.

Oh, what's Hamptons doing
with Agent Smith over there?

KARA: [LAUGHS]

Dani's fans called Garrett
out online for benching her.

So, he's feeling a little threatened.

Whoa, she sicced her
rabid supporters on him?

- That's gangsta.
- KARA: [LAUGHS]

Well, I can't prove it.

But she's definitely not denouncing it.

"Garrett Keswick is an alt-left libtard

"who should stick to modeling J. Crew

- and stay out of fake news."
- KARA: [LAUGHS]

What? That's it?

We covered a dance show

and a celebrity self-help book today.

Political extremism is definitely

- new territory for him.
- ORLANDO: [LAUGHS]

You should tell him try
being a Black woman on TV.

Ha! Or any woman with an opinion.

MARY JANE: Lesley Jones' trolls

make his look like Christmas elves.

If she'd got a bodyguard
every time somebody threatened

to drive a spike up her
vag*na, she'd have an army.

KARA: Oh, what's got
you all up in arms, girl?

MARY JANE: So, I got
ahold of Lee's script.

Oh, was it worse than you thought?

Let's just say my character
makes Cookie Lyon's

look like a Sunday school teacher.

Hold on one second, MJ.

There's something I need to tell you.

- Should I let you go?
- KARA: No, no, no.

[KNOCK AT DOOR]

Is Marco coming to join
us again for dinner?

No, that's what I'm trying to tell you.

MARY JANE: What's going on?

Hi. Can I help you?

Orlando! [LAUGHING]

ORLANDO: Oh.

Kara, I want you to meet mi mamá.

Oh. [LAUGHS]

MARY JANE: Kara?

Mary Jane, I've gotta call you back.

Orlando's mother just walked in.

MARY JANE: Holy sh*t!

PATRICK: Mom, dessert is on its way.

Are you gonna tell me
what's going on or what?

Well, what did your father tell you?

He told me to talk to you.

[HEAVY SIGH]

Before I was with your father,

I fell in love with a
young serviceman and...

that man was Frank.

Dad's friend who just showed up?

That's right.

It has been years since
I've laid eyes on Frank.

I just never expected those
feelings to come rushing back.

Wait, wait, wait, wait.

You're not saying...

you're not steppin' out on dad?

Oh, it's more complicated than that.

If you were so in love,

how'd you and dad end up together?

Your father was a good man,

and he always cared for me.

That doesn't answer my question.

Patrick, you've gotta understand

that this was a
different time, the ' s.

Now when Frank re-enlisted,
I was in a bind.

A bind?

And...

your father stepped up.

What kind of bind?

Pregnant?

Oh, man, I don't wanna hear this.

- But, Patrick...
- [HEAVY SIGH]

Paul will always be your father. Always.

But Frank...

he's your blood.

Blood?!

- Patrick.
- Look, no!

- Patrick.
- No! No! No!

[GASPING] I'm sorry.

Delphine. Oh, my goodness.

It's so great to meet you.

DELPHINE & KARA: [LAUGHING]

DELPHINE: Well, we
would have met sooner,

but Orlando might have mentioned

I was out in Miami the past few months

helping my sister with her newborn.

Oh, my goodness, you have
a sister with a newborn?

- Yes!
- Wow.

[LAUGHS]

DELPHINE & KARA: Awwww...

- So cute.
- Mm-hm.

Awww...

But Marco tells me you're the woman

behind my son speaking
on all these sports shows.

Kara's a great producer.

Well, if everything works out,

Orlando's gonna be the face
of a new show very soon.

Are you? Well, something more
to celebrate this afternoon.

This afternoon?

Oh, I hope you don't mind.

I planned a little reunion celebration

at the park in our neighborhood.

I always like to do it whenever

Orlando's been away for a stretch.

It'll be fun.

I'm sure you'll be very surprised to see

where Orlando came from.

[LAUGHING] I'm already surprised.

- To Orlando.
- To Orlando.

[GLASSES CLINKING]

[LOUD SMOOCH]

Mr. Lagos! Mr. Lagos!
Will you sign my ball?

Yeah, sure.

It's like watching a whole
team of little Orlandos.

I wish he would make a team
of mini-Orlandos himself,

you know what I mean? [CHUCKLES]

I already have two of my own.

They're teenagers.

They live back in
Atlanta with their father.

Your kids aren't here with you?

I go back and forth.

That's why I don't see you at the games.

Well, I have to work, you know?

Too bad.

I never missed any of Orlando's
games when he was a boy.

Wow. Really?

Gosh, that's great.

I knew he was born to play baseball

from the time he was
old enough to hold a bat.

Wow, that young, huh?

In high school he got distracted

by girls here and there.

But you kept him on track, huh?

And that's why I'm here.

To keep him on track?

My son won't be retiring
from baseball any time soon.

KARA: [CHUCKLING]

Hi, papi! [BLOWS KISSES]

♪ Estoy triste y llorando ♪

♪ Abandonado, estoy triste y llorando ♪

You saw those kids' faces today.

They look up to me.

And they will still look up to you

when you're a broadcaster.

Wearing a suit and tie
on TV ain't inspiring...

not to those kids.

Orlando, they have a much better chance

of wearing a suit and tie
than they do baseball cleats.

Hey, papi, you don't think
I see how envious you look

when you see those guys at Sports Center

doing what you wanna be doing, huh?

But what if it doesn't work out?

Look at Tiki Barber.

He went for it and now where is he?

I know it's a big risk,
baby, but listen to me.

Look how far you have come, huh?

I remember when you first got
in front of an anchor desk.

You could barely get two words out.

- [LAUGHING]
- Come on.

And look at you.

What? You've got major
networks knocking on your door.

Are you gonna choke?

Look, I'm not choking. It...

Do you want this? Huh? Hm?

Well, what about you?

If I remember correctly,

I'm not the only person who
is trying to get somewhere.

- You had big plans, too.
- Yeah, I know, I know.

I've been a little g*n shy
since I got back to "GDU."

And, meanwhile, Justin's
making all the moves.

- Well...
- Mama?

I can start to plan my future,

if you agree to go through
with the segment tomorrow.

- Game on.
- Game on.

All right, and do you know what?

Why don't we invite Delphine
so she can watch you in action.

Okay.

[KISSES]

Kara! Kara!

And you must be Mary Jane Paul!

[LAUGHING] MARY JANE: Oh!

DELPHINE: Ohhhh...

¡Ay, qué Linda estás!

It is so great to meet a
real, live, famous person!

Oh, girl, I put my
heels on one at a time,

like everybody else. [LAUGHING]

Begrudgingly.

Hi, I'm Aaliyah, Mary Jane's publicist.

And I'm Ty, her hairstylist.

So, does Orlando get his own
stylist and publicist, too?

If he knocks this segment
out of the park, he just may.

KARA: Delphine, I thought maybe we could

do a little quick tour
around the place, you know,

show you how everything operates.

Sounds good.

I really need to caffeinate here.

It's way too early for me.

Oh, it's right over
there. Help yourself.

Yeah. Mm-hm.

MARY JANE: This is genius.

She's...she's basically you.

I have nothing in
common with that woman.

[GASPS] Thanks, mama!

- See?
- KARA: Stop it.

Delphine! We're gonna go look
at the control room, okay?

Yeah. Yeah.

AALIYAH: They even walk alike.

MARY JANE: It's so creepy.

Are you ready to prep for the interview?

Oh, to the bat cave.

Okay, the goal is...

to make me look good.

I wanna be as clean as
a Sunday school teacher.

- Got it?
- Got it.

I'll play Charlamagne, and you be you.

Now I know you can handle the softballs,

so, let's get right to the dirt.

Is it true? Are you the
girlfriend in Lee's new sitcom?

First, let me point
out that this is loosely

based on our relationship,

and that there are some
creative licenses to be

taken into account on
these types of projects.

So, you're not mad at
being portrayed like a hoe?

That's...what? That's what
you took away from the script?

It's a potential question
that could come up.

- Back to the interview.
- Okay.

So, is it opinion or fact?

You know there's two
sides to every story.

Did you step out on your man,

your loyal man, your black unicorn?

Okay, first of all, he
wasn't a unicorn, okay,

and we were practically broken up...

When you cheated.

There is always a reason
for why we do what we do.

I jumped into things with Lee,

but I was still dealing
with a broken mindset from...

years of heartbreak
from past relationships.

Okay, that just sounds like

you're not taking
responsibility for your actions.

I'm happy for Lee,
you know, I really am.

But let's admit

his project is trafficking in
the same tired-ass tropes...

that Black women are crazy.

Black women are promiscuous.

Black women are angry.

But have Black men ever
taken responsibility

for driving us to that?

We live in a society
that...that treats us like

we're the bottom of the barrel
when it comes to romance.

Couple that with having to constantly

prove ourselves as worthy enough, right?

Be confident, baby girl,
but not intimidating.

Be smart, but not emasculating.

Never enough, but too much.

Too damn much all at the same damn time.

Men are encouraged to
objectify our bodies,

but the second we search
for sexual satisfaction,

oh, baby, we are called whores.

Okay, Mary Jane, I think
we should stop right there.

I don't think you're
ready for this interview.

Look, somebody needs
to say this and it...

it might as well be me.

I'm qualified. [LAUGHS]

Okay, but you're all
over the place right now.

I mean, you're heated,
emotional, defensive.

Girl, you sound bitter.

And you sound like everybody else.

What?

When they talk about Black women...

nobody ever asks...

H-How? Why?

Why do they feel like this?

Look at...look at my relationship.

I was tempted to cheat
on Lee before Justin.

Never did it.

But how did I get to that point?

Is it because I...

I think I don't deserve a guy like Lee?

I mean, and if that's the case,

what the hell does that say

about my relationship with Justin?

Look, um...

I know you have a lot
of your mind right now.

Well, yeah.

But if you say any of
this during the interview,

people will think you're crazy.

As your friend. Don't get it twisted.

Right now, you are my
publicist, not my friend.

Can you get this done, Aaliyah,

or do I need to find someone else?

I always get the job done and I will.

But remember why you hired
me in the first place.

I'm not a yes woman.

So, if that's the kind
of company you wanna keep,

I might not be right for the job.

So...

my son wears make-up now?

It's just part of being on camera, ma.

I don't want him looking foolish.

Didn't you say you wanted
him to have a stylist?

To do his hair, not to
make him look like a girl.

KARA: You know what?

Michael Strahan is not complaining,

and he's making $
million on "GMA" right now.

Twenty million dollars? - Mm-hm.

And he's more recognizable now
than he ever was in the NFL.

Don't worry, your boy's in good hands.

- I got him.
- ORLANDO: Yes, I am.

KARA: Uh, you know what?

Why don't I have Hopper
take you to the Green Room.

They have tons of snacks.
It's a wonderful room.

Hey, Hopper, um, can you take Delphine

- to the Green Room for me?
- Sure.

Okay? Show her around a little bit.

- I'll see you in a bit.
- DELPHINE: [BLOWS KISS]

- GARRETT: Uh, Kara?
- Yeah?

I need to speak with you and
Orlando before the segment.

- Okay. Yeah.
- Sure.

How would you two feel if, uh,

Dani sat in on Orlando's interview?

No, Garrett.

You're just doing this because
the trolls are getting to you,

and it's not the way to handle it.

I think this is the
perfect place to put Dani's

brand of celebrity to good use,

and it will also be
approaching the story

from both sides of the debate.

- Garrett?
- Mm?

If you give in to Dani's demands,

you empower her trolls.

Wait, Dani. She's the
conservative one, right?

- KARA: Yes.
- GARRETT: Mm-hm.

I think it'd be a good idea

to have her ask me some questions.

Oh, no. No, no, no.
She will tear you apart.

Well, thanks for the vote of confidence.

Look, Dani knows that
she'll have to keep her, um,

opinions in check.

KARA: Yeah, if she
would have known that,

you wouldn't have had to bench her.

And, besides, Orlando's
completely not prepared

for this kind of an interview.

Yeah, but if I can take her on,

that will embolden the protest.

[HEAVY SIGH] Gosh.

Garrett, will you give us a minute?

Uh, yeah, of course.

[CLEARS THROAT]

- Okay.
- It's fine.

No.

I have to ask.

Are you looking for a way
to sabotage this interview

to give your mother what she wants?

Damn, Kara. Have a little faith.

Okay, but Bryant Gumbel's producers

are in there right now.

Your whole future is riding on this.

I'll survive.

Okay.

♪

["GREAT DAY USA" THEME MUSIC]

In today's political environment,

"protest" has become an everyday word,

and now it's hitting
the baseball diamond

as some of the top Latino players

are refusing to stand
during the National Anthem,

and one of those players
is here with us today...

New York second baseman, Orlando Lagos.

Orlando, thank you for being here.

Thank you for having me.

Orlando tell us

uh, your team's doing
really great right now.

Why do this?

We're standing up because
we believe that Latinos

are being unfairly
targeted for deportation.

Come on, you can tell me.

You hate America, don't you?

Who is this bitch?

You don't wanna know.

DANI: But, really, do you think that

this is the right way to make a change?

I do. I do. It doesn't
mean that it's the only way.

Um, you can donate money to the
ACLU and other organizations,

but it seems that sitting

gets people's attention a lot quicker.

So, do you mean that
you're out to seek attention

at the cost of your own patriotism?

Well, I'm patriotic, I...

Let met just step in and say that

I think that we can all be patriotic

and still have concerns
for our government.

- Right.
- DANI: Of course.

But sitting down during
your nation's anthem?

Some Americans would say

that would be the
equivalent of flag burning.

Which is legal, isn't it?

Yeah, !sis does it all the time,

but does that make it right?

Did she just compare
my son to a t*rror1st?

Mmm-hmm-hmm.

ORLANDO: The protest has
nothing to do with terrorism.

I wanna talk to him.

Orlando?

Listen, you need to change
the conversation right now.

Okay? Talk about your upbringing,

your version of America.

Talk to her about your mom.

Dani, you like Ronald Reagan, right?

He was a great Republican.

And what about his
stance on immigration?

See, my mother was one
of three million people

granted amnesty back in '

when he passed his Immigration
Reform and Control Act.

But it's not .

We have t*rrorists streaming
into our country now.

No, it certainly isn't,
but that was a time when

even the most Conservative politician

saw immigration for what it is...

a humanitarian issue.

My mother risked her life

because she believed the
words on the Statue of Liberty.

But she did break the law.

Yes, but if Reagan had
looked at it that way,

I wouldn't be sitting here today.

Because your mom would
have been deported.

Exactly.

But if she can defy those odds,

and crawl her way to a better life,

well, then certainly I can
weather sitting before a game

and dealing with internet trolls.

See, in my mind,
standing up for an America

that models the words

"Give me your tired, your
poor, your huddled masses,

yearning to breathe free,"

that's the most
patriotic thing I can do.

Inspiring.

How would your mom feel about

you besmirching a country that
she worked so hard to get to?

Some people would say

the fact you don't
realize your privilege

is the greatest tragedy of all.

We all live with privilege, Dani.

At least I'm trying
to use mine for good.

[BELL RINGS]

FLOOR MANAGER: And we're clear.

Kara. Kara.

You know, I always hoped Orlando
would be like Bo Jackson...

dominating two pro
sports at the same time.

Delphine, I know this is...

But this is even better.

I mean, what I just saw
was one big contact sport.

And that little firecracker

was as scary as any linebacker.

[LAUGHING] Yeah.

But he held his own.

And he seemed to enjoy doing it.

KARA: [LAUGHS]

So?

ALL: [LAUGHING]

You were amazing.

Orlando, a player is
nothing without his coaches,

and this lady here...

is a damn good coach.

Awww... [LAUGHING]

I wouldn't be here,
if it wasn't for her.

[KISSES]

Hey, congratulations.

I just heard Orlando kick
Dani's ass back to Ponca City.

Yes, he did.

You know it feels so good to fight for

the important stuff and win, you know?

But, listen, we have to talk about

your Breakfast Club interview.

Mm-hm, Aaliyah just told me
about your little prep session.

She needs to be
scheduling the interview,

not running to you.

Don't be mad at her.

- She called me crazy.
- Well, you are crazy.

I can say that, and you can say that,

but she has not earned
the right to say that.

Look, just go easy on her.

We both know that she's smart as a whip.

You know, she's pretty much been right

about everything, Mary Jane.

All this stuff that you're dealing with,

like Simone's death, and Lee's ex,

and the TV show and...
and Justin being gone,

this is all getting in your
head and you're spiraling.

- It's that obvious?
- Yes.

You need to focus on yourself,

and what you care about... your work.

My work wearing sombreros

and making up fake love
stories about my boyfriend?

We need to get back to
the real Mary Jane, hm,

the old Mary Jane.

Well, yeah, I would love that.

I would love to do a deep dive in a...

into an important story like we used to.

But the problem is we
signed up for morning TV

where fluff always wins.

Well, then, you know what?

Let's get us a prime time special, huh,

a one-hour in-depth story about
something you really care about.

That would be amazing.

But it takes most anchors years

before they get something like that.

You just leave that to me.

In the meantime, you need
to apologize to Aaliyah.

Uh-huh, uh-huh.

[SIGHING]

[DOG BARKING IN DISTANCE]

PAUL SR.: Where have you been?

You movin' out, too?

Why didn't you tell me?

[TSKS]

I raised you as my own son.

That...that... that's all that matters.

That's not all that matters!

This was your mother's
secret to tell, not mine.

My entire lie is a lie.

A lie that you created.

Why would you do this to me, huh?

I'm in just as much
pain as you are, Son.

Don't! Don't call me that!

Don't call me son.

You don't think that I'm not mad

that she chose that
degenerate addict over me?

What?

Frank was an addict, too?

[SCOFFS] Alcohol. Gambling.

Who knows what?

What? All these years,
I struggled with dr*gs,

and you nearly disowned
me because of it,

you didn't think to tell me

it was in my blood this entire time?

That would not have helped.

It would be just another excuse.

What are you telling me?

I am still your father.

- [TSKS]
- [LABORED BREATHING]

And I'm just as mad at her as you are.

[LABORED BREATHING]

[TSKS]

[LABORED BREATHING]

♪

Oh, Aaliyah. You were right.

Is it too late to cancel the interview?

Oh, I'm sure I can find a way out of it.

You really don't wanna do it now?

No, um, and I owe you an apology.

I was too harsh before.

You don't have to apologize.

No, I do, 'cause even when this place

forces me into survival mode,

I still want to be your
mentor, not a tyrant.

I don't need yes people
or just a publicist.

I want a friend, someone
who's gonna be honest with me.

That someone is you.

I appreciate that.

I also decided no
more MJ-Justin updates.

I get it.

What's good for the brand,
ain't always good for you.

You read my mind.

Oh, sorry I was so rough
on your boyfriend earlier.

Oh, pffft! I think he held his own.

- Really?
- Mm-hm.

That's not what my peeps are sayin'.

[LAUGHING]

♪

You realize you just proved me right.

What are you talking about?

Orlando did great and Dani's
trolls stopped trolling.

I don't have to pay for bodyguards.

It's a win-win all around.

- Not for you.
- Huh?

You created a monster.

Her fans are going nuts

tweeting about how she creamed Orlando.

[HEAVY SIGH]

That doesn't make sense.

Red and blue watch the same debate,

and see it two very different ways.

[SIGHING] I hate politics.

I warned you, Garrett.

You gave in to the t*rrorists.

Hmph.

What should we do?

Let me handle it.

I can help keep Dani at bay.

How?

[LAUGHING]

A producer never reveals her secrets.

But...

if I pull this off, I
need something from you.

[GROANING] What is it?

I wanna do a prime time
show with Mary Jane,

one night, in the Fall.

But that's a big ask.

Hey, you're the guy hand-picked

to run the show before turning .

I'm sure you have
futures up your sleeve.

- Hmph.
- KARA: [LAUGHS]

Okay, if you contain Dani,

I'll do my best to make it happen.

Great. Thank you. - Mm-hm.

MARY JANE: I can't believe you did it.

Are you doubting my negotiation skills?

Never.

But now we can get back to doing
the stories that really matter.

Only with a much wider audience.

- Pffft!
- KARA: [LAUGHS]

The idea of doing this interview

has got me thinking
a lot about the past.

But if I'm being brutally honest,

I mean, I've tanked every
relationship I've ever had,

and I don't know why.

Well, mama, that's...

that's a question only you can answer.

♪ I've been looking and
searching to find a way ♪

- Hi, I'm Patrick.
- ALL: Hi, Patrick.

And I'm a drug addict.

[SIGHING]

I've been sober one year,
two months, and one week,

but...

[SIGHS]

...lately, I've been wanting to get high

more than I ever have
in a long, long time.

[CHUCKLES]

I was just starting to
get my life in order,

but I got some bad news

that sent me into a tailspin.

I always felt like an
outcast in my own family,

and now I see... [QUIET LAUGH]

...there might be a reason for that.

[EXHALES]

I thought I was lost before.

[EXHALES]

But now... [QUIET LAUGH]

[EXHALES] ...I'm so far gone,

I don't know if I'll ever get back.

♪

♪ Keep believing ♪

♪ Your w*apon don't retrieve it ♪

[DOORBELL RINGS]

♪ If you can see that ♪

♪ Reward you will receive it ♪

♪

♪ Keep believing ♪

♪ Your w*apon don't retrieve it ♪

Hopper, it's : .

Uh, yeah, these came
for you after you left,

so I thought I'd drop 'em by.

Did Aaliyah send them?

Uh, no, they're... from Justin.

♪

♪ If you can see that ♪

- Careful.
- Oh, it's heavy.

- Got it?
- Yeah.

Thank you. Can you close my door?

- Yeah.
- Thanks.

♪ Your w*apon don't retrieve it ♪

♪ If you can see that ♪

♪ Reward you will receive it ♪

♪

♪ Keep believing ♪

♪ Your w*apon don't retrieve it ♪

Ahhhh! [GIGGLING]

♪ Reward you will receive it ♪

♪

♪ Keep believing ♪

♪ Your w*apon don't retrieve it ♪

♪ If you can see that ♪

♪ Reward you will receive it ♪

♪

♪ Keep believing ♪

♪