04x06 - Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See

[bunniefuu]

Protestor: ♪ Southern trees
bear strange fruit ♪

♪ Blood on the leaves
and blood at the root ♪

♪ Black bodies swinging
in the Southern breeze ♪

♪ Strange fruit hanging ♪

♪ From the poplar trees ♪

♪ Here is a fruit
for the crows to pluck ♪

♪ For the rain to gather ♪

♪ For the wind to suck ♪

♪ For the sun to rot ♪

♪ For the tree to drop ♪

♪ Here is a strange
and a bitter ♪

♪ Crop ♪

♪

Zoey:
If you don't look too closely,

you might think
this is a scene from 1968.

But it's not.

Actually, it's
more than 50 years later,

and we were still
fighting against

the racial injustice
and rampant inequality

that continued
to plague our country.

Why? Because our nation
wasn't looking close enough.

Protestors:
[ Chanting ] Say their names!

Say their names!

Say their names!

Say their names!

Say their names!

Say their names!
[ Cellphones vibrating,
alert whining ]

[ Fading ] Say their names!
Say their names!

[ Cellphones vibrating,
alert whining ]

Campus Policeman:
[ Over loudspeaker ]
The County of Los Angeles

has issued a curfew,
which includes this campus.

Students must evacuate
the premises now.

Gather your belongings
and disperse immediately.

This is your final warning.

In fact, for decades,

not only was the nation
not looking closely enough,

but people actively
turned a blind eye,

and that blind eye turned
into a national blind spot,

until eventually,

there was
nowhere else to look

but directly at it.

♪ Watch out, world,
I'm grown now ♪

♪ I'm grown ♪

♪ Learn something new
every day ♪

♪ I don't know,
so I'mma feel my way ♪

♪ Got the weight of the world
on me ♪

♪ But no regrets,
this is what I say ♪

♪ Watch out, world,
I'm grown now ♪

♪ I'm grown ♪
♪ You can tell me ♪

♪ My heart b*ating so loud ♪

♪ Mama, look, I'm grown now ♪

♪ I'm grown ♪

Protestors:
[ Chanting ] Justice for Marcus!

Justice for Marcus!

Justice for Marcus!

Yo [bleep] the curfew, man.
It's ridiculous.

How are they gonna give us
15 minutes to clear out?

Aaron: This is a tactic
the government uses

when sh*t gets
uncomfortable for them.

Mm-hmm.
I'm not leaving.

Yo, I mean, this is the time
we push the boundaries, guys.

I say we all go downtown
where it's really active.

Uh, well, I for one feel like
we came, we saw, we conquered.

And I feel like we should
probably eat now?

Is anyone else starving?
I am.

Doug: No.
Stay safe out there, kids.

Alright, well, I love you guys.
Las Vidas Negras Importan!

Yeah, guys. I think I'm gonna
head back to the house, too.

I'm -- You know, normally,
I'm so down

to get arrested
for the cause,

but if I do get arrested now,
then who's gonna feed Luna?

Yeah. Me, too.
Like, a part of me

wants to go downtown,
but the other part of me

doesn't want to mess
with those rubber b*ll*ts, so...

Look, I get if you want
to come with us,

but I gotta warn you,
it's gonna get a little crazy.

Oh. Yeah, no.
I'm not going with you.

I know my strengths,
and staying out past

a government-enforced
curfew --

unfortunately,
not one of them.

But please stay safe.
Yeah.

Like, for real. Okay.

-Bye, guys.
-Later.

Dude, can you please
go with them?

It'll really mess with
my frontal lobe

if I have to worry
about the both of us.

Yeah, no. Uh,
I'm not going with them.

I'm going downtown.

You know, some of us actually
care about what's happening.

Okay.
Doug: Bro, it's all good.

There's four of us. We can
all keep an eye on each other.

Yeah, and if it makes you
more comfortable, we can,

like, pick a spot to meet up
if anybody gets lost.

Word.
Whatever, man.

Alright, let's go
get the car.

Okay.

♪

So, uh, we're keeping an eye
out for each other now?

Um, I was just trying
to keep an eye on you.

[ Chuckles ]

What is the one?
[ Indistinct Spanish ]

[ Laughs ]
Stop!

Oh, you should definitely
try the lengua.

It's so good.
Hard pass.

The only lengua I want
in my mouth is yours.

It better be the only lengua
you have in your mouth.

[ Police radio chatter ]

Thank you for your service,
guys. Appreciate you.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

♪

[ Sighing ] Ooh. Damn.
It is really crazy out there.

I'm kind of glad we didn't go
downtown with the rest of them.

Mm-hmm.
So, I'm in a thread

with some friends, right?
Uh-huh.

And they just said
the Beverly Center just got hit.

Nomi:
Why do they even do that?

I mean, we didn't hit anything
at the Women's March.

Remember?
It was so peaceful.

Well, we also pregamed
with mimosas and Eggs Benedict

and wore pink, fuzzy hats.

I'd have to say
it's a tad different.

No, I know.
I'm just saying

that burning
and looting people's stores

should definitely not
be a part of this.

Oh, but you're fine
with the flowery chanting,

the bedazzled signage,

and the big,
buttery smooth Black man

singing "Strange Fruit"?

But when stuff gets real,
you're off the cause?

No, I'm absolutely
on the cause, Jaz.

I just don't understand
why those people think

that looting
is the answer.

Those people?
Those people?

[ Crowd shouting indistinctly ]

[ Siren wailing ]

[ Donny Hathaway's
"Little Ghetto Boy" plays ]

♪

♪ Little ghetto boy ♪

♪ Playing in the ghetto street ♪

Policeman: [ Over loudspeaker ]
This is a civil disturbance,

and curfew is now in effect.

Leave the area immediately,

or you'll be subject
to the use of force,

including
crowd control munitions.

We are peacefully
assembling

and have every right
to continue to do so!

Exactly!
This is a violation!

Look, we pay you
to protect us.

All we're doing is exercising
our constitutional rights!

Oh, my God!

Come on!

♪

[ Protestors coughing ]

♪

♪ Little ghetto boy ♪

♪ Playing in the ghetto street ♪

♪ Whatcha gonna do
when you grow up ♪

♪ And have to face
responsibility? ♪

[ Siren wails in distance ]
Nomi: Okay, I'm not so worried

about the destruction
of property...

Okay.
...but come on.

The looting and burning
of people's businesses

is not gonna help
hold r*cist cops accountable.

Of course it's not gonna
help hold them accountable,

because nothing
holds them accountable.

That's exactly
why this is happening.

It's -- It's the last resort

for people who have just
been ignored for too long.

Martin even said that riots
are the language of the unheard.

Okay, Coretta.

Looks like Aaron's
been serving you the "D"

and that knowledge.

Alright, look.
I obviously understand

that human life
is more valuable than property.

I just -- I don't know.

I feel sorry
for the small business owners

who built their livelihoods
from nothing,

and now some opportunists
are using this man's death

as an excuse
to destroy that.

Okay. My dad built
one of those small businesses,

but when it comes
to saving Black lives,

best believe
Kermit wouldn't mind

getting his food truck
destroyed.

So if something needs
to get b*rned down

or get looted
to shake things up,

then so be it.
I-I don't know.

I'm just baffled. So --
So you guys are cool, then,

with the looting and rioting?
Not cool with it,

but you choosing to focus on
the looting and rioting

is a part of a longstanding
history of r*cist thinking.

Hold on, Zoey.
"R-r*cist thinking"?

So -- So you're
calling me a r*cist?

Are -- Are you kidding me?

Okay. I can't believe
you think I'm r*cist.

Girl, calm down.
Nobody said that.

Right.
Actually, Zoey kinda did.

Okay, I said you had
some r*cist thinking,

not "Nomi hates
Black people."

Oh, my God.
Right, okay.

So my thinking
is r*cist,

which mean
I think r*cist things

about people
based on their skin color,

which is literally the
definition of being a r*cist.

That's who you think I am?

Again, no.
We know who you are.

But choosing to criticize

the way oppressed people
are reacting to their oppression

versus criticizing
the oppression itself

is a part of the problem.

[ Clapping ]
Mm. Wow. [ Laughs ]

I need to get Aaron
a thank-you basket.

Just six months ago,
you confused Clarence Thomas

with Danny Glover.

Girl, look at you now.

I still think Clarence could
play Danny in a biopic.

Look, Nomi. In the past,

whenever you felt like any of us
had problematic thinking,

you called us on it,

and we weren't pressed.
That part.

Yeah, that's because
when I called you on it,

I didn't use
inflammatory language

or personally att*ck
your character.

[ Cellphone chimes ]
I just got another text.

Looks like they're about to hit
the Barnes & Noble at The Grove.

Anybody want
that new Zane?

[ Clicks tongue ]

♪

Aaron: That sh*t was crazy.
Doug: Dawg.

Where they at?
I don't know.
We told them to meet us here.

Where's Kiela?
What? I don't know.

We thought she was with you.
No, man. She ran off.

I can't find her anywhere.
Ah. Man.

Can I use your phone?
Mine's dead.

Yeah, here.
This is crazy, man.

Bad service.

Gonna text her.
Alright.

♪

Bro, are you
smashing my sister?

Whoa!

No. I mean --

Hey, Kiela?

Kiela?

Kiki!

Hey, um...

back at the taco stand,
did you --

did you not see those Black
protesters standing right there

when you thanked the cops?

[ Sighs ]

Kind of odd you're calling them
Black protesters

and not just protesters.

I only say that because
it felt a little insensitive

for you to make that comment
in front of them.

I mean, come on.
Thanking the very people

that they were
protesting against today?

It felt -- I don't know.
I-I-It felt kind of gross.

Gross?

It's gross to thank my uncle
or your cousin

or our family members
that are in the m*llitary?

[ Sighs ]

Got to be honest,
feels a little grosser

that you're trying
to vilify all of them.

[ Scoffs ] Okay, I'm just
saying that, in this moment,

it felt like a blatant disregard
for those people

who are in direct conflict
with the cops.

I mean, had you done that
in front of my friends --

Ana.
It was a thank you, okay?

Please do not try to turn this
into an argument

and make me the bad guy.

We all know the real bad guys
were the Black protesters.

♪

I'm kidding.

♪

[ Siren wailing in distance ]

Hold on, hold up.
Bro, bro, bro.

Yo, can we talk
about these texts

so we can get
this energy right, man?

Bro, we're --
we're gonna find Kiela.

I need you to know, nothing
serious happened between us.

We kissed, and that's it.

Think I care about that
right now?

You obviously don't care
about loyalty.

Thinking it's fine to desecrate
the temple of our friendship

by fondling my kin?

Hey, yo, even now,
you mad weird.

[ Cellphone chimes ]

Yo, it's Aaron.
He said he found her.

Come on,
come on, come on.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

♪

Hey, we're about to order
some Thai. You want in?

I mean, I don't really
like Thai,

but if I say no,
then am I r*cist?

Nomi, why are you being
so defensive about this?

Yeah, you are seriously
on some White fragility sh*t.

Wow. Suppose
you think that, too?

Yeah. You're -- You're White,
and you're --

you're always taking
those calcium chews, so...

You have no idea
what that is, do you?
Mnh-mnh.

Yeah, you know what?
It doesn't even matter,

'cause I'm done with
this whole conversation.

Hey, hold on.
Just so you know...
Hmm.

...you "being done"
with this conversation

instead of recognizing your
participation in the problem

is the exact definition
of White fragility.

Mm.
It's like you don't even want

to have
the tough conversation.

I was trying to have
the tough conversation,

but my best friends
told me

that I have, like, a huge blind
spot when it comes to race,

and I'm --
I'm having a hard time

wrapping my head around that.
Nomi, don't you think

it's because you view the world
differently than we do?

Mm-hmm.
Sometimes you can't help

but perpetuate
what's ingrained in you.

Zoey: Mm-hmm.
What's --

What's ingrained in me?

By which do you mean
how Jewish people just like me

have historically marched
alongside Black people

for civil rights
since Day One?

Just like I marched
with you guys today?

G-Guys, this is --
this is beyond crazy.

Nomi, the only reason
we are calling you on this

is because we love you.

So much.

[ Voice breaking ]
If I was with someone

who I thought was h*m*
or anti-Semitic,

I wouldn't be sitting here
trying to make them feel better.

In fact, I wouldn't be
friends with them at all.

So if you guys think
that I'm, like, r*cist

or -- or problematic
or whatever,

then why would you still
want to be friends with me?

♪

Nomi's Mom: Look, honey, it's
a difficult time right now.

Everybody's emotions
are high.

I know, but, Mom,
I can't believe

my friends actually
think this of me.

Yeah, but you know
none of that stuff is true.

You're not a r*cist.

Your dad and I did not
raise you to see color.

Okay, but, Mom, saying
that you don't see color

is basically saying

that you don't see someone
in their entirety,

and that's actually
pretty problematic.

Problematic?

N-Now you sound like
your friends.

Oh, my God. Mom, you don't need
to get so defensive.

No, I'm getting
defensive because

you're challenging
my character.

Your character?

[ Whispering ]
About your character.

[ Sirens wailing,
indistinct conversations ]

♪

[ Fire truck horn blaring ]

What happened?

She was
teargassed again.

Oh, my God.
Are you okay?

[ Kiela sniffles ]
Can you open your eyes?

No.

What can I do?
Nothing. Just --

Just give me
a minute, please.

There's got to be
something I can do to help.

I just want to make sure
you're okay.

No, I'm --
I'm not okay.

I'm just -- I'm not.

This is just all
so messed up.

How does something like this
even happen?

[ Crying ] You know, I-I'm here
protesting police brutality,

and then I get brutalized
by the police?

It just -- It just does--
It doesn't make sense.

You know, I don't even know
what we did wrong.

It's not your fault.

You didn't do anything wrong.
[ Crying ]

♪ I see them bloom ♪

[ Sirens chirping, wailing ]

♪ For me and you ♪

[ Helicopter blades whirring ]

♪ And I think to myself ♪

♪

♪ What a wonderful world ♪

♪

♪ What a wonderful world ♪

♪

♪ What a wonderful world ♪

♪

[ Scoffs ]
This is so crazy.

Mm.
Aaron just texted the group.

Apparently, Luca's sister
got teargassed.

Oh, sh*t.

Still feel like thanking your
buddies back at the taco truck

for their service?

You're not still on this,
are you?

No. No, not at all.

Good.

I'm just saying, it only
further reinforces my point

of how right now is not the
ideal time to be thanking cops,

that's all.

Ana, I'm not going
to argue with you

about something
we already put to bed.

No, we actually
didn't put it to bed.

You just made
some dumbass joke

and then shut down
the conversation.

Here we go.
"Here we go," what?

You just -- just digging in,
just not letting anything go.

The constant, like,
back and forth.

I'm so sick of arguing with you
about nothing.

Today was not nothing.

This is something
that I care about.

Really? 'Cause one day, you're
volunteering for D.A.R.E.,

and then the next, you're
yelling at me for thanking cops.

You don't know where you stand
on half these issues,

and that's the problem.

Okay, that is not fair.

I am allowed to have nuanced
points of view, Javi.

And it's okay
that they differ from yours.

I don't only have to think and
act the way that you want me to.

That's not what I'm saying.
Then what are you saying?

I just don't think
a relationship

should be this hard.

♪

Yeah, I don't think
I can do this anymore.

♪

Well, then, uh...

♪

I guess we finally both found
something that we agree on.

♪

[ Door opens ]

♪

Guys, it's okay. You don't need
to trail behind me anymore.

It's -- It's fine, but, um,
thank you for having my back.

I'll call you later, bro.
Night.

Alright, y'all.
I'mma head out, too.

But it's been amazing,
my Black brethren.

Powerful night.
But I gotta go see Zoey.

She keeps asking me
what, uh, White fragility means.

Feel like she should
already know that, but...

Later.

Crazy night.
Yep.

Look, bro...
my apologies.

You know, I shouldn't have
crossed that line

with your sister,
and moving forward,

you're not gonna have to worry,
'cause I don't --

I don't want to get in the
middle of siblings like that,

or desecrate the...temple
of our friendship

and fondle --

My kin.
Right.

[ Sighs ]

Much appreciated.

My man.

Have a good night.
Stay safe.

Jazz: Ooh.
What?

Looks like they just hit
the Brookstone

in West Hollywood.

How long do you think it's gonna
take for us to get there?

You know I'm a sucker
for modern gadgetry.

Jazz.

Hey.

Hey.
Hey.

Um, I owe you guys

a really, really
big apology.

Well, if you're talking
about reparations,

you can just Cash App me.
[ Clicks tongue ]

[ Both chuckle ]

Um, you guys --
you guys were right.

I was definitely raised
to see the world

in a very specific way,

and I'll never see the world
like you guys do.

No matter how liberal
my environment

or how expanded
my world view is...

[ Siren wailing in distance ]

...I'll always have
some sort of blinders on.

And I'm really, really sorry.

Well, we appreciate it.

Mm-hmm.
And i-it's all good.

You know we love you,

but most importantly,
thank you for hearing us.

Yeah.
Yeah.

I love you guys.

Oh, come here.

[ Chuckles ]

As the country
finally saw its blind spot,

we were also forced
to take notice of our own.

The only thing we could do

was move forward
with our eyes open

in an effort to be better
people to those around us

and hope that the rest
of the country

would eventually do the same.

Wow. This was not
what I thought it was at all.

Jazz: Mmm. This is everything
I thought it would be.

[ Smooth jazz music
playing quietly ]

What? I didn't loot this.
I'm just taking advantage

of the homie's
five-finger discount.

Oh, my God.

Is somebody playing
soft jazz?

[ Chuckles ]
Yes. I am.

It's coming straight
from this coffee mug.

It has a Bluetooth speaker
in it.

Like I said...gadgetry.

♪

Hmm.

Gadgetry.