04x10 - Fight or Flight

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Snowfall". Aired: July 5, 2017 –; present.*
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Crime series that revolves around the first cr*ck epidemic and its impact on LA in 1983.
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04x10 - Fight or Flight

Post by bunniefuu »

There he go.

-[tires screech]
-[g*nshots]

FRANKLIN:
I want the m*therf*ckers who
sh*t Louie as bad as you do.

-But we got to be smart.
-You been wrong at every turn.

You gonna have to get that hate
out your heart.

If it was me that got k*lled,

would you forgive?

IRENE:
I was born in
the Crenshaw District.

I'm watching it change,
almost by the day.

I don't understand why,

and I think you do.

We've got hard proof

of the players
involved here, including

the real name and the alias

of the CIA officer at the...

at the heart of this thing.

He's what we call a hard target.

You ain't gonna ever really get

-the drop on him.
-ALTON: We need to talk.

You had your chance
to talk to me.

You chose a reporter instead.

I got Top Notch
getting us fake passports.

No more dr*gs,
no more v*olence, just us.

-[muffled shout]
-REPORTER: The driver
has been identified

as local news reporter
Irene Abe,

formerly of
theHerald Examiner.

FRANKLIN:
What happened with Irene?

TEDDY:
I didn't come here
to talk about Irene.

What did you come here
to talk about?

Ask you what we're gonna do
about your father.

["Funky in Here"
by Dayton Sidewinders playing]

[children chattering]

♪ ♪

PRINCIPAL:
Mr. Williams,
thanks for joining us.

Want to tell me
what this is all about?

This morning,
Franklin refused to stand

and recite
the Pledge of Allegiance.

When I asked him why,
he wouldn't answer.

That's it?

That's what you called me
down here for?

Well, I'll tell you right now:
I told him not to. You dig?

-You told him...
-Damn straight.

Boy don't want to salute a flag
don't care nothing about him,

that's his right.

PRINCIPAL:
With all due respect,

Mr. Williams, it doesn't sound

like this was
Franklin's decision at all.

ALTON:
Well, you don't have to worry
about whose decision it was

one way or another,

'cause my boy
no longer goes to school here.

Now, let's go, son.

Who the hell they think
they are,

telling you what you can
and cannot salute?

m*therf*ckers done
lost they mind.

Call themselves educators.
They need to educate themselves

about the First Amendment before
they come messing with me.

Speak your mind.

I don't want to leave school.
All my friends are here.

Aw, don't worry about that.

You gonna make better friends
at the new school.

Listen to me.

You're just a boy,

so I don't expect you
to understand this.

But one day you'll be grown

and will have to
decide for yourself

what it is you believe,
how you want to live your life.

But whatever that is,

I want you to know,

I'm-a be proud of you.

I love you.

And your daddy will always
have your back.

I just need to talk
to him, Mama.

Five hours ago you didn't even
want to see his face.

He tell you where he's staying,
how to get ahold of him?

He's not gonna back down.

Especially if Reed
k*lled that reporter.

That's exactly why
I need to find him.

He told me if I left word
for him at the shelter,

they'd find a way to reach him.

Hey. I know the pain
Alton has caused you.

God knows I've had
my fair share, but he loves you.

He's just trying to protect you.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

[siren wailing in distance]

CORNROWS:
I swear, we doing
everything we can.

[dog barking in distance]

Look, I got everybody out there

looking for them n*gg*s
right now.

Ah, sh*t,

what the f*ck, Skull?
Come on, man.

Listen to me.

I wanna know where they at.
Franklin.

His family.
His partners.

Everybody that had a hand
in my babies dying.

I don't give a f*ck
if it's his mama's house.

Show me something,
or I'm-a start k*lling...

with you.

You really think
Reed k*lled that reporter?

[pager beeping]

[exhales sharply]

[man shouting in distance]

ALTON [over radio]:
Last time we left here,

Miss Irene Abe d*ed

-in a car accident.
-[phone rings]

BROTHER JAMAL:
Wait a minute, brother.

-Irene Abe...
-You near a radio?

-Uh-huh. Why?
-Why the f*ck do you think?!

I'll call you back.

-[changing stations]
-What?

ALTON [over radio]:
Listen, brother,
only a fool would believe

that was some accident.
After what we did?

The story she wrote?

This was no accident.

Irene Abe was m*rder*d
by the CIA.

BROTHER JAMAL:
Sing the truth, brother.
Let 'em hear you.

Ain't even surprising.
Been happening that way

ever since they brought us here
in chains,

and if anybody don't believe it,

they ain't even asleep,
they pretending to be asleep.

You can't wake them
m*therf*ckers up.

BROTHER JAMAL:
Now, you know I'm right here
with you, brother.

-Mm-hmm.
-But there are some people
out there saying to themselves,

"If he's so sure,
why can't he prove it?"

ALTON:
Irene had the proof, brother.

That's why they k*lled her.

But see, she was trying
to play by their rules.

But the thing about me,
I don't respect their rules.

And I'm about to
drop one on you.

He goes by the alias
Reed Thompson.

I even know his real name,
and I got pictures.

And I'm about to put that out
in the public

so the world can see.

Then we gonna see what the CIA
has to say about their boy.

How quick they
turn his ass loose.

'Cause right now
they bringing dr*gs and g*ns

in our neighborhood.

They got the kids
k*lling each other.

They desecrating
our communities,

and I'm sick of it!

Now, they done messed with
the wrong Black man this time.

BROTHER JAMAL:
Y'all heard it here first.
Be right back...

♪ ♪

-[baby crying]
-[indistinct chatter]

-JOE: Franklin.
-[exhales]

-Do something for you?
-FRANKLIN: Yeah.

Uh, I need you to get ahold
of my father, Joe.

Well, I'm afraid he ain't here.

Oh, yeah, I-I know.
I can see that.

I also know you can
get in touch with him.

I need you to do that.
Tell him I'm here.

Well, if your father wanted you
to be in touch with him,

then I figure he might have
told you himself.

Alton ever tell you
how he funds this place?

No?

Eh, well, let me enlighten you.

All the good that you do here
is thanks to

a healthy grant from
the Franklin Saint Foundation.

Hi, I'm Franklin Saint.

Tell me where he's at,

I'll make sure
that don't change.

All right, everybody listen up.

As of this moment,
Edgewood Shelter

is closed until further notice.

-What? You can't do that.
-Hey, back the f*ck up, n*gga.

This ain't a joke.

[people murmuring]

Everybody get the f*ck out
right now.

LEON:
Ey, you heard the man!

Get your sh*t
and get the f*ck out!

-MAN: sh*t.
-GIRL: Daddy, where are we
supposed to go?

WOMAN:
This is some bullshit, man.

-MAN: It's not right.
-WOMAN : This ain't right.

[overlapping chatter]

GIRL:
Daddy, what happened?

-MAN: This is cold-blooded.
-WOMAN: This is just temporary.

-[chatter continues]
-[baby crying]

MAN:
Just give us some time...

♪ ♪

You're a disgrace.

You know that?

As soon as I hear from Alton,
you can open back up.

But until then,
get the f*ck out.

-[groaning softly]
-I got a place for you.

[phone rings]

Where you been?

Doing what you asked.
You paging me every ten minutes

-ain't helping.
-He is threatening

to release my real name,
Franklin.

And he's got pictures of me.
You want to explain to me

-how the f*ck that is possible?
-I'm sure I don't know.

But like I said,
I'm taking care of it.

-Like I said I would, huh?
-No, no, no, no.

You had your chance.
I gave you your chance.

And now I need you
to tell me where he is.

When I know, Reed, you'll know.

If you are shining me on,
I swear to God

I will lump you
and the rest of your family

in with your father, and you
will all f*cking burn for this.

I thought part of being
a CIA officer

was manipulating people
to do what you want.

In which case you should know

that I don't respond well
to threats.

-[indistinct chatter]
-[horns honking]

Ms. Saint, how you doing?

I'll be all right if you got
what Alton ordered.

Everything he requested.

You know?

As far as I'm concerned,
that man's a hero.

Not many got what it takes
to sacrifice, you know?

Do the really hard thing.

Thank you, ma'am.

If you see him,

you give him my best.

Good luck to you.

[key clicking in lock]

Franklin?

[beads rattling]

[key clicking in lock]

[door opens]

[door closes]

You alone?

FRANKLIN:
Said I would be, didn't I?

[sighs]

-Alton, listen.
-No, you listen to me.

I need you to call
your CIA friend,

tell him you got ahold of me,
want to meet.

Why would I do that?

'Cause I'm-a put a stop
to this, Franklin.

Have you lost your mind, man?

That man is a trained k*ller.

I've done my share of dirt,
too, if you remember.

And what if,
by some small miracle,

you manage to get to him
before he gets to you?

What, you think the CIA
will just forgive and forget?

Agency won't want to protect him
when I'm finished outing him.

sh*t, they'll be glad
to have his ass gone.

No matter what
they say publicly,

you m*rder him,
they'll destroy us.

You afraid of them?

Huh?
Is that the problem?

Of course I am.

Aren't you?

[pounding on door]

Thought you came alone.

-[pounding continues]
-Oh, I did.

SKULLY:
Anybody home?!

Got a delivery

-for the Saint family!
-Skully. f*ck.

-What?
-Um...

-Find cover.
-[screen door closes]

-Huh?
-Do it now. Do it now.

[whispers]:
sh*t.

[fence rattling outside]

sh*t.
[exhales]

[pounding, glass breaks]

[dog barking in distance]

Knock, knock!

Hey, yo, Franklin.

You here?

Look, I just want to talk.

[floor creaking]

[floor creaks]

[grunts]

SKULLY:
f*ck.

[Alton groaning]

Alton.

FRANKLIN:
All right.

All right, come on.

I got to get you to a hospital.

No, no.

I ain't going to no hospital.

Alton, come on.
You just got f*cking sh*t!

I'll go after you call
Teddy McDonald, set up a meet.

[sighs]:
Oh, my God.

Some m*therf*cker just
broke into your mother's house

trying to k*ll anybody
he could find.

sh*t happens so often now,
nobody even calls the cops.

You can't keep living this life.

You don't want
to get stitched up? Fine.

Then pack your sh*t,
hit the road.

I don't care where you go,
long as it's far away from here.

That's the way
it's got to be, huh?

That's the only way
it can be, Alton.

All right.

I'll go.

-[scoffs]
-Good.

ALTON [chuckles]:
That's the way it's got to be.

-I'll get you some cash...
-Sorry, son.

♪ ♪

CISSY:
Franklin, baby, can you hear me?

-[slapping face]
-Baby?

Come on, come on, wake up.

Baby?
Come on, baby.

Come on. Now wake up.
There you go.

-Baby? Are you all right?
-[strains]: Mama?

-[grunts]
-Franklin, what happened?

Why is the back door broken?

Why... why do you have blood
on your hands?

How are you here?

Alton called,
told me you needed help.

Alton.
How long ago?

About-about minutes ago.

-Franklin, what happened?
- minutes? f*ck!

-CISSY: What?
-[Franklin muttering]

-Franklin?
-[panting]

-Franklin, what's going on?
-One second.

[line beeps]

f*ck.
Okay, uh...

Did he say anything else?
Where he might be headed?

He said he loved me
and then he apologized

for hurting me
and then he hung up.

Franklin, what is going on?
Where is your father?

-[groans, panting]
-What? Talk to me.

Alton thinks that he-he has
a way to stop this,

but he's gonna make it worse.

-Stop what?
-[stammers]

-Tell me.
-[phone rings]

Tell me you haven't
heard from my father.

I'm actually on my way
to meet him right now.

FRANKLIN:
Reed, if you ever gave a sh*t
about me, about our partnership,

then please don't do this.

Your father made his bed,
but out of respect for you,

I'll tell you
where we're meeting.

Our old exchange point.

The one we used
before you got sh*t.

I'd hurry if I were you.

Um... I'm, uh...

-What? Tell me. What?
-I'm sorry, so sorry,
but, uh, I-I got to go.

-I'm coming with you.
-No, no, no, you don't want
to be a part of this, Ma...

Stop!

I'm coming with you.

♪ ♪

[engine revving]

[monitor beeping steadily]

[siren wailing]

[grunts]

[brakes squeaking]

[train whistle blowing]

[g*n cylinder spins, clicks]

[grunts]

[engine turns off]

Thought you just wanted to talk.

That's right.

Long as I like
what you got to say.

You okay?

You're favoring
your shoulder there.

You just keep your hands
where I can see them.

I have no intentions
of hurting you, Alton.

Uh-huh.

That what you told Irene?

Is that why I'm here?

Irene Abe?

No, you here so I can tell you
to your face that it's over.

You'll no longer use my son
to fund your w*r.

Leave me and mine
to live in peace.

All due respect,
I think your son

might have his own thoughts
on that matter.

My son is a child.

Your son's
the largest distributor

of rock cocaine in the world.

And he's the one
who convinced me he could do it.

Nuh-uh.
No, you ain't spinning this.

You the one bringing
that sh*t in.

Supposed to be protecting us,

instead you trying
to wipe us out.

It's what the white man
has wanted for centuries.

Is that what I am?
The Man?

f*cking white oppressor?

Telling me I'm wrong?

You gonna try to justify
that sh*t you do?

Geopolitics, manifest destiny.

Spread of democracy and freedom.

I'm telling you
that these are just ideas.

I'm a person.

I'm not-I'm not the system
that you hate.

[scoffs]

Not only are you that system,

fact that you don't even know,

it illustrates how deeply
ingrained white supremacy is

in the United States of America.

A country created
by men like you

for men like you
and nobody else.

And if you doubt that,

go take a ride
through South Central tonight,

see how my people live,

then go on over to Beverly Hills
and look at yours.

Yeah, look, you want
to put that on me?

That's fine. I don't really care
at this point.

Reason we're here tonight

is because of the son
that you raised.

So if I was you,
I'd start by taking

a long look in the mirror.

I don't want to k*ll you,
but I will protect what I love.

I feel the exact same way.

[car approaches]

What did you do?!

You want your son out of this?

Let's let him decide.

[gasping]

Where's your man at?

He went home for the night.

-[g*n clicks]
-Don't lie to me.

FRANKLIN:
Alton,

put the g*n down.

You and your mother get back
in the car and get out of here.

TEDDY:
He's pretty sure
I got it out for you.

Thinks you can't make
your own decisions.

Reed, shut up.

Alton, I'm telling you right
now, put the f*cking g*n down!

Sorry, son, not this time.

You want me gone,
you gonna have to do it.

TEDDY:
Franklin, he sold you out.

He put you all in danger.

-Yeah.
-CISSY: Franklin!

JEROME:
Ey.

Ey.

All right, now.

Ey, you got what you want
right here.

-I'm the one that k*lled
your woman.
-LOUIE: No.

I'll leave with you right now.

-Shut the f*ck up.
-Quiet.

Jerome...

JEROME:
Please, man.

TEDDY:
He put you all at risk.


Franklin?

Well, this has to be brought
under control.

Reed? Reed!

Wait! Wait! Wait.

You k*ll him,
you gonna have to k*ll us all!

Is that who the f*ck you are?!

This don't have to go like this.

It can all stop.

But if you k*ll us now...

it ain't gonna never end.

Our people gonna come after you.

And yours after them.

Till there ain't nobody left.

[both grunting]

TEDDY:
Cissy, move!

No, wait! Wait!

What if he left the country?

W-What if I took him
away forever?

Would you let him go?

That's what you want, right?

You and me together.

I got the passports.

We pack our bags.

We leave tonight.

You've fought long enough.
[panting]

Franklin's got
to make his own choices.

But you and me, baby...

we deserve the chance
to be happy.

If I swear you'll never hear
from him again,

will you let us live?

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

All right, Cissy.

I'll go.

♪ ♪

[exhales]

[plane passing overhead]

You'll stop and refuel
in Mexico City.

From there, Havana.

I, uh...

[turbine whirring]

I'm sorry.

For whatever mistakes
I may have made.

I love you.

Mama.

[laughs, sniffles]

You know, we still got
a business to run.

[laughs softly]

I can't do it alone, you know?

I'll find a way to get
in touch once we get set up.

Yeah. Yeah.

[voice breaking]:
I'm gonna miss you.

[Cissy chuckles]

So much.

♪ ♪

[plane passing overhead]

[Cissy sighs]

Okay.

-Go on, go on.
-Okay.

Okay.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

-[turbines whirring]
-[steady beeping]

Need to see it leave?

Do you?

So, look, I got to take
some time away.

What?

How much time?

I don't know.

Might be a while.

It's not what I wanted.

But Gustavo will continue
to be your point person

until they bring in
my replacement.

You just keep making the deals,
same as you've been doing.

You'll be fine.

[clears throat]

All right.

♪ ♪

[car door closes]

[engine starts]

[indistinct chatter]

[indistinct conversation]

Skully showed up.

What? Here?

What happened?
A-Aunt Louie-- she good?

She fine.
She talked him down.

Louie talked Skully down?

You all right?

Yeah.

Some things
we need to talk about.

What it's gonna mean
for all of us going forward.

Mm-hmm.

Now not the time, nephew.

Of course, yeah.

All right.
Say hi to Louie.

She don't want
to see nobody right now.

We'll see you later.

♪ ♪

[sighs]

Just wanted to let you know--

still vetting the possibles,

but I should have someone here
to replace Teddy by next week.

Long as they stay out of my way,

I don't care who it is.

That, uh, woman
you asked us to find--

Lucia Villanueva?

Unless you'd rather
not know now.

[sighs]

[door opens]

[door closes]

♪ ♪

Oh, slow down.

[groans]

FRANKLIN:
There she is!

[laughs]

Glad to see you up and about.

How you feeling?

[groans]

Tired.

Sore.

But I probably
ain't got to tell you.

[chuckles]
Unc.

Nephew.

LOUIE:
Place looks good.

Yeah, yeah, it's, uh...

Jerome say business
been steady.

[chuckles]
Uh-huh.

In here and on the street.

We ain't got to
talk about that right now.

Yeah, actually...

we do.

Thought we'd start off
with ten keys a week,

Gs a key.

% more than
you're paying that whitey.

-I figure that's fair
-That's what you figure, huh?

And after you buy these keys
from me, then what?

You gonna rock it up,
like I taught you?

Sell to my f*cking
customers, man? Like...

Okay, then, you said you wanted
to wholesale the sh*t, right?

Focus on real estate.

And you wanted to focus
on selling speakers,

but instead, you up in here
trying to f*ck up our business.

Ain't nobody trying
to f*ck up nothing.

I'm telling y'all,
splitting up right now,

just when we're starting
to get stronger

-isn't the right move
going forward.
-LOUIE: It is for us.

We've been following you
a long time, Franklin.

Done everything you said.

But we the ones that
made it right with Skully

and Inglewood.

We set up Little Rock.

Now we want to run what's ours

our way.

[Franklin chuckles, laughs]

Ah.
You know who y'all sound like?

Y'all sound like Leon
a few months ago.

How'd that work out for him?

-We ain't Leon.
-No.

-Because y'all can't
do what I do.
-I already did.

All them months,
when you was hurt.

And I remember you came
begging for me to come back

'cause you couldn't handle it.

Our minds are made up.

Now, we want to buy from you,
keep things in the family.

But it can go the other way,
if that's how you want it.

You think over it

and let us know
what you want to do.

[clears throat]
You all right?

[door opens]

[door closes]

♪ ♪

Want my advice?

Sure.

Give 'em what they want.

Try and control 'em
and bring 'em back to your way

only gonna make sh*t worse.

Hmm.

If they go out on they own...

-sh*t gonna be worse anyway.
-Well, if that

go down, they'll come back.
They will.

But if they figure
the sh*t out, I mean,

yeah, you'll make less money,
but they'll respect you

for letting 'em do their thing.

Since when did you become
the wise n*gga around here?

Huh?
[laughs]

sh*t, I always been,
you just ain't know it.

Well, I let them go,

the projects is gonna
be more important.

You know?
Y'all good?

Anything you need?

[sighs]

I ain't trying to dump more sh*t
on your lap or nothing,

but...

if we really talking...

I'm not sure if I'm with
any of it anymore.

You know...
[clears throat]

I, uh...

I risked everything
for you, you know.

To protect you.

From the cops.

From Manboy, Skully.

Everybody tell me
to give you up...

but I didn't.

So you're gonna keep doing
what you're doing.

I'm gonna get Louie and Jerome
straightened out,

and we gonna be a family again,
like always.

-[indistinct chatter in street]
-[motorbike passes]

[bell tolling in distance]

Mm.
Don't you look nice.

Where you off to?

That outdoor market
we passed by the other day.

I'll be back
in about an hour or two.

Coffee's on.

♪ ♪

[man singing in Spanish]

[birds chirping outside]

ALTON:
What'd you forget?

Cissy...

[short chuckle]

I really thought this was
the beginning of something.

I hope that
before you meet your end...

...you take a look around you,

try to understand
your place in this world.

You guys did
a really great job today, okay?

-I'll see you later.
I'm very proud.
-GIRL: Thank you, Miss Mel.

Thank you.

-I'll see you soon.
-Bye.

FRANKLIN:
Hey, Mel.

Sorry to just show up like this.

I tried the house,
but your auntie say

you been volunteering here.

J-Just a couple days a week.

That's good. It's important
to have a purpose.

A positive outlet, you know?

Damn.

Odessa, Texas.
Man...

Probably wondering why I'm here.

Came to deliver some tough news.

Your reporter friend, Irene.

She was k*lled a few weeks back
in a car wreck.

You know, I thought,
seeing as how

the two of you were so close...

...it's only right I came and
delivered the news in person.

What happened to her?

I just said-- car accident.

sh*t, it could happen to anyone.

I'm not mad at you
for sh**ting me.

I know you was
f*cked up on that pipe.

And in the end,
I've come out of it stronger.

So I was just gonna
let sleeping dogs lie.

But then you decided

to go behind my back...

...talk about my business

and create a whole shitstorm
of problems for me and mine,

and I can't have that.

Can't lay in bed at night
knowing that at any moment

my future could get
blown up by my past.

So...

if there's something
you want to say to me,

something you want to
get off your little chest,

then please say it now,
because after this

I promise you--
I f*cking promise you--

there are no more chances.

All right.

There's one thing.

You tell me the truth,
you'll never hear from me again.

Admit

that you k*lled

my daddy.

Be man enough

to tell me that I'm not crazy.

Give me that, at least.

Goodbye, Mel.

Take care of yourself.

["Pusherman"
by Curtis Mayfield playing]

♪ I'm your mama,
I'm your daddy♪

♪ I'm that n*gga in the alley♪

♪ I'm your doctor when in need♪

♪ Want some coke?
Have some weed♪

♪ You know me, I'm your friend♪

♪ Your main boy,
thick and thin♪

♪ I'm your pusherman♪

♪ I'm your pusherman.♪
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