02x07 - An Understanding

[bunniefuu]

How you feelin'?

- Oh, tough crowd.
- But I got 'em back.

- What about that heckler?
- Ah, didn't bother me one bit.

Don't forget I'm a Tony-
award-winning actor, Randall.

I can handle myself on stage.

No one could ever
forget your Valjean.

But with the Julien situation

becoming a runaway
freight train of bad PR,

you're now trailing
in Tennessee.

That's why I came here
to assure the voters

that I'm still the
same candidate,

the same guy who they've
known and supported before.

I just assumed you'd
be a little nervous.

Nah, I'm used to tough crowds.

- From your wrestling days?
- No, before that.

When I was 15, living
in Nashville, Tennessee,

I was gonna be the next
great country western singer.

Now, let me tell you something.

- It did not go well.

I don't know, Dewey. You
sure you wanna do this?

- Definitely.
- This woman at the Piggly-Wiggly

said I had the
voice of an angel.

After she hit on you
and said she was 40?

Yeah, I remember you
sayin' somethin' like that.

- Oh, man.
- These sidewalks are crowded.

Yeah, it's Nashville.

Everyone's chasing their dreams.

Look, you see, you got a
piano player right there.

You got yourself
a guitar player.

Always gotta singer.

This guy... This
guy kills it, man.

I love this guy.

- Oh, my God!

- Ooh!

Oh, I knew it was coming,
and you still got me!

Look, I don't mean to
be a downer, all right?

But there's some stiff
competition out here,

and folks are
mighty territorial.

I mean, you'll be lucky
to get a free corner.

I don't need a corner.

I'll set up right
here, mid-block.

Whoo, mid-block?

Hey, good luck, brother.

See this?

I think it would make
our marriage stronger.

Why would dating other people
make our marriage stronger?

- Oh, I don't know.
- It would finally give us

something to talk about.

- You mean your "bisexuality?"
- See, don't do that.

Don't air quotes who I am.

- You... I...

What are we doing? I just
want you to be happy.

I just want you to be happy.

So how do you think
this will go over?

- We'll see.

Every news outlet was in
town covering the rally.

So we'll find out
here pretty soon.

Now, are you sure about
this change of approach?

Can't just pretend a
problem doesn't exist.

That was one of the many
lessons my old man taught me

- unintentionally.
- Hm, unintentional

seems to be Rocky's
preferred method of teaching.

You're not wrong.

I told you about that time
we moved to Nashville,

and my dad blew it because he
didn't find us a place to live

before me and my
mom came into town.

Yeah, you were living in
Downtown Bruno's motel room,

eating eggs he
made on the toilet.

You know, when my mom
finally arrived in Nashville,

things eventually
got a little better

and she found us an
apartment to live in.

She enrolled me in school.

But she was still
really angry at my dad,

understandably so.

So my dad had to live
with Downtown Bruno

every time he came into town.

But I still saw him a lot

and we would work out
together after school.

But it wasn't like I
wasn't angry at my dad

because I was.

But he was also my hero,

and even though
things were tough,

I still looked up to him.

Yo, Crusher, ease
up on the reps.

You don't wanna pull a muscle

before Saturday's sold-out show.

Sold out again? Damn.

Jerry Lawler really
knows how to deliver.

- Yes he does.

Hey, champ says he's
up, I'm gonna call it.

You know "Highway to
Heaven" is on tonight.

- I should go too.
- I gotta get home for dinner.

Hey, how's it going
over there, huh?

Everything good
with the apartment?

Yeah, fine.

But you're really asking
about Mom, aren't you?

Yeah. How's she doin'?

Fine. Still mad though.

Still? It's been a month.

Chill's lasting a little
longer than usual.

Oh, here.

Give this to your mom.

Help out with the bills.

Maybe you could give
it to her yourself.

Hey, Mom.

Dad gave me a ride home.

- Hey.
- Hello.

- The place looks great.

- Really feels like home.
- Thanks.

Still a work in progress,
but it's coming together.

Oh, Dad was telling me

about a Jerry Lawler
match on Saturday.

Said it's another
sold-out crowd.

- That's great.
- Sounds like a fun show.

Wanna come?

- No, I can't.
- I need to find a job.

That's the thing
about rent, Rocky.

- It's due every month.
- About that.

From my matches last week.

Thanks. Come on, Dewey.

Don't want your
dinner to get cold.

Good seeing you, Rocky.

Yeah, you too!

I gotta get back.
Dinner plans with Bruno.

See you at the gym, son.

- Bye, Dad.

- Don't worry about him.
- He's fine.

He's getting dinner with Bruno.

- Hey.
- Hey, Rocky.

How was your day?

Ata's still upset.

- Dang, I'm sorry, brother.

You hungry?

I could throw on some
more eggs for you.

- I'll take four.
- Smart.

Fill that empty heart
with some protein.

.

Hm, that must've been
tough seeing your parents

living separately.

Well, my parents' relationship

always had its ups and downs,
and this wasn't the first time

I've seen them go through
something like this.

But Nashville was pretty rough.

Why is Bruno driving your car?

It's better for Bruno to
drive in areas like this.

A couple of towns out here

aren't too friendly
to, you know...

- Wrestlers?

- No, I... you know...
- Relax, Bruno.

- I know what you mean.

Hey, hey, hey. You're driving

'cause you're white,
not 'cause you're good.

- Eyes on the road.
- All right.

Turnin' down Main Street
now. Time to tuck down.

Hey, Rocky, did I tell you

that Pat Patterson's coming
to the match tonight?

Guess he's scoutin'
for Vince now.

- Since when?
- Pat's not wrestling anymore?

Nope. I guess he got tired

of the grind... Wanted
to try something else.

Hey, but look. This
could be a big deal

for Crusher though,
so just do me a favor

and make him look good.

You know, really sell
them hits hard, all right?

I always sell.

Come on, Soul man! Come on!

What you all dumb
hillbillies think about this?

- Get down there!

My dad put on a
good show that day,

and afterwards, it was my
job to take down the ring.

I worked the ring crew with
Jerry Lawler's son, Brian,

who would eventually become
one of my best friends.

And believe it or not,
we were the same age.

One day, it'll be me
and you in the ring.

We could even be a tag team.

The Sons of Wrestling.

Eh, I don't know about that.

I want a cool gimmick.

You know, maybe something
beachy like Flip-Flop Force.

Hmm.

- Great job tonight.
- All right, we'll stay in touch.

- Hey, Mr. Patterson.

How'd you like the show?

Ah, the name Crusher
Yurkov is horrible!

Vince thinks so too.

It sounds like a
Russian trash compactor.

- Ha.
- But aside from that,

pretty good match.

Didn't hurt to have this
guy sellin' for you.

Way to make him
look good, Rocky.

- Nice to see you, Pat.

Thank you for the match.

You know where we're supposed
to put any of this stuff?

I've just been throwin'
it in the pile.

- Scouting for the WWF.
- Eh.

- How's that going?

- Eh, it's a change of pace.
- But I like it.

Can't wrestle forever,
right?

Hey, you gonna tell Vince
about the show tonight?

- That's my job, isn't it?

- Come on, Pat.
- You heard that crowd.

You should mention to him how
much they love me out here.

Oh, Rocky, come on.

Pat, you know what
kind of fan base

I can bring to the WWF.

All you gotta do is
put me back in...

- That's not gonna happen.
- You broke your contract.

Vince had to make an
example after Saudi Arabia.

Come on, Pat. That was...

What?

Um, I was just gonna ask

where I'm supposed
to put this stuff.

I don't know. Go ask Jerry.

Up until now, I had only heard

my dad's version of the story.

Yo, Crusher. Good match tonight.

Hey, thanks, Dwayne.

- Can I ask you something?

The powder absorbs the moisture.

- And yeah, I sweat a lot.
- No, not about that.

Oh. Yeah, sure. What's up?

A little bit ago, you
mentioned the thing

about my dad and Saudi Arabia.

Yeah, I shouldn't
have brought that up.

No, it's cool.

I know he was under
contract with the WWF

and he double-booked
himself to wrestle

with the promoter that Uncle
Afa was wrestling with.

I get that you shouldn't
break a contract,

but is it really that bad

trying to make some extra
money for your family?

Vince was trying to open that
territory himself, you know.

Having one of his top guys
promote it on another show...

It just wasn't a good look,

and I hear Vince took what
your dad did personally.

- He did?
- Yeah, he felt betrayed.

It's just bad timing
on both sides.

You know, it was right before
the first WrestleMania,

and if things didn't go
down the way they did,

your dad probably would've been

in WrestleMania 2
with Tony Atlas,

and who knows where you
guys would be right now?

Then Jennifer broke up with
Frankie in a fishing shack.

Good, they're too
young to get married.

I have to go. I'll get the rest

of your "Days of Our
Lives" recap later.

- Okay, remind me.
- I left off at Justin

having second thoughts
about going to Greece

because of his
mother's medallion.

- What's wrong?
- Dad...

The whole Saudi Arabia thing.

He's always spun it like a man

has the right to
provide for his family.

But he also screwed over
his friend Vince pretty bad.

And because he did that, he
wound up screwing us over too.

Well, I definitely don't think
that was his intention...

But it's true, right?

I suppose. Technically, yes.

But he didn't mean
to hurt anyone...

- This is what always happens.
- Dad does whatever he wants,

and we just keep
making excuses for him.

Dewey!

You know, sometimes we
pretend the problems

don't exist because we're
trying to protect people.

- But that always backfires.
- Mm.

I don't love that I knew
I could find you here.

Dad was making money.

He could've said no to
that other promoter.

He did it because he thought
he could get away with it,

and he still operates that way.

I know he's a salesman and
he's always working a gimmick,

but I never thought
he was working us.

I'm sorry.

You shouldn't have to
deal with any of this.

You're still a kid.

- Mom, I'm 15.
- I'm not a kid anymore.

Another Shirley Temple?

Nah, give me a whiskey and Coke.

Sure, then you can give me

the $2,000 fine for
serving a minor.

I like her.

If Dad hadn't been so selfish,

we could still be living
like we were in Hawaii.

- I mean, look at our lives now.
- Dewey.

Why do we even bother

following him
around the country?

If he doesn't care about
us, we don't need him.

Your dad made a mistake,

and it had consequences
for all of us.

But he didn't do
it to hurt anyone.

He made an impulsive decision.

He's always been that way.

Rocky had a very
hard time growing up.

Got kicked out of his own home
by his mom when he was 13.

- Hitchhiked out of town.
- Sounds dangerous.

Well, luckily it was Canada.

You need a ride
home there, fella?

I'm goin' anywhere but home.

- If he's out of your way,

I could take him...
Whatever's easiest.

- Wait, I'm sorry.
- Who's telling this story?

Me. I'm telling you the story

of a time my mom
told me the story.

Of a story your dad told her?

Exactly.

Okay, um,

so where did Rocky wind
up after he left home?

Everywhere. He bounced around.

He found odd jobs. He boxed.

My dad was 13 years old,
and he was on his own...

Until he found wrestling.

And that's how your
dad met your grandpa.

It was after a wrestling match

in San Francisco
back in the '60s.

The High Chief was the biggest
draw on the West Coast,

and your dad had just come
back from wrestling in Japan.

Sorry, so this is
your mom talking?

- Yes.
- It'd be a lot easier

to follow if you could do
a different voice for her.

No. How about you just
use your imagination?

- Great show tonight, Rocky.
- Thanks, Peter.

- You too.
- Where are you staying?

Um, I'm not sure yet.

I am. You're staying with me.

My wife, she make us
some famous keke pua'a.

So Grandpa and your dad
became tag team partners...

Which is how he met me.

Hey, I'm Rocky Johnson.

- I know who you are.

You're my dad's
tag team partner.

- You're Ata?

I heard a lot about you.

Maybe we can grab some dinner.

You can hear a
little more about me.

Sorry, I don't date wrestlers

especially ones who can't
reverse a simple drop toe-hold.

Rocky, get away
from my daughter.

Go back to the ring rats.

See you around, now.

No! You do not date wrestlers.

Now, come. I have a
nice Tongan dentist

I want you to meet.

Why was Grandma so
against dating wrestlers?

Grandpa was a wrestler,
and she loved him.

- Of course.
- But you know how wrestlers are.

My mom wanted me to
have a more stable life.

Is that what you want for me?

No, I want you to be a wrestler.

Nothing on this Earth
would make me happier.

But whatever you want
to be, I support.

Anyway, so your dad and I
started dating in secret.

No, Mom, I'm not going
on a date with Dr. Fatu.

But he owns his own business.

- Hey, Ata, Lia.
- Good to see you.

As long as you're not
dating him, I'm happy.

But please reconsider
Dr. Fatu, DDS.

I can find my own dates.

Excuse me. I need to
go to the bathroom.

Everything was going great

until Haystacks
Calhoun got involved.

- Excuse me, ladies.
- I gotta rain yellow.

Now, Haystacks Calhoun
was a very sweet man,

but he couldn't keep a
secret to save his life.

Man Mountain Mike's
favorite show is "Hazel."

Tony's got a case of
the you-know-what's.

Everyone dies at the
end of "Butch Cassidy."

Great movie!

He ruined a lot of movie
endings for a lot of people.

Oh, mama.

.

Wait, so that's how
people found out

about your parents'
secret affair?

Yep.

I can't believe
everyone found out

from Haystacks Calhoun.

That's exactly what I said.

I can't believe everyone found
out from Haystacks Calhoun.

Yeah, he hitched up those
overalls and got to sharing.

Hey, Rocky and Ata are
having a secret love affair.

Can you believe it?

Rocky's dating his tag
team partner's daughter.

Whoa.

Never seen my parents so upset.

I told you to stay away
from the wrestlers,

and you lied to me.

How dare you go sneaking
around with my daughter!

If you don't stop this now,
we are done as partners,

and you'll never wrestle
in this region again.

So what is it?

Are you my partner
or are you my enemy?

So my dad found a
new tag team partner.

Rocky walked away
from everything...

His career,

his mentor,

the only family he
ever really knew...

For me.

Your dad doesn't make
impulsive decisions

because he doesn't
care about us.

It's just who he is.

Sometimes it works, and
sometimes it doesn't.

And believe me, I have
tried to get him to change.

But...

Sometimes people are
just the way they are.

Sounds like you
gave up a lot too.

How long were Grandma
and Grandpa mad at you?

Until we had you.

- Does he need a new diaper?

No, he's just a little dewy.

Little dewy.

Wait, that's why
you call me Dewey?

- That's why they call you Dewey!

That's why they call me Dewey.

Did you have a
nickname as a kid?

Oh, yeah, you know, my
cousin used to call me Twix

because I ate so
many Twix.

Well, you do eat a lot of Twix.

So?

Listen, honey.

I'm not trying to tell you
how to feel about your dad.

I get it if you're mad at him.
I'm mad at him all the time.

Then why do you stay with him?

Because I love him.

You said earlier that
we don't need him.

Maybe you're right.
Maybe we don't.

Maybe he's the one who needs us.

Keep your money in
your purse, darlin'.

He's 15.

Beware, ladies!

We got us a honey
pie right here.

It's hard when you have
that moment of realizing

your parents aren't perfect.

They're just people
trying their best.

Yeah, and then sometimes,
they're just people.

Then it's up to us to decide

what kind of relationship
we're gonna have with them.

- And so these fans were like,

"Hey, Rocky, could
we get an autograph?"

And I'm like, "Hey, the Soul
man appreciates your support",

"but a brother's hungry.

Let me in this drive-thru line!"

And even though my
dad wasn't perfect...

Hey, son. Wanna spot me?

Telling the Burger King story?

- You know it.

I wasn't gonna give up on him.

- Yo, Rocky.

What do you think about my name?

You know, Crusher
Yurkov. It's good, right?

Yeah, it's good.

Yeah, I was talking
to Pat Patterson.

He's tellin' me him
and Vince hate it.

But I like it.

I don't wanna go messin' with it

just 'cause they
say so, you know?

Yo, Crusher.

You should take their advice.

Those guys know
what they're doin'.

Hey, Mom. Dad's here.

Just wanted to drop off the
cash from the Lawler match.

- Thank you.
- Keke pua'a?

Hell yeah!

- Ah, they're hot!
- Don't care.

Oh.

What's the occasion?

- Oh, no occasion.
- Just a family dinner.

Oh.

Oh, you're welcome to join us.

Yeah, Dad.

You need your protein if you
wanna stay in fightin' shape,

and I know you're
not getting enough

from Bruno's toilet eggs.

Sounds good, son.

I can't turn down
no kee-kee-pee-ya.

That's not even
close to how you say it.

I was telling Jerry
Lawler about these.

You should bring some to
the match on Saturday.

It's gonna be a good one.

You got the Soul man
in the main event.

Everyone in Memphis
is talking about it.

Oh, this is so good.

I was eating at Bruno's...

So you and your mom just
kept indulging his version

of what happened?

- It's family.
- Mm.

Knowing some of the truth
about what was going on

made things a little
easier to deal with.

Casey says to turn on the TV.

They are reporting
about the rally.

Candidate Johnson facing
flagging poll numbers,

just four days
before the election,

held a rally in Memphis today,

and, well, take a
look for yourself.

And with my new
infrastructure plan...

Hey, why'd you try
to k*ll Dr. Julien?

I'm just sayin'.

Yeah! Dr. Julien!

With my new infrastructure plan,

the great state
of Tennessee w...

You know what?

Let's talk about Dr. Julien.

All of you out there, you
are good, hardworking people,

and I'm not afraid
to say it... So am I.

So imagine if someone
came up to you

and acted like you
had never earned

anything that you had gotten...

Who questioned who
you are as a person,

as a father, as a
mother, and as a friend.

Well, I think you'd wanna lay
the smack down on his sorry ass.

So at the risk of
sounding unpresidential...

Julien, welcome to the show,

'cause you mess with the
Brahma Bull, you get the horns.

That's right...

The jabroni-b*ating,

pie-eating, trail-blazing,

hell-raising people's champ

is comin' for you!

You ran towards the problem

instead of pretending
it didn't happen.

Live and learn, Randall.

Game on.

Oh, man.