02x10 - The g*ng: Part 2

[bunniefuu]

♪ Good times Any time
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♪ Good times Any
time you need a friend ♪

♪ Good times Any time
you're out from under ♪

♪ Not gettin' hassled
Not gettin' hustled ♪

♪ Keepin' your
head Above water ♪

♪ Makin' a wave when you can ♪

♪ Temporary layoffs Good times ♪

♪ Easy credit
ripoffs Good times ♪

♪ Scratchin' and
survivin' Good times ♪

♪ Hangin' in a chow
line Good times ♪

♪ Ain't we lucky we got 'em ♪

♪ Good times ♪♪

Is it straight now, Michael?

No, bring it up on your
side a little bit, Thelma.

All right. Okay, now...

No, it's too low on
your side, Willona.

Bring it up about three inches.

WILLONA: Okay.

Michael, we been
up here five minutes.

It's not straight yet?

It's been straight three
times. I just dig giving orders.

Willona, let's b*at him up.

You looking at the pint
size Kid Dy-no-mite.

You're sure in a good
mood. Why shouldn't I be?

J.J.'s coming home
and he's all right.

Sure was a relief

when the doctors said it
was only a flesh wound.

And a surprise too, because
we never knew he had flesh.

Aw.

Yea, but if I know J.J.,

even though they
only kept him overnight,

he'll act like he came
out of major surgery.

Don't you know? I remember
when he had his tonsils out.

Talking about suffering,

he ran that longer than a fatal
disease on As the World Turns.

[INDISTINCT VOICES]

Oh, he's home!

J.J., hey!

WILLONA: Welcome
home. Welcome home.

There he is.

Are you all right, J.J.?

Maybe.

I think I can make
it by myself now.

Oh, I think it was a
little bit too premature.

Oh, really?

Dad, I think I'm
gonna fall. Catch me.

Which way you
gonna fall, Junior?

Are you on my left?

I'm on your left. Here I come.

Come on.

Son, I think you'd
better sit down.

Yeah, Mom.

Come on. There you are. Okay.

Could y'all help me bend?

THELMA: Lord!

Well, sure, honey. I burped
you when you were a year old.

I guess I can bend you
at years from now.

There you go. Ah.

All right.

Junior, I want to say
thank you for saving my life.

I'm proud of you.

It wasn't nothing, Dad.

Michael! Yeah?

Is that you?

Sure it's me, J.J.

My, how you have grown
since I've been away.

Sweetheart, you've only
been gone since yesterday.

Sure feels like a long time

when you're
wounded, don't it son?

Like an eternity.

Here, J.J.

I got you a nice tall glass
of Kool Aid. I made it myself.

Thanks, Michael.

Maybe we ought to feed
it to him intravenously.

No, why don't we just pour it
through the hole in his head.

Now I know I'm home.

And we are glad to have
you home too, character.

Amen.

I shake when I think
what could have happened.

I'm still thanking the Lord
that J.J. is home and he's safe.

It's all over.

Yea, I'm thanking the Lord
he got his health too, baby.

But it ain't all over.

Now, James, not that
again. Yeah, that again.

It ain't gonna be
over till I get my hands

on that g*ng leader
that sh*t him, Mad Dog.

James, don't say things
like that. Don't even think it.

The law is gonna
take care of Mad Dog.

The law can take care
of him the way they want.

I'm gonna take care
of him the way I want to.

James, I don't want
no more fighting.

So let's don't talk
about it anymore.

We got J.J. to look after.

That's right. I'm
out of Kool Aid.

I need some banana cream pie.

I hear it builds the blood.

The first thing we're
gonna do is get you into bed.

Thelma, give me a hand.
Michael, get the front.

WILLONA: Can you handle it?

J.J., you gonna be
recuperating in style.

I got you that fancy pair of
pajamas you always wanted.

Ha, ha! Dy-no-mite!

Yeah, these are them.

The ones I saw
in the store there.

The man said, "Jack, you got
to have these, man." Ha, ha...

Aww, the package is
too heavy for my shoulder.

Hey, Michael? Yeah?

Could you help me
into the bathroom

where I could change
into these things?

Sure, J.J. Come
on, I'll take that.

Oh, I'll show where
the b*llet knicked me.

It was pretty close. Almost
wiped out my beauty mark.

J.J., I'd like to buy
you something to read.

Anything particular you want?

Well, since I had such
a close brush with death,

something deep and
serious with a lot of meaning.

Like what?

Like this month's
issue of Black Bunnies.

Now, ain't that nothing?

I'm gonna see y'all later, hear?

Okay, Willona, thank you, honey.

Thanks, Willona.

Oh, dear Lord.

Boy that J.J.'s
really something.

Oh, he more than something,
Thelma. He's special.

And I likely got him k*lled

when he tried to save my life.

But when I saw he was all right,

I'd like to jump for joy.

Now, baby, all I need is five
minutes alone with that Mad Dog.

Just five minutes with him.

But Daddy, that's only
gonna cause more trouble.

And besides, after
the court hearing,

they'll put Mad Dog
away where he belongs.

Yea, the same as Neckbone
and that other character.

They still walking the street.

Now, James, before you
do anything you'll be sorry for,

remember what
the Good Book said,

"Turn the other cheek."

Well you let Mad Dog
turn the other cheek,

because he ain't
gonna wanna watch

when I get finished
doing my number on him.

Oh, but James...

Now, Florida, if you gonna
keep quoting that scripture at me,

how about, "An eye for an
eye and a tooth for a tooth"?

Now don't keep it up now.

I'm liable to go
after them parts.

Ma, what are we
gonna do with Daddy?

We ain't gonna do
nothing about him.

I've got to go in there
and try and cool him down.

Ain't these something?

They so sexy, they
almost turn me on.

Suddenly you don't seem so sick.

Ohh.

The pain in my
shoulder's hurting real bad.

I thought it was the
other shoulder, J.J.

See how sick I am?

I'm so delirious,
I keep forgetting.

Michael, help me over
there to the bed, will you?

Come on.

Aw, thanks, Michael.
What a brother.

Oh, man, yeah. Aooah.

Yeah, thanks. Oh.

Hey, Thelma, could
you pull up the blankets?

Okay. Thanks.

Hey!

You covered the best part.

Next time you better
be more careful,

Otherwise, I'll tell Ma and Dad

you're not taking
tender loving care

of the man of the hour.

J.J., don't take it too far.

The hour's gonna be
up before you know it.

I would have an answer for that,

but I feel another
weak spell coming on.

I think I need a strawberry
shake and some French fries.

J.J., you're not
wounded. You're pregnant.

JAMES: I don't wanna talk
about it no more, woman.

I mean it. I don't wanna
talk about it no more.

FLORIDA: James,
we got to talk about it.

Just leave me be, hear,
Florida? Just leave me be!

I'm trying to say that
revenge never helped nobody.

It's gonna help me as
soon as I get my hands

on that Mad Dog
for five minutes.

James, we were raised
to love one another.

There you go with
the Bible again.

Always with that Bible.

You want some Bible?
I'll give you some Bible.

Now, I'm not gonna k*ll him
with the jawbone of an ass,

but I'm gonna bust
that ass's jawbone.

James, don't you go
misusing the Good Book

for your own purposes.

Baby, I ain't gonna
misuse the Good Book.

I'm gonna use a good left hook.

James, how long we been married?

Getting on towards years now.

That's right.

And we had alot of arguments
in them years, right?

Yeah, we having a
pretty good one right now.

Yeah. That's true.

But remember, James, we
never settle no arguments

by yelling at one another.

We always talk quietly
and reason with one another.

And in the end, we
always agreed, didn't we?

Yeah, that's because
you usually won.

Nobody won, James.

It's just that most of the time

we agreed that I was right.

Don't start with that sweet
talk again, now, Florida.

Don't try and trick me.

James, you know, every
time you lose your temper

you get into trouble.

When did losing my temper
cause me to get in trouble?! When?!

Do you remember
when we was engaged,

and I was walking with
that nice-looking fellow?

You got so jealous.

You didn't even ask
him no questions.

You just picked him up

and threw him
into the fish pond.

And didn't you feel silly

when you found out it
was Reverend Henderson...

and I was asking him to
perform our wedding ceremony?

I still remember his words. Mm.

"Florida, marry him quick
before he kills somebody."

Well, you gotta admit,

it did help move our wedding
date up some, didn't it?

Yeah.

You've been known to blow
your cool a few times too.

Me?! When did I
ever blow my cool?

Remember the time I was
walking with Sarah Hines?

Now all I was doing
was asking the woman

what would be a
nice surprise gift

for my wife on her birthday.

Right away, you
jumped to conclusions,

start scratching the woman's
eyes, tore out all her hair.

Yeah, and I
regretted it for months.

You might have
regretted it for months.

She walked around damn
near baldheaded for a year.

Didn't she?

James, we have
had our flare-ups,

but at night we always made up.

Yes, Lord.

And some of them makeups
was worth the flare-ups.

I got a confession to make. Huh?

I faked a couple
of them flare-ups

in order to get to the makeups.

I figured as much.

Ah, but James, that's what
make our marriage work.

We talk nice to each other

and we settle things peaceably.

And in the end, we
always been together.

Yea, but we ain't gonna
be together on this, baby.

And we ain't gonna
be together on it

till I get my five minutes
with that Mad Dog.

James, you can't change
what has already happened.

Yeah, but maybe
to make it better

for the next kid on
the next go round.

Let the law handle
Mad Dog. The law!

James, please,
honey. For my sake.

For our whole family's
sake, put it out of your mind.

Forget it happened.

Well, Florida, you
know something?

You could wear the rock of
Gibraltar down to a pebble.

All right, baby, I said
I was gonna break

every bone in Mad Dog's body.

I take it back.

I promise I will not break
every bone in Mad Dog's body.

Good, James. Just
the trigger finger.

Just that finger, Florida.

I'm gonna break
it so it's pointing

North, South, East, and
West all at the same time!

James, you're yelling again.

I thought we promised
we were gonna talk about it

nice and quiet-like.

You're right baby.

You ready to talk about
it nice and quiet-like?

Mm-hm. Me too.

I'm gonna break his damn finger.

"Vengeance is
mine," said the Lord.

Baby, all I wanna
do is the Lord's work.

James.

Nah, Mad Dog, it's
between me and you, man.

Not so tough now, huh?

Uh-huh. Get up from
there, you chicken.

Nah, man. You crying on my
shoelaces. You getting them wet.

Come on man! Let's go!

J.J.! J.J.! Huh? What?

Huh?

Come on. It's
time for breakfast.

Oh, great. I'm starved.

I made the oatmeal myself.

I ain't that starved.

Good morning, children.

THELMA: Good morning, Mom.

How are you,
son? I feel fine, Ma.

Well, that's good.

That means you'll be able
to go to school real soon.

Do you really think I could?

Do you really think I
could get back into...?

Ahh! The pain in my
shoulder is terrible.

J.J., stop acting.

It's been coming and
going for a week now.

And put on your robe.

I can't stand to look at them
pajamas without sunglasses.

Thanks for making
the oatmeal, honey.

I would have done it myself,

but I was trying to help your
daddy get dressed for court.

He's still going
through with it, huh, Ma?

Well, now, Thelma, I'm not
against pressing charges.

Boys like Mad Dog should not
be allowed to walk the street.

And they deserve
anything the courts decide.

But your father wants
to get ahead of the law

and punish the boy himself.

If Daddy does that, he's
liable to end up in jail too.

Yeah, he better not hit
him in front of the judge.

Lord, I hope not.

He should wait until
they call a recess.

THELMA: Good morning, Daddy.

Good morning. Good
morning. Good morning.

[WHISTLING]

James, isn't there
anything I can do

to make you change your mind.

Nope.

Well at least let me
go to court with you.

Baby, I done told you,

you ain't got nothing
to do with this no more.

This between me and
Mad Dog. One on one.

[WHISTLING]

What are you doing eating
pretzels for breakfast?

Baby, don't think
of these as pretzels.

Think of them as
Mad Dog's finger.

Oh, James.

Aren't you gonna
have some breakfast?

I ain't hungry.

Well, at least have
a cup of coffee.

I ain't thirsty.

James! Huh?

At least you can
kiss me goodbye.

Ain't that either.

You're in a courtroom,
Cleon. Sit up straight.

The name is Mad Dog, dig it?

What you doing here, old man?

Oh, Mr. Mad Dog.

I just come to watch the
due process of the law.

Excuse me, do you want to
move your feet, Mr. Mad Dog?

What feet? These feet.

Best be cool, turkey.

Everybody rise. Judge
Daniels presiding.

Young man, did
you hear the bailiff?

You talking to me?

I don't hear too good sometimes.

Some of the law b*at
me upside my head.

What they call police brutality.

Get up, please.

Anything you say, man.

Refer to me as Your
Honor. Don't call me "Man."

I was giving you the
benefit of the doubt.

With that dress you
got on, who can tell?

Gonna be another
one of those days, huh?

You may be seated.

I wish you'd make
up your mind, man.

Get up. Sit down.
Get up. Sit down.

Remove the gum.

You heard what the man said.

Ain't you got no
respect for the law?

Remove the gum.

I'm referring to you.

Me?

Anything you say, Your Highness.

Bailiff, give me the
aspirin, will you?

Hey. Hey there, Your Majesty.

You shouldn't be
pill-popping in court.

Young man, I've had just
about enough out of you.

Mr. Connors, as
his probation officer,

haven't you impressed upon
him the seriousness of this charge?

I did, Your Honor.

I have more than cases

to dispose of this morning
and I'm not gonna put up with

any more of your
childish nonsense.

I'm just a juvenile,
Your Ecstasy.

I don't know how to
act. I'm underprivileged.

Sometimes I think this
court is underprivileged.

Are you this young man's father?

Lord, no.

Your Honor, this
is the gentleman

who's pressing charges.

You already have his deposition.

The young man
does not have a father.

His father left home
when he was a child.

Wise choice.

Is he represented by counsel?

The Office of the
Public Defender

assigned counsel, Your Honor.

The defendant
refuses to speak to him.

Well, is there a
mother or a guardian?

A mother, Your Honor. She works.

She should be here any moment.

Well, we're pressed for
time. Let's get on with it.

Frank Jefferson, you're charged

with holding up the
Lakeside Supermarket.

Wait a minute.

That's the wrong
rap, Your Majesty.

There's been a mistake.

Frank Jefferson is the
next case on the docket.

Well, then, who am I talking to?

Cleon Edwards. I thought
I put his file on your desk.

There's so damn many cases,
the backlog is unbelievable.

Here we go.

Nope, I'm sorry, Your Honor.

Your Honor, I'm sorry.

Our file clerk was
just transferred

to the Sheriff's Department.

Uh, here we are.

Cleon Edwards.

No, this isn't it either.

This is your application
for your transfer.

You're leaving us?

I'm sorry about
this, Your Honor.

Cleon Edwards.

Cleon Edwards. Here we are.

All of the past violations,
the home environment, etc.

I did the best I could
with the time that I had.

Excuse me for being late.

Your Honor, this
is Cleon's mother.

I'm sorry, Your Honor,

but I had to go
straight home from work

and feed my other kids
and get them off to school.

Be seated, please.

Over here, ma'am.

Well, Cleon, I see you've
been a busy young man

in the past few years.

Been arrested five times.

Curfew violation, vandalism,
drunkenness, petty theft,

as*ault...

and now as*ault
with a deadly w*apon

against one James Evans, Jr.

That's right. That's right.

That's the animal
that sh*t my son.

I seen it myself.
Mr. Evans, please.

What's all the
jive, Your Worship?

I plead guilty and throw
myself on the mercy of the court.

You know what you're
waiving your right to?

Yeah, yeah, I know it.
I've been here before, man.

Witnesses may be dismissed.
Mr. Evans, thank you.

Oh, now wait a minute.

I wanna see what happens
to this animal that sh*t my son.

He's thrown himself on the
mercy of the court, Mr. Evans,

and we already
have your deposition.

Well at least let me hang around

and see you throw
the book at him.

I'm sorry. You're going
to have to leave the court.

Wait a minute! I wanna
see what happens

to this dog that sh*t my son.

The court will determine that.

Only the immediately
family is needed.

Man, I don't dig it.

See you later, old man.

Yeah, outside. Outside.

The defendant will
stand for sentencing.

Get up!

Cleon, I've decided on
an indeterminate sentence

at St. Charles
Reformatory for Boys

until you're or
otherwise discharged.

Your Honor, St. Charles
is filled up. No vacancies.

Well, the county jail is
no place for a juvenile,

but he'll have to go
there temporarily.

They're even more crowded
over there, Your Honor.

No vacancies.

No vacancies?

What the hell are
we running here,

a jail system or a Holiday Inn?

You will be on
probation until you're ,

during which time you'll
report to your probation officer

at least twice a week

and attend group
rap sessions regularly.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

If I ever see you in
this hearing room again,

you'll serve your full sentence,

even if it's in the county jail.

Later on, Your Magistration.

Oh!

Forgot my gum.

See there, Mama.

Nothing to it. I'm in the clear.

Everything is cool.

Don't you talk to me, boy.
Don't you ever talk to me again.

What?

There ain't nothing can
be done for you, Cleon.

You no good.

Lord knows I have done my
best, but you just plain no good.

Is that any way to talk
to your beloved son?

You was beloved
once, a long time ago.

But no more.

And I give up on you, Cleon!

I pray to God every night

that none of my other
kids turn out like you.

Oh, you ain't got to
worry about them, Mama.

See, they got me.

I'm gonna see
to it they get over.

See?

Look at you.

You're standing there smirking

and bringing all
this grief on me.

I never thought I
could feel this way

about my own
child, but I hate you.

Sometimes I wish
you was never born!

If only your father was here.

What if he was? He'd
be a wino in the gutter!

He ran out on you, didn't he?

Where was he when
we needed him, Mama?

Where was he?

I don't need him. I
don't need nobody.

You want me too? Huh? What
you want? You wanna hit me?

Come on. Hit me, man. Hit me.

Hit me!

I don't want to hit you, son.

I don't want nothing.

Florida, what you doing here?

I thought I told you
to stay home, baby.

James, I was so worried
about what you might do,

I had to come.

They let him go, huh? Yeah.

Plenty of g*ns, but no places
to put the kids who use them.

Lord.

Well, there ain't nothing
we could do, James.

Yea, there was something
I could have done.

I could have broke
him in half, but...

Florida, what
kind of father am I

to feel sorry for the
man that sh*t my son?

The right kind, James.

The right kind.

[♪♪♪]

♪ Mm-mm-mm ♪

♪ Just lookin' Out
of the window ♪

♪ Watching the asphalt grow ♪

♪ Thinkin' how It all
looks hand-me-down ♪

♪ Good times Good times ♪

♪ Keepin' your
head Above water ♪

♪ Makin' a wave When you can ♪

♪ Temporary layoffs Good times ♪

ANNOUNCER: Good
Times is recorded on tape

before a live audience.

♪ Ain't we lucky we got 'em ♪

♪ Good times ♪♪