05x07 - Hate It or Love It

[bunniefuu]

Thank you all for being here.

Now, as you know,

it's been a few days since the "L.A.
Tribune Online" dropped an article

about our school's bountygate scandal.

To say that I'm embarrassed,

- that would be an understatement.
- Yeah, right.

- Like he didn't know.
- Maybe he didn't.

Yeah, I'm with J. Look,
you read the article, Romeo;

Garrett was the one who
finessed those players

- into breaking the rules for him.
- Sure,

but our program could
have maybe survived

if that Jayden Davis reporter dude

hadn't dropped the damn article
and made it national news!

Look, thanks to him,
we are so screwed, man.

To the players and the families affected

by those bounties, I would
like to say that I am sorry,

and I say that on behalf of
myself and this institution.

In no way does what Coach
Garrett did reflect on what me,

my athletic department, or
this university represents,

and once the NCAA is done
with their investigation,

I hope they see it the same way.

At this point, I'd like to
open it up for questions.

A.D. Barnes, A.D. Barnes,

now that the school has been exposed,

does Garrett still have a
job waiting for him at Bryson?

He will not.

- Whoo!
- Yes!

OK, Liv, OK!

- You did that!
- Queen of all disruptors

and the reason this article has
been trending for days now.

No, no, no. I was just
one of the reasons.

This was a total team effort.

Uh, no. For months, you've literally

put everything on the
line for this story.

Yeah, I mean, you even
sacrificed your name

for everybody you love, so we're
just giving you your flowers, girl.

- Thank you.
- Well, and speaking of flowers,

- we've gotta go get yours.
- Wait. What's the occasion?

Someone is about to hit one
million followers on social.

Damn! That's awesome!
Wait. That was fast.

- Yeah.
- Honestly, ever since I hired Gia,

things have been moving
at a different frequency,

and the fans love this new
reimagining of Patience.

Yeah, so, you know, it's only right

that I do a live for the
people that made it possible.

Before we go... One
more time for queen Liv.

- OK, we gotta go.
- OK, OK.

- I love you. I love you. Congratulations!
- Bye! Congrats!

Bye.

A.D. Barnes, A.D. Barnes.

What does this mean for
the future of GAU's program?

I can't lie. Look, these violations
pose a huge challenge to us,

but you all know me.

Faith has always been my guidepost.

I believe that we will eventually
be on the right side of this.

One bad seed does not define us.

- It's just gonna take some time.
- "Some time."

I'm a junior, man.

My time is now.

Hold up. Hold up. What
the hell are y'all doing?

What's it look like
we're doing, freshman?

- We're done.
- Whoa, whoa. Come on, guys.

At least wait until Barnes

- has had a chance to talk to all of us.
- He just did!

And you know what I heard?

A man who has no clue
what the future holds.

None of us do.

Look, look, what Garrett did was
an unprecedented and horrible thing,

and the NCAA's gonna have
some stuff to say about it...

"Have some stuff to say about it"?

The NCAA are gonna make
an example out of us.

Look, I'd be shocked if
they don't give this school

the death penalty, man.

I'm out.

You're hella calm.

The only other option is panic.

I'm doing anything possible
not to go there yet.

Do you really think we'll
get the death penalty?

Anything's possible at this point, man.

That's a full year without football.

Which means you and me
gonna have to rebuild

this thing from scratch.
You know that, right?

Right, right.

Explain to me why we haven't
dropped our jerseys in this pile?

Because we are the future of GAU, J.

But if we don't even have a present,

how in the hell are we
supposed to have a future?

Good point.

Look, Spence, I got nothin' but love

for GAU, all right?

They were the only ones
who gave me a chance

when nobody was check-in' for me,

but half of our roster just bounced...

OK, and not just them, but

Marco Galvez and the rest

- of the young'uns are gone, too...
- They still got us.

You hear me? They
still got us, my boy...

two of the biggest dogs on campus.

OK, look, I get that you're trying

to be optimistic right
now, Spence, but...

We can't do this alone, OK?

This is a team game.

That's another good point.

Ah!

So what now?

You and me got a decision to make.

OK. Shift down.

- Perfect!
- OK, OK, OK, OK! Wait.

Before I hit one million followers, um,

what pose should I try next, like, um...

ooh, I know! Maybe, like,
a... like a look back.

Um, you... I love
that, love all that, um,

but maybe it's time we,
you know, we look back

and see if you've hit the milestone.

OK. Good call. Good call.

OK, are you seriously
gonna make me wait?

You know I can just go on your
page and check on my own, right?

One million b*tches!

- Ah!
- OK, OK, OK, OK!

- OK, OK, time to officially post my pic.
- Mmm.

- Ooh.
- Ooh.

There it is. Um...

OK, there.

- Done.
- OK.

Oh, my God. OK.

Oh, I love my fans.

"Yasss, queen,"

"I love you, Pay." Aw.

"I loved your first album. I
can't wait for the next one."

- That's so sweet.
- I know.

Oh.

"Man, this chick ain't
nothin' but a industry plant."

- Wait. What does that even mean?
- It doesn't mean anything, OK?

It's just some troll being stupid.

You're not some random artist
that came out of nowhere

with all these connections, OK?
You worked your ass off to get here.

Oh, my God. Is that
what they really think?

Like, no, they... they're
just, like, reposting it.

Uh, you know what? I... I have an idea,

so just hang here.
I'm gonna fix this, OK?

- Yeah, OK.
- OK.

- Coach.
- My dudes. What's up?

You gotta tell us something, Coach,

'cause I ain't gonna
lie. We starting to panic.

- What's next for our team?
- Oh, you're looking at it.

- Looking at what?
- These are the players that's left on our roster.

We did lose some good guys today,

but this is the
foundation of y'all team.

This is the reason you still have
a chance to win a chip one day,

and that starts with you two.

OK, but, um, what about
the pending suspension?

From what I'm hearing, at worst,

it's a two-year bowl
ban; At best, one year.

Either way, you two will still be here.

You keep saying, "you two."

What are you not telling us, Coach?

So I met with A.D. Barnes about
becoming the new head coach.

He's not comfortable promoting
someone from Garrett's staff.

So what does that mean for you?

I'm still the
wide-receiver coach for now,

but I think it's best I
start looking elsewhere.

Hey, hey, look, this isn't about me.

This is about you two,
so I need you to keep

what's left of this
squad together, all right?

Y'all make me proud.

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

Only way to make him proud is
to get him hired as head coach.

Spence, you heard the man. He
already tried. It's not happenin'.

So what, A.D. Barnes
can't change his mind?

He's gotta hear from
the players, a'ight...

especially the two star players
they can't afford to lose...

that Coach Kenny is our guy.

We're gonna get him this job, man.

Look, you'll know when I know.

Uh, that's the best I can do.

My bad, A.D. Barnes. Look, I know
stuff's kinda crazy right now.

I just wonder if I can
get a second of your time?

- Yeah, talk to my assistants.
- Well, is there a time that works for you?

See my answer to your first question.

- Look, I really only need a second...
- Don't you have to be in class or something?

- My bad.
- It's all good, sir.

I know you're a man of faith,

and with everything that's
going on, I just wanted to say...

Faith sees what's not there

and embraces the impossible.

- Proverbs?
- Book of Grace James, my moms.

Look, I value everything
that you and Jordan

are doing for this
team, I... I really do,

and I'm sure what you have to say
to me right now is very important,

but I just need some time to steer
this iceberg away from the Titanic.

Once I'm able to come up for some air,

we'll get something on the books, OK?

We'll get it on the books. Hey. Barnes.

Yeah. No, I'm..

OK, big smile. Oh!

- What, that's not big enough?
- It's your first day of school, Coop.

I need something that's giving
optimism and new beginnings.

Babe, I am trying, all right?

But my morning hasn't
been the most optimistic,

especially with everything
going on with Jordan and Spencer.

I saw the press conference,

but knowing the two of them and
the mythical powers of your vortex,

I'm sure you guys will help
them find their way around this.

- You're right.
- OK, now can I finally get that smile?

Cute. Oh! Before I forget,

I updated your Spotify playlist and
packed you some snacks for lunch.

Some what? Baby, I'm a grown-ass woman.

- What kind of snacks did you pack?
- You'll see.

I'm just so proud of you, Coop.

- Auditing your first law class is beyond.
- Thank you, baby.

But it ain't gonna be easy. I heard
Professor Hill suffers no fools

- and he loves to challenge his students.
- OK, and?

You've been reading that case file
all week, so, challenge accepted.

- You got this, girl.
- Mm-hmm.

Let's take a pic before you leave.

Since today is your day,

we should do your favorite pose.

- The... the look back?
- Mm-hmm.

Say less.

Sorry, baby. Kissy face, kissy face.

OK, so

Barnes is down to talk,
just not for a while?

That's what I took from
it, which doesn't help us.

We gotta meet with him before
Coach Kenny takes another job.

Are those your reusable bags?

You serious? I ain't
even know we had those.

Well, not this many,

and definitely not this color.

Dude, they are everywhere. What...

wait, wait. Are we being robbed?

By who, the grocery bandit?

Ah, ha ha! What's up, Ma?

- Hey! Ha ha!
- Ms. Grace.

- Missed you.
- Oh, missed you, too.

- Hey. Aw!
- How are you?

- Good to see you.
- Ha ha ha!

Wow. A house full of
groceries and no JJ?

- Chill, man.
- Dude, I thought we agreed

we wouldn't say those letters
after the way he bounced on us.

No, we didn't, and it's one letter.

- Said twice.
- I am glad to see

y'all handling JJ leaving like men.

Told you everything's
under control, OK? We good.

I know, baby, but I needed
to see it with my own eyes.

You got a lot going on.

The least I can do is make some
home-cooked meals for a few days.

- I'll take that.
- You two mind

getting the rest of
the groceries outside?

Yes, ma'am.

Uh, yeah, just one second.
I gotta take this. Heh!

Oh, how convenient. Yeah.

Hello?

So how are things at school?

Crazy.

Half the team's
planning on transferring,

and the other half is waiting to see

if Coach Kenny gonna replace Garrett,

which ain't happening unless me and J.

can get A.D. Barnes to change his mind,

but he ain't trying to
make time for us right now.

- Did you talk to Billy?
- Ma, Coach can't be there for everything.

This is something me and J.
gotta figure out on our own.

I'd agree if A.D. Barnes
didn't go to South Crenshaw.

- Wait. For real?
- For real,

and if you want Barnes to
take you and Jordan seriously,

you're gonna need a
grownup in the room...

someone like Billy, someone
who knows about coaching

and all the pressure
that comes with the job.

- You got this.
- Yeah.

I'm glad you're here.

Surprise!

Huh?

To our young cub.

Not only has your article been
trending for the past days,

but it officially became
the most-viewed sports story

in our publication's history.

So this cake is our gift to you

and token of our downright obsession,

Miss Olivia... I mean,

Miss Jayden Davis.

Um, you know, honestly,

this story would not have been possible

if it wasn't for Christel's
unwavering support

and the contribution of
everyone here, so thank you all.

All right, guys. Back to work.

OK...

- Talk.
- What?

I can see it, Liv.

You don't feel worthy of
being celebrated, do you?

Full disclosure: I haven't...

I haven't slept since it was released.

Garrett destroyed GAU, not you.

He's in a meeting? You can call... like,

I just need to talk to him for a minute.

- All right, D. I'll see you later.
- Oh. Clay!

I can't right now, Layla. I'm
heading to a recording session.

Let me guess. It's with
your rapper, Petty Kruger.

She just called Patience
an industry plant.

Heh heh! Damn!

Petty chose v*olence today,

but is it really that surprising?

I mean, her name is Petty.

That's all you have to say?

You know how artists can get, Layla.

It's never more than what it seems.

They should squash their
beef over a track together.

That would be a vibe.

Or Petty could apologize.
Accountability is a vibe, too.

Is she wrong, though?

I saw the teaser for Patience's video.

Y'all did a on your
girl's look and song,

making her real
artificial and plant-like.

I miss boho Patience.
There was something...

there was something honest
and vulnerable about her.

I ain't feeling this new version.

Well, it doesn't really
matter how you're feeling

'cause that teaser got two
million views in days,

so the people have clearly spoken.

Yeah, but when JP tried that
same approach with Patience,

she pushed back, so you and
Gia steal from his playbook

- and what, now it's cool?
- OK,

there is a huge difference
between forcing Patience

to change versus helping mature her

into the next phase of her career,

which is what I'm doing, OK, not
that I have to explain that to you.

- Right. Mature. You sure about that?
- Yes.

Why wouldn't I be?

Wait. Are you serious right now?

Yes! Yes! I am talking to you!

I don't care! I don't
care, ibetrolling!

Like, I will come for you,

you, and anybody else
call... calling me a...

a damn industry plant! Like, what?

"Plant-based and basic"?

OK, really, bitch? No!

Really? Like you can
talk, robo-thot!

Like, what does that even mean?!

- Yes! Yes! I am talking to you... I'm talking...
- Sorry. Heh!

Ever heard of not engaging?

Oh, my God.

That's awesome. That... thank you.

I'll see and I'll... I'll let you know.

Take care.

Dude, I am in love.

Hush puppies, made from scratch,

heavenly curated. My God!

Mmm! Whoo!

You good?

That was the head coach
at Willmont College.

With everything up in
the air at my school,

he wants me to come in for a visit.

So, wait, are you about to
open up your recruitment?

I... I don't know. Spence
and I are trying to save GAU,

so it feels kinda weird
turning my back on him,

- especially now.
- What if there's no school to save?

And even if there is, I get
why Spence is sticking around;

he's fighting for Coach
Kenny. That's his guy,

but... is he your guy, too?

Wow.

I mean, I haven't even taken
a trip to Willmont. I mean,

- what if I'm not the right fit for 'em?
- Nah, it's not about that, man.

It's about seeing what's out there.

Listen to me. You are
a damn good player.

This will not be the last
school to reach out to you.

So far, it's the only one, right?

Look...

I was waiting to take my lead from you.

Since now seems to be the right time,

I would like to officially

add Coastal into the mix, so...

Two schools.

Heh!

Heh! OK.

Welcome to introduction to law.

I'm Professor Hill.

I hope you all had a chance to review
the case document that I emailed.

Our defendant, Mr. Ren Tyler

from California, filed a claim

that he was wrongfully terminated
from his job as a dentist.

Now, which one of you brave individuals

would like to list
the facts of this case?

Ms. Cooper,

are you prepared to list
the facts of the case?

Uh, yeah, sure. Um,

to me, the defendant had
a valid reason for suing;

He was fired because he had dreadlocks.

Interesting, and how did
you come to this conclusion?

WWB...

Working while black.

Please continue, Ms. Cooper.

Uh, when Mr. Tyler,
uh, went to interview,

they knew that he had dreadlocks,

so why would they turn around and claim

that he violated a personal
grooming policy a week later?

But it's stated in the file
that he covered his dreadlocks

with a hat during his interview, which,

if you had read the file
correctly, you would have seen.

I mean, either way, this is
a violation of the Crown Act.

This incident occurred in ,

- which predates the Crown Act.
- Yeah, but...

Thank you, Ms. Cooper.
Class, piece of advice:

When listing the facts of a case,

be sure to color a clear
distinction between the facts

and your personal feelings.

- There you are.
- Coach. I'm not interrupting, am I?

No, just, uh, just my lunch.

- OK.
- But we're fine.

If you hear my stomach growling,

- just ignore it.
- OK...

I'm on this juice cleanse.

I haven't eaten for, like, days,

but it's cool, it's cool.

If I were to faint, though,
do you know mouth-to-mouth?

I mean, isn't... you should
probably get some teachers who...

I'm just playing with you.
I'm only kidding. Ha ha ha!

- Come on, man.
- I know you been going through it.

- Well, what's going on?
- Yeah, do you think, uh,

you can get me and J. a
meeting with A.D. Barnes?

- About?
- Well, we think Coach Kenny

is the right man to replace Garrett.

Oh. Um, well, you know,

Coach Kenny doesn't have
any head-coaching experience.

- Neither did you when you took over at Beverly.
- OK.

First off, that was high school.

Y'all are a powerhouse D program.

But if we lose Kenny, we gonna
lose the rest of the team, man.

Not necessarily. There are plenty
of really great coaches out there.

Any of 'em want to join a
program facing suspension?

For the right price,

and they then get here and
you'd make the adjustment,

just like you did with Coach Kenny.

You ever have a coach that just got you?

What y'all had is...

Unexplained... natural?

I did. He actually was
a head coach here...

Coach Hayes.

Kenny is my Coach Hayes.

And he's another connection to my pops.

- Livvy?
- Mom, why aren't you at work?

Because I took an early day.

Why aren't you at work?

Or home, or school?

My morning was...

A lot. I saw the press conference.

Yeah.

Yeah... ... And there was a celebration

- at my job and a speech.
- Mm-hmm?

And a cake.

Oh. You love cake.

Not this cake.

- Oh.
- I don't know.

Christel says I need to......

embrace the success of my article.

Well, she's right.

But it's hard to do that
when I see how much chaos

this landmine of a story has
already caused Spencer and Jordan.

Well, sweetie, it's
not like you didn't know

some kind of fallout
was coming from this.

Have you even talked
to either one of them?

Not yet. I still want
to give 'em more time,

just 'cause it's still so new.

Or you could just rip the
band-aid off and go for it.

Maybe talking to them is the
key to unlocking everything,

but you're not going to
enjoy this pinnacle moment

of your career until you find peace

in this huge accomplishment.

"Plant-based and basic"?

Really, bitch? Really?

Like you can talk!

- Hey. Where's Patience?
- Hey.

- Uh, upstairs, sleeping.
- Yeah? How's she doing?

She's clearly embarrassed and
upset, but mostly embarrassed.

You should have seen her,
Jordan. I mean, being called

- an industry plant was really triggering.
- Mmm.

Anyway, um, enough about me.

Your text said you
had some goodish news,

which, way to sell it, by the way.

- OK.
- OK.

Two schools have reached out to me

about transferring...

Willmont College and Coastal.

OK. Um...

Plot twist. I... I mean,
that's... that's awesome,

but are you leaving GAU?

I don't know yet. I don't know yet.

I still have a lot of thinking
to do, of... of course,

including what it would mean for us

if... if I leave, you
know, 'cause I'm not sure

I'm ready for the whole
long-distance thing, Layla.

Honestly, long-distance
could work in our favor,

you know, help keep our secret a secret?

- True, true. True.
- Heh!

Yeah. I... I mean, not that
I wouldn't miss our long walks

on the beach in a city
with no actual seasons

and some of the most
stunning views in the world.

- Heh heh!
- But, honestly,

whatever you do, don't feel
like you have to stay at GAU

out of some misplaced loyalty.

I mean, I know I wouldn't want
my artist to feel that way.

Hmm.

Oh.

_

Look at you with the
bougie-ass Bento box.

- What's up?
- What's up, man?

How'd your first day of school go?

It went.

Come on, man.

What you doing out here?

Waiting on Jordan.

Me, him, and Coach Baker have
a meeting with A.D. Barnes.

OK.

Me and Coach Baker.

Jordan ain't coming.

Mm-mmm.

- Yo!
- Hey, I ain't done talking 'bout your first day.

- Man, like hell you ain't.
- My mom's in town.

She making gumbo tonight.

- Guess we'll talk then.
- We'll talk then.

Ha ha!

- Hey.
- Very impressive.

What?

Using Billy to skip the line
and set this lunch meeting.

Ain't much I wouldn't do for my
fellow alumni of South Crenshaw. Heh!

That Charger pride runs
deep, which reminds me.

Thanks for getting your daughter
to back off that article,

even though another
reporter scooped it anyway.

Least it wasn't a
family betrayal, right?

Right, um. Right, uh we're
actually here, though,

to talk about Coach Kenny.

- Y'all trying to get him promoted.
- Yes, sir, we are,

and we really appreciate
you hearing us out.

Well, you know I know what
it's like to rebuild a program.

I... I did it when I
returned to South Crenshaw.

Yeah, yeah, I know. I mean,
the first couple of games

was tough for you, right?
Then you figured it out,

got us right back to state.
Oh, and for the record,

Chris Jackson scored, OK? I
don't care what nobody says.

Yes, he did.

I know I don't have to
tell you how important it is

to have players buy into your plan.

When that happens, uh,
you can move mountains.

I did it, and I think
Kenny can do it here, too.

Sir, we have players on standby,

ready to stay if Kenny's our
guy, including me and Jordan,

who, honestly, could
have left, but we didn't

because we know we've got the
right dude in-house to lead us.

Listen, seeing you guys pound the
table for Kenny is a beautiful thing.

I mean, black kings doing their part

to get another fitted for his crown?

- That should be the status quo.
- Right, but you, uh,

- you need a bigger name.
- Look, hey, D football

is pure business to a lot of these cats.

I need a big name to appease the
board and get them to sign off.

There's no way a top-tier coach

is gonna take a job at a program

that could be facing the death penalty,

so I say think outside the box,

go against the grain,
like a Coach Hayes.

Coach Hayes? Wow.

- Wow, you dug deep in the crate for that one.
- Ha ha ha!

Coach Hayes, yeah, yeah.
Now, he was a good dude.

The type of coach that any player would

run through a brick wall for.

Kenny is built like him.

So, what do you say, Ricky?

Do you want to give Kenny his crown?

Mmm.

- Yo.
- Yo.

I thought we weren't
eating for another hour.

Best seat in the house. I
been eating all day, bro.

- OK.
- Heh! I'm pretty sure I ate

half the plate that my po boy was on.

- Po boy?
- So what's up with Willmont?

Oh, I just had an unofficial zoom
call with the offensive coordinator.

Dude's awesome. He all but
promised me the QB spot.

- Are you taking a visit?
- I mean, I want to, but, you know, I...

I still gotta tell Spence, so...

what's up, uh, what's up with Coastal?

You know, I've been talking
to Montes about you all day.

He's wanted this to happen since
you cooked us at homecoming.

- Yeah?
- Yeah.

- Wow.
- Once you officially initiate your transfer,

the coaches at Coastal,
they want to meet

- and do whatever it takes.
- OK.

Hey, look, I... I gotta go meet Jaymee.

- Let me know what you decide.
- Of course.

- Spence.
- What's up, bro? How you feeling?

- Ooh, heh! Stuffed.
- Hey, fellas.

Hey, man. What happened earlier?

How come you bailed on the
meeting with A.D. Barnes?

My bad. Something came up.

- Something like what?
- Uh-oh.

- Oh, look who's here.
- Fellas, what's happenin'?

- How you know where we live, man?
- Coach Kenny, baby. Come on.

Ha ha! He knows everything.

Hey, thank you, thank you,

- and thank you.
- Damn, that's a lot of thank yous.

- Mm-hmm.
- Did what I think happened happen?

Do you mean did I meet
with A.D. Barnes about

- the head-coaching position?
- Mm-hmm.

- Yes.
- OK.

Did he make an offer? Not yet.

But there's a chance, and
that's all that matters.

I don't want to jinx it, but

he did say he could see a
future with me as the head.

- Ha ha!
- You know what I mean?

- There you go. That's what's up.
- There we go.

Hey, I'm telling you, the energy
in this meeting with Barnes?

Completely different than yesterday,

and that was only
possible because of you .

- Much respect.
- Hey, you deserve it, sir.

- Mmm.
- You deserve it.

We, uh, we got some gumbo.

Uh, no. I gotta go back
and tell the family.

- A'ight.
- Do your thing.

- I appreciate y'all.
- Yes, sir.

- And y'all stay up.
- Be safe.

Whew! Nice moves today.

- OK, man. One step at a time.
- Yeah.

Hey. Uh, Gia should be here any minute.

- OK, cool.
- So, hey, um,

I know this image reboot
is new to all of us,

so I just wanted to make sure
that you're OK with everything

we're doing 'cause taking some
pretty big swings here. Heh!

Girl, yes. My fans are
loving the new song,

and that video teaser is b*mb, so...

OK.

- What?
- I just know how prideful you are

of your music, so if you feel like
we're forcing you to do anything

that you're not comfortable
with, you would tell me, right?

Yes, absolutely. Look,

when I saw that post, you
know, I was in my feelings,

and then I realized, you know,

only a few people had commented,

and then, once everybody else
started jumping in, it was...

it was like a huge love fest,

and that wouldn't be
possible without you and Gia.

- What's not possible without me?
- Oh, ho ho!

Hey, just, uh, my glow-up. Duh.

Heh! Which, thankfully, has not
taken much of a hit since your live,

but doesn't hurt to
do some damage control.

Now, in my experiences,

the best way to b*at a troll
is to k*ll them with kindness.

Well, and because you
reacted on the live,

you'll have to apologize to
your fans in the same fashion.

- Yeah.
- Mmm! OK. Got it.

Don't be afraid to be open with
them and just be free and raw

and show them the other side
of your vulnerability, right?

You know, the more they see
themselves in you, the better.

Yeah, and since Petty
Kruger started this,

- you should tag her in the post...
- Oh.

And thank her for the enlightenment.

Oh, my God. I love that.

- So you're enlightened now.
- I'm enlightened.

I'm enlightened and I'm fun.

- And you're thankful, yeah.
- Thankful.

Oh, my goodness. I can't...

ham and muenster is really good.

I thought Liv was coming.

I told her, but she never confirmed.

Well, there's plenty of gumbo leftover
if you want to take some to her.

Wait. Slow your roll, Ms. Grace.

I still got room for thirds and fourths.

- Ha ha! Oh, really, babe?
- Slow down.

Yes, I'm a starving college student now.

- I gotta eat.
- Oh, yeah!

- Yeah.
- How did that go?

Your first day of auditing law class?

She thinks her professor hates her.

On the first day? What happened?

We are working on a discrimination case,

and he asked me to explain what I read,

and I possibly put my
personal feelings before...

actual facts.

OK.

Crickets? Really?

Come on. My passion is my north star.

It's carried me my entire
life. Y'all know that.

You're right, you're right, and
I think I speak for everybody

when I say we love your passion,

but passion alone ain't
winning you cases in court.

I tell my players that
passion is important

and necessary, but it
only gets you so far,

but if you want to win,
gotta have a game plan.

Yup, and the facts are
your game plan, Coop.

You use them as the tool
to drive your case forward,

and you save the best part of
you for your closing argument.

That's our point, babe.

Find a way to tailor your message
to the person who's receiving it.

In this case, that's your professor.

- I like her.
- Me, too.

I'll tell you what, why don't we do

a mock courtroom

after your fourth plate of gumbo...

Get you ready for tomorrow's class?

All right. Bet.

- All right.
- I'll be the judge.

- Hey.
- Hey.

Missed you out there.

- Yeah, it's my bad. Something... something...
- Came up.

Yeah, that's been happening a lot today.

I saw the way you looked at Coach
Kenny when he was thanking us.

What's up with that, hmm?

I'm thinking about transferring.

- Man, stop playing.
- I'm serious, Spence.

I mean, ever since that
article dropped, a few schools

have reached out to me, so...

OK, but you're at GAU,

with me; We supposed to be
turning this thing around together.

What exactly are we turning around?

You heard Coach Kenny, man. He's
looking like he's gonna be the guy.

For a school that could be
under investigation for months.

- Or maybe sooner.
- Whether it happens today

or months from now,
GAU is gonna be punished

for something you and I
had nothing to do with.

I owe it to myself to
see what's out there.

OK, and when you go to another school,

there is no guarantee
you gonna start, J.

That could happen at GAU, too!

- Not with Coach Kenny, man!
- You don't know that!

You don't know that, OK? Coach
Kenny is your guy, not mine!

- J., listen...
- No, it's all good.

Spence, I've been playing
football since I was years old,

and I've never had a guy, not once.

When I was at Beverly,

I wasn't my dad's guy.

You were.

When Montes took over,
Asher became her guy.

When I first got to GAU,
Wade was Garrett's guy.

But when I spoke to the
O.C. at Willmont today...

The energy felt different.

Heh! The way he responded to me

and listened to me

and promised to build their
offense around me, man.

Then it hit me:

Maybe he could be my guy.

Now, look, man, I know you...

I know you have a guy, so
maybe this doesn't apply,

but if I were you, I would
explore my options, man.

Remember your dream, Spence,

all right? Find you a
school that's gonna get you

the straight sh*t to
the NFL, because GAU...

GAU isn't it anymore.

Ha ha!

Someone else found
their way to the gumbo.

Well, Ms. Grace sent the Bat signal,

- and here I am.
- Hmm.

Um...

So, I, uh... You first.

You have the floor.

I just wanted to say

thank you for dropping that article.

An article that... Blew up your life?

An article that changed
my life for the better.

Other schools want me, Liv.

Big schools.

I'm actually thinking
about transferring from GAU.

- Really?
- Yes,

and it's all because
of you. This is gonna be

the sports story of
the year, a story that

you didn't take credit for
to protect me and Spence,

a story that's gonna force some major
rule changes in college football.

Pseudonym or not,

this is your work.

You made that happen,

and I am so damn proud of you.

Well, what the hell was that for?

- Now you're gonna make me cry.
- Aw, I think I see tears.

No. I had a whole
speech prepared for you,

and you just, like,
totally one-upped me.

I wanted to say sorry,

but somehow, you found a way

to turn this into an
awesome opportunity.

Whether it's GAU or another
school, you're gonna shine

'cause that's your purpose, Jordan.

You made that happen.

No one's prouder than me.

Jordan told me.

It's a good opportunity.

Doesn't make it hurt any less.

He just doing what's best for him, Ma.

I did the same thing when I
left Beverly for South Crenshaw.

You saying all the right things,

but how do you really feel?

- Does it really matter?
- Yes.

With everything that Jordan told
me, he's just exploring his options.

Yeah, but he already building
relationships with his coaches.

There's no coach that
will ever compare to you.

I'm just saying.

There's still a chance he'll stay.

I hope so...

'Cause if I'mma fight for
this school, I need Jordan.

We came to GAU together.

We've been in the
trenches together. We...

Been through a lot together, you know?

I don't know if I can
do this without him, Mom.

Then tell him,

before it's too late.

OK, so, on to the next case?

Uh, before we do, I think
we're missing a key piece

of information in the "Tyler
vs. Osman" dental case.

The proverbial ship has
sailed, Ms. Cooper. Next case.

- Please, just hear me out.
- You have seconds.

OK, well, I went over all the
facts in this case and realized

there's no language in the
company's personal grooming policy

- that says dreadlocks are not allowed.
- OK, I'm listening.

Yeah?

OK, well, it... it only
required that the hair

be smooth or contained or
"must reflect a business image,"

and those are words used to
target people who look like me,

which is discriminatory
and flat-out wrong.

But that's why I'll always
fight for the underdogs,

so hopefully, Ren Tyler won
this case and still has his job.

He does...

And that's the reason he won.

Nice work, Ms. Cooper.

Moms told me you stopped by.

Saw you on the back deck, but
I figured you needed your space.

- I take it you heard about J.?
- I did.

Are you thinking about
doing the same thing?

I don't know. Everything's
so crazy right now,

I can't even hear my gut.

Think I'm crazy, not
exploring my options, Liv?

Think you're destined for greatness

whatever choice you make, Spencer.

The question you have to ask yourself is

where would you find the most peace
and pride in your accomplishments?

Is that rebuilding GAU or...

Starting fresh at a new school?

- Is that what happened for you?
- What, finding my peace

- and pride in my accomplishment?
- Yeah.

I don't know; Hadn't actually
thought about it till now.

I guess that's what I'm trying to do.

I know you stand on everything
you wrote in that article,

but I also know how tough
you can be on yourself.

So, however this shakes out,

Liv, me and J. gonna be a'ight,

so you can start finding
that peace and pride

by forgiving yourself for the fallout.

Knock knock.

- Twice in two days?
- Well, I come bearing gifts.

Cactus.

Industry plant. Wow.
You think you're funny.

No, seriously, cactus
symbolizes strength,

and I wanted to thank you
for being a worthy competitor.

We need to be competing for
something to be competitors.

Last time I checked, you
were still playing catch-up.

See, if that were true, you
wouldn't have sent Petty Kruger out

to do your dirty work
for you, but I get it.

You know, those well-manicured
hands of yours have limitations.

You really think I had
Petty come for Patience?

I do, and it was a stroke of genius.

I mean, since the post, Patience
has gained , new followers

and "Fire and Ice" is blowing
up on every platform, so...

Thank you for the enlightenment.

Real quick. Patience...

What about her?

She good?

She's better than good.

Hey, J., let me holla at you for...

Sorry, Spence.

It's all good.

You know, we could still do it together.

Yeah, yeah, we could...

But as much as I respect you
for making that tough decision...

I still got work to do
inside these walls, man.

GAU is my home.

Hey!

Wow.

Heh heh!

Man, this office is
really taking me back.

Yeah, I'll bet it does. Uh, what
you doing this side of the ?

- Came to see you, brother.
- OK. Have a seat.

Didn't know you took over
Coach Hayes' old office.

I did, uh, old cigarette burns and all.

'Member, he used to have the cigarette

dangling from the side of his mouth?

Aw, dude, yeah. You know, he...

... He had that... that
A.C. green Jheri curl...

- Yes.
- And with the juice all drippin'?

Ah, how he managed not to set
that thing on fire is beyond me.

Oh. I heard the, uh,
meeting with Kenny went well.

It did, yeah, and it
went very well, actually.

I mean, he checks all the boxes:

High character, leader of men.

Even has some pretty good ideas

about the future of the program.

Mmm, it's like he's Coach
Hayes, minus the cigarette

- and the Jheri curl.
- But, you know, as, uh,

as great as a coach as he was,

Coach Hayes wasn't half
the coach you are, Billy.

Ah, no. Think the...

think this old age is
getting to your head now.

No, no, I'm dead serious,

which is why I think that you
would be perfect for our program.

What? What are you...

- what are you saying?
- No, no, it's not what I say. It's what you said.

You think against the grain,
go outside the box, right?

Well, I'm here doing just that.

Billy Baker, I am
officially offering you

the head-coaching job of
the Golden Angeles Condors.

All you gotta do is just say yes.