Previously on "The Chi"...
You ain't ready for this, Kev.
Is your girl Tiff getting child support?
Don't be giving one kid special treatment.
That's fucked up, Emmett.
Shit!
"Hashtag baby daddy cut that check"?
Are any of these units
being reserved for low-income residents?
Not at the moment.
- Bonner, how are you? - I was telling her
how upset some in the community are.
Cooking is your gift. You'll be fine.
Every chef I'm going up against has a gift.
If you don't let your nerves get the best of you,
I think you could win.
- Kiesha! - Look, I'm focusing on track,
and I'm trying to get my grades up.
Thought you quit track.
I'm back on the team.
Ain't you been sneaking around
- with some nigga anyway? - Would you just come on?
"My daddy just died" sex?
- Let's just cuddle. - We have a problem.
What do we know about her?
A lot of our rivals are doing a lot of time
because of her tenacity.
Perhaps this motivated individual
needs a fish for her efforts.
You the guy from the commercials.
If you ever need anything, you give me a call.
- Synced and corrected by Firefly - - www.addic7ed.com -
♪ Let me talk to you for just a quick moment ♪
- There she is! - Like clockwork!
Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Hughes.
Y'all supposed to be out here with me.
♪ If you don't mind, hop off my line ♪
♪ 'Cause I am inclined to find a new dime ♪
♪ Say she love dark meat, filet mignon ♪
♪ If she lay with Shawn, she gon' stay till mornin' ♪
♪ Most likely give a grade-A performance ♪
♪ No waist, but her cake's enormous ♪
♪ Dirty-ass mouth, but her face is gorgeous ♪
♪ She gonna make a playboy pay her mortgage ♪
♪ Escape in a Wraith, vacay at the fortress ♪
♪ Don't get the picture, stay out the portrait ♪
♪ Shawty, you know damn well you know me ♪
♪ Caught you outside, Danielle Bregoli ♪
♪ Uh-huh, she's a diva and she know that ♪
♪ Every moment with her's Kodak ♪
♪ You got something I want, want ♪
♪ But that's something I don't need ♪
♪ I hardly can breathe ♪
♪ Hardly can breathe, hardly can breathe ♪
♪ Are you with them or with we? ♪
- ♪ Pardon my G ♪ - ♪ Let me talk to you ♪
♪ For just a quick moment, 'cause I see ♪
♪ That you are in need ♪
♪ Since your attentions are not my dimensions ♪
♪ I think that it's time you should leave ♪
♪ And if you don't mind, hop off my line ♪
♪ 'Cause I am inclined to find a new dime ♪
♪ You got something I want, want ♪
♪ But that's something I don't need ♪
♪ Need, I hardly can breathe ♪
♪ Hardly can breathe, are you with them or with we? ♪
♪ You can throw away the key ♪
♪ You are now rockin' with ♪
♪ The best ♪
♪ International F ♪
♪ And Big Snoop ♪
♪ You see, I wear my heart on my sleeve ♪
♪ But you making it hard ♪
♪ You making it hard for me to breathe ♪
♪ GCB, you got something I want ♪
♪ Want, but that's something I don't need ♪
Hey, you.
Told ya your hair would look good like that.
♪ Hardly can breathe ♪
♪ Are you with them or with we? ♪
♪ Pardon my G ♪
It's Po.
♪ The Chi 2x06 ♪ A Leg Up
All right, Stanley, I think your pencil's sharp enough.
Almost, Mr. Gasca.
- I just need to... - Shh!
Sit down, Stanley.
Bro...
Okay!
And pencils down, everyone.
I said pencils down.
So I was listening to NPR,
and I heard these standardized tests are culturally biased.
Right. Like, test me on some shit that's important.
Yeah. Algebra ain't got shit to do with shit.
Like who's the most famous person off O-Block?
That's easy. Chief Keef.
- Wrong. - It's a trick question.
The answer he's looking for is Michelle Obama,
but it wasn't called O-Block when she lived there.
Huh.
'Bout time you came back.
I was tired of doing your homework every day.
Every day?
Let me find out y'all see each other after school
- every day! - I was being nice.
First Andrea, now Maisha?
Ha. I see you keep it in the family, Kev.
Don't start with me today, Papa.
I ain't in it!
Y'all look cute together.
- I see you, Kev. - You don't see shit.
Dummies.
I'm having a birthday party. You should come.
Oh, I can't.
I'm not allowed to be out on school nights.
Sucks to be you.
We gonna have snow cones and Garrett's.
Garrett's? Caramel and cheese?
Yep. You stupid if you don't come.
Damn. What do you want me to bring?
That smile, and... a nice gift for me.
- Okay. - So...
how'd you do on the test?
Oh. I don't know.
It was culturally biased. You?
I slayed it.
See you at my party. And be on time.
I know how you black folks get.
You do realize she's coming home tomorrow,
and we still have a lot to do.
I think it looks pretty good.
Ronnie, we both know how particular your grandmother is.
Might as well leave her in the hospital,
'cause once she sees that lampshade is gone...
gonna have a heart attack.
And the TV?
She comes home and can't watch her judges?
Frames and the kitchen stuff I can replace, but...
- TV? - It'll cost you about
400 bucks to replace it with a new one.
- Damn! - Well, if you're interested,
I was talking to a real estate agent
that's selling the house across the street.
- Which one? - The one kitty-corner.
Used to have the nice lawn?
He asked me if I knew of anyone
looking for part-time work that could clean it up.
And I'll bet ya it'll pay a couple hundred bucks.
Yeah, I guess.
I'll talk to him.
Emmett. I know this motherfucker.
Yo! Yo, what the fuck?
I have the Aftertaste today.
You got your funky ass in my truck.
My old dude was trippin'. So I dipped.
- What he do now? - He's always running his mouth
- and shit. - Well, I see
- where you get it from. - I don't get shit from him.
Where your baby mama at? The one you still smashing.
She can't give you a spot on the couch or something?
Shit, she the ringleader!
Posting and bragging about checks on IG.
Which gives the other two baby mamas ideas.
Now all of them online are chummy.
Eatin' sushi together, sippin' mimosas,
proposin' toasts!
Talkin' about going down to the courthouse
to file on me. They out here like
the "Sisterhood of Travelin' Baby Mamas" and shit.
It's like my uncle used to say:
Your ass is knee-deep wearing ankle socks, boy.
Man, all my shit fucked up.
Motherfucka, I know...
What?
Boy, get your ass away from my sink.
Sleep on the truck.
But the rest of that shit you do,
do it inside my apartment
before I have to catch a murder charge on your ass.
You sure your girl won't mind?
I'm sure it'll be fine. Hopefully.
Psss, see you got what I need!
- Psss. - A grown-ass woman
who's understanding, not one of these little girls
out here runnin' around like chicken heads.
Yeah. Take notes.
Metrosexual playboy.
Housing is a right.
- Move it now! - Fight, fight, fight!
Get your asses gone now! Get to steppin'!
I ain't playing with you!
Housing is a right!
- Fight, fight, fight. - Get outta here!
- Mrs. Brown. - Get out of here!
I'm here now... please go inside and let me handle this.
Like hell, I will.
They may have a right to protest, but not here.
This is private property. I will call the police,
- God damn it! - No, no, no, Mrs. Brown.
Police? That's the last thing we should do.
You know how the police are over here.
You think I care about these people?
This is exactly the sort of foolishness
I don't want around my condos.
How do they even know where I live, Jerrika?
- I don't know... - Let me tell you somethin'.
You either fix this, or I am calling the police!
I don't care who the hell they haul off.
Housing is a right. Fight, fight, fight!
I want to get it listed as soon as I can.
I beat out two other agents to get it, so...
need to get it cleaned out.
It's a hot mess.
Get rid of everything... inside and out.
Anything you like, you can keep.
I'll get a dumpster for out front.
- What about the car? - You want it, it's yours.
Otherwise, I'll have it hauled away.
On to the interior.
Underneath all this crap you can see
the place has good bones.
Nice young couple's gonna drop a chunk o' change,
renovate it, and boom... your home price gonna go up.
$25,000.
This house actually used to be real nice.
Had the best lawn on the block.
Oh, you know the owners?
Uh... a little.
They, uh, disappeared a few years back.
You know where they went?
All I know is the father got sick and moved down South.
Kids finally decided to sell it.
They moved everything out that they wanted...
left the rest.
You can use those cleaning supplies.
I got a paint crew comin' in on Friday.
Oh, uh, if you ever thinking about selling, yourself...
Neighborhood's gettin' hot.
Hey, Papa.
How's it feel to be in third place?
Probably the same way it feels to be your parents...
disa-ppointing.
Well, maybe if you sold the candy
instead of eating it, you'd feel better.
- Old four-eyes. - Wait.
I thought you sold all the candy at the revival.
I did, but Stacey dad a conductor on the L.
I can't compete with metro foot traffic.
Everyone quiet, please.
Need your attention.
It has come to the administration's attention
that the standardized test booklets and answer keys
have ended up online.
Ooh!
Now, who did it, we don't know,
but until we figure out the culprit,
the field trip to the Shedd Aquarium is postponed.
Man, this is some bullshit!
Mrs. Ward's ass don't ever come outside her office
unless it's to give us some bad news.
Damn, Papa. I ain't never seen you this mad
about missing out on some fish that ain't fried.
Jake.
You need to come with us.
Why? What'd I do?
We can discuss it in the principal's office.
I'll catch up with y'all later.
Oh, I remember you.
You're that guy who banged my wife.
What?
What, you didn't think I knew about that?
What's up, Dan? How you been, man?
Go fuck yourself.
Good luck to you, too, motherfucker.
- Hey, Dan. - Hey, how are you, man?
Thanks again so much for the other night.
I never thought there was a chance in hell
I'd get you to cater my wife's birthday at Trestle.
- It was so good. - Thanks, man. Appreciate ya.
Okay. Cheers.
Listen,
I hear your concerns. I do.
I'm doing everything I can,
but right now, we have to move off this woman's property.
I was born, but not yesterday, Alderman.
Excuse me?
I need you to call off this rental riot.
Uh, folks, please. Give me a minute.
Look, I have no idea what you're talking about.
I know you called those protesters to the property
and now here to Mrs. Brown's home.
There's no way people could have connected her
as the owner of that property. It's a blind LLC.
Oh, you don't think some industrious activist
could find that information?
You're selling our people short.
She's talking about calling the police.
You think they're upset enough to go to jail?
Oh, you'd call the cops on a group of black folks
fighting for equal housing opportunity.
Ouch. That won't be good for business.
Listen. You've known my parents for a long time,
so I'm trying to be respectful.
But don't fuck with me, okay?
I am not some little girl.
Now, tell me what you want.
I did the math.
You makin' a nice commission off those condos.
I been trying to get
a community center open for years.
I need $50k to finish it.
I'll give you $20k.
$30.
And get the rest from Mrs. Brown's rich, frugal ass.
And if I do, I better never see another protester again.
Now, please, get your shadiness off my car
before it rubs off.
Politics is a dirty game, Jerrika.
Welcome to 2019's
Aftertaste Food competition: The Next Generation.
You've all worked very hard to be here.
This round will knock out
seven of the remaining ten chefs.
You will be judged by your versatility.
Can we have the trays, please?
You are being provided with a mystery ingredient
that will take you out of your comfort zone.
Goat meat!
At the sound of the bell,
you have 30 minutes to impress the judges.
And our first finalist is...
Chef Brandon Johnson.
Hell, yeah.
And for our second finalist...
Chef Jeanette Mitchell.
You'll lose your job.
It's the right decision. Trust me.
And our last and third finalist is...
Chef Dan Matthews.
I'm just coming to get the rest of my stuff.
Bills... are like breath.
Whether you think about it or not,
next one's always comin'.
Psshh. Where everybody at?
Cheryl took the kids down to the Aftertaste.
And you ain't come home last night.
Didn't call. Those ain't the rules.
I'm not some little-ass boy.
I know you weren't there for it, but I grew up.
Oh, so you grown now.
I been grown.
This came for you the other day,
from the Child Support Office, player.
I know you ain't talkin'.
Way I see it, you got two choices.
You can try and play the system,
or you can come correct.
I've done both.
Playin' is slinking your narrow ass
down to 36 South Wabash
and tellin' them people your ass got canned
and not telling 'em about your other gig.
See, that boy on the truck is pitchin' you underhand.
So in the eyes of the law... psshh...
you unemployed.
Or, just be honest with them girls.
Tell 'em what's what.
Either way, you can't keep runnin' from your problems.
Well, I ain't runnin' from shit.
I got this.
Uh, door's always open.
Long as you got that rent.
You know the difference between me and them bills?
I'm not gonna keep comin' back.
So why y'all asking me?
Let's give him a chance to answer.
He was alone in my office yesterday for 15 minutes,
the only time the booklets were unsupervised.
So just because I was in there, I did it.
Those booklets didn't just walk away, Jacob.
Okay. If y'all know I took 'em,
why y'all still asking questions?
- Y'all need a confession, huh? - Yep.
I seen this on "First 48."
I ain't tellin' y'all shit without a lawyer.
Boy!
You gonna mess around and see
something you don't wanna see.
Get outta here!
♪ Yeah, I be the one ♪
♪ That they love to mention ♪
♪ I tell 'em keep on talking ♪
♪ 'Cause I love the attention ♪
♪ And if they wanna see me ♪
♪ I tell 'em they can go high high ♪
♪ In the sky, 'cause this chick's so fly ♪
♪ Work your fist, I'm that chick, hey ♪
♪ Work your fist, I'm that chick ♪
♪ I get all the boys, all the boys ♪
♪ All the boys, they wanna get with me ♪
♪ Get with me, get with me ♪
♪ They tell me I'm so fly, I'm so fly, I'm so fly ♪
♪ But I don't need a mirror, I can see see see see ♪
♪ And I'm not cocky, I just love myself ♪
♪ 'Cause he can't buy a ring I can't buy myself ♪
♪ Puttin' on a show so you can check me out ♪
I see you made it. That's what's up.
I knew you wasn't stupid.
Oh, you shouldn't have.
I mean... you kinda told me to.
I'm not staying, though. Too many girls.
I get it.
You know, if it wasn't for you,
all of this wouldn't be happening.
- What you mean? - My mama said I could have a party
if I kept my grades up while I was home from school,
and you
brought me my homework.
So... thanks.
♪ So so so so ♪
♪ Where are all my girls gettin' down, gettin' down ♪
♪ While we lookin' good ♪
♪ From our head to our toes ♪
Uh...
I was gonna lick your face, but...
I figured that would be better.
It was.
♪ I'm not cocky, I just love myself ♪
♪ 'Cause he can't buy a ring ♪
♪ I can't buy myself ♪
♪ Puttin' on a show so you can check me out ♪
♪ This chick know she cute, so what you talkin' 'bout? ♪
♪ 'Cause some like what you want ♪
♪ What you dream about... ♪
- Hey, babe. - Mm-hmm?
Did I tell you about the business dude
who's interested in what I'm doing with the truck?
The pizza guy from the commercials,
- Otis Perry? - Wait. Otis Perry, the shady guy?
What you mean shady?
All I know is my mom's best friend
owns a commercial property on the north side,
and apparently, he wanted to buy it for a million
in cash.
And?
If your mom's Jack and Jill friends put up the cash,
it'd be okay, right?
No, I mean in actual hundred dollar bills.
I'm just telling you what I heard.
And you don't need a leg up from anyone anyway.
You're talented.
You work harder than anybody I know.
I guess.
Do I need to pump a beer into you
before my friends come over to get you in a better mood?
Who you say was comin' over again?
Nobody you like.
Except crazy Courtney
who likes to flirt with sober Brandon.
Oh, lord.
My girl three-drink Courtney comin' through.
I might have to join the party!
- Cheers! - Whoo!
Brandon, where's yours?
What, you trying to get me drunk?
I mean...
low-key.
Why are you hating on Howard?
I'm not hating on Howard.
I'm just not Howard material.
That loud-ass Gucci shirt is Howard material, though.
I'm trying to buy
all the Gucci, not just wear it.
Thus... I sent in my HBS app today.
- Mmm! - Harvard Business School.
I know.
My pop's company donated
$500k last month, so... my dorm room should be ready.
Okay, okay, so, Brandon has some news.
No, J, don't...
He's competing in this year's Aftertaste,
and out of 50 chefs, my baby is in the final three!
- Oh! - Oh! Get it!
So listen.
Any man who can cook
can get it anytime, honey.
Okay?
I'll bet the cash prize is nice.
Yeah, it's all right.
Yo, cooks in cities like Chicago
be making paper.
That's what's up.
Okay. I'm a chef, not a cook.
And we do it for the art, not the money, so...
It's cool, Brandon. We all know Jerrika
not with you for your money anyway.
- Oh, yeah? - Courtney, shut up.
- You're drunk. - What she with me for?
Jerrika got her own money
after the commission from Mrs. Brown's condos,
minus the deal with the alderman
to get those pesky-ass protesters out of the way.
Bitch gonna be rich enough to take care of
all of us!
- Okay, you have had enough. - She's on her three-drink limit.
A deal with the alderman? When did that go down?
And don't be trying to shut me up, Jerrika!
'Cause I'm sayin' you not with Brandon for his money.
You with him for that good thug ass dick!
Whoa, shit!
Thug.
Thug. All right.
I'll take that.
As long as y'all get the fuck out my house.
Now.
Have you lost your damn mind? I live here too.
How you call yourself kickin' my friends out?
I don't know, Jerrika!
Since I'm just a broke thug dude with a good dick,
- I figured I'd whip it out. - Oh, my God,
you know Courtney was drunk.
A thug, though?
That's what I am to you?
Brandon, I would never call you that.
You know that.
Can I ask you a serious question?
You make a deal with the alderman?
Right. Okay.
How was you doing business with a shady-ass alderman
any different from me doing business with Otis Perry?
It just is.
See, I knew you would say that!
'Cause you from Hyde Park and I'm from 63rd and Yates?
What is that supposed to mean?
Y'all act like just Dan and them.
You got your little fancy cookouts
and fundraisers and shit.
You know what I got? Me.
All I got is me!
Don't do this.
I've been standing right here with you, Brandon.
I need some fucking air right now!
I don't wanna keep doing this, Kiesha.
You're gonna get in trouble, and I'm gonna get in trouble.
I ain't trying to be on punishment.
- It's the last time. - You said that last time.
Who you out with this late anyway?
I got you something.
Oh, shit.
I got Emmett to get them for you.
- That's who you was with? - Who else?
Wait. Since when Emmett drive a BMW?
Good night, Kevin.
But Kiesha...
♪ Think I better let it go ♪
♪ Looks like another love ♪
♪ T.K.O. ♪
- ♪ oh oh oh ♪ - What the fuck are you doing?
Oh, hey.
Doing a little renovation.
♪ What you think about it, girl? ♪
Needed a project, so I found one.
Whatever, man. Live your best life.
You here after eleven o'clock at night?
I'm guessin' you got woman problems.
- ♪ Try to take control ♪ - I got me some of them too.
Uh...
you wanna hit?
It'll make you feel better.
♪ Takin' the bumps and bruises... ♪
So what you do to your woman?
What did I do?
You mean what fucked-up thing did her friend say to me.
Oh. Must be bad.
'Cause what on earth would possess you
to start arguing with a black woman this late at night,
I'll never know.
You must ain't want a good night's sleep.
It's not just tonight. It's this competition too.
Shit got me trippin'.
I think one of the chefs got in 'cause he know people.
Some white boys' club type shit.
Just fucking my head up a little bit.
You ever use brass knuckles?
When I was young and stupid, I snuck my old man's
set of knuckles out the house one night.
Took 'em down to this old hole in the wall spot on Halsted.
Next thing I know,
I caught a record and couldn't get a job for shit.
And listen, I ain't never been afraid of no work.
You and me the same when it comes to that.
But I had nothin'. I was outta options
until my boy put in a word for me at CTA.
Bruh, I'm not working for no damn CTA.
Will you shut up and let me finish my story?
All I'm sayin' is, ain't nothing wrong
with somebody givin' you a leg up.
You don't like it right now,
'cause you ain't the one gettin the leg up,
but if somebody offer you a favor, you take it.
It's the only one some of us will ever get a shot.
♪ Of all the things of a two-time loser... ♪
Check it. This is how it's gotta go.
After food and my storage unit,
ain't much left to split three ways.
See, I gotta divide what I give you.
Nigga, don't be trying to boss up.
Exactly. When you start runnin' shit?
With yo' bogus ass.
Where's all the money you spent on them stupid-ass sneakers and shit?
Look, y'all know I love all my kids.
So why y'all playin' me like I don't?
I mean, you can take it or leave it,
because this the situation right now.
Take it or leave it.
That's cute, Emmett. I like that.
Keep thinkin' this a game, Tiff.
I can't wait till you go down to the courthouse
and find out you ain't entitled to shit no more
'cause I ain't got no job.
What you mean? You work.
Prove it. I ain't got no paystub.
I ain't punching no clock.
Well, it sounds to me like
you need a job for each of your kids.
- Okay? - Three jobs.
Right.
I work hard, okay?
- Not hard enough. - Exactly.
I do nails and extensions,
and I still got time to take care of your son.
Thank you, Neva. I work at the mall, Uber,
and Lyft, and Tiff, you work at the bank.
And what else do you do, Tiff?
Low key, I think I'm good with the original agreement.
The one where we don't get shit?
Yeah.
Mm-hmm. Mmm.
- What this bitch just say? - Tiff, your ass
the last baby mama anyway. You the least deserving.
Emmett, I need money now. The prescription on Cassius's
allergy medicine just went up fucking with Trump.
DeVonte's the oldest. He should get the most.
And if there was gonna be a junior,
it shoulda been him anyway.
- What? - You heard me.
- Bitch, our kids... - I'll be right back.
- are six months apart! - I gotta pee.
You oughta sit back and enjoy that latte,
and you need to...
All right, okay, okay.
Where did he go?
Man, get that light out my face.
If the principal call the police,
we gotta be ready, Jake.
We?
Yes, we. They probably looking at the whole crew.
I think it's some bullshit, Jake.
I know, right? Like, why they always fucking with me?
I mean, I know why, but it's still fucked up.
- Y'all ready? - What you mean, you get why?
I'm just sayin', you know?
- No, I don't know, Kev. - Here we go again.
You really think I did it, don't you?
You stay hating on me and Reg.
Why you all in yo' feelings?
You acting like you ain't never stole anything before.
It was your idea to steal the volcano.
Yeah. And y'all got a A -.
Tch. Man, fuck you.
He still ain't say if he did it or not.
I just ran into the real estate agent.
He said you quit. What happened?
Just couldn't finish, that's all.
Why couldn't you finish? Sounded like easy money to me.
- Ronnie! - I don't wanna talk about it.
Why not?
Just leave me alone, okay?
Girl, I like that color on you.
- What's your name? - Bro, please bring your ass over.
Damn.
You just don't learn, do you?
Thought you ain't have to be up there for another hour anyway.
There's gonna be cameras everywhere and all that,
live audience... my stomach buggin'.
Your stomach buggin' 'cause your girl ain't hit you back.
Yeah, she mad.
- I hope she shows up. - Psshh.
You know y'all not supposed to be fightin', right?
Y'all supposed to be giving me hope.
With all that Michelle and Barack love.
T'Challa and Nakia Wakanda love.
No one-will-take- my-vibranium love!
Boy, you crazy as shit.
Hey, man, this some "Top Chef" shit for real, huh?
Hell, yeah.
Hmm. Oh, my God.
Kiesha!
Kiesh!
Wait. Wait up.
- Kiesha, hey. - Hey, Emmett, what's up?
What you doing out here, picking up girls?
Naw. My boy made it to the final round.
How y'all doing?
I'm a'ight.
Who you lookin' all cute for?
Toes all did.
You ain't never did them toes for me.
Oh, boy, please. This is regular.
- Oh... - I know you ain't tryna act jealous.
I got enough estrogen in my life right now
to fill up a Goddamn Essence festival.
Hey, ain't that how you like it?
Just got all my baby mamas together, right?
Child support shit. Of course.
Shit was bananas.
I don't know what's wrong with 'em.
They just won't act right.
Sounds like a personal problem to me.
I really don't have time for the drama, Emmett.
I'm on to bigger and better things.
A'ight then. Be funny style.
Look, if you want a woman to act right,
you gotta give her a reason to.
Make her feel special.
It's three of 'em. All of 'em crazy.
I don't know. You'll figure it out.
I gotta go. See you around, okay?
So after the competition portion,
we'll pull you back here for, uh, the intermission.
- Okay. - Oh, any other family
or friends I need to get a backstage pass for?
Mmm. Maybe my girl.
Naw, wouldn't do it, man.
Last thing you want is for your girl to be next to you
when you find out you fucking lost.
You must be feeling good
since you got that judge in your pocket, huh?
Ha ha, yeah, you think they rigged this shit for me?
Ha. Dude, that's hilarious.
I own the hottest restaurant in Downtown.
They don't have to rig shit.
Besides, you're the one who's getting special treatment,
not me.
- What the fuck you mean? - Come on, Brandon.
They can't put on this whole show
without a black face in the competition.
But you won't get any complaints from me.
I'm down with Affirmative Action.
Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome to The Aftertaste: The Next Generation
Food Competition finals!
Chefs, the judges would like to congratulate you
on your acceptance into the final round.
Each of you has earned your spot on this stage.
And now, for the last challenge.
You will all be cooking in your signature style!
Chefs, please remove the lids from your trays.
At the sound of the bell,
you have 45 minutes!
You know it wasn't Jake who stole them tests, right?
It was Corey from the Wild Boyz.
He ain't speak to me all day at school,
and you just now telling me this?
I found out right before sixth period.
You can't just be spilling the tea all willy-nilly.
Damn. How we gonna fix this?
Don't put this on me. I just shined the light.
You the one who went all Johnny Cochran on him.
Good Lord, Ronnie, I got it.
The queen has returned.
Welcome home, Miss Ethel!
Oh...
Y'all need to stop all that fussin'.
You act like I don't live here!
Mm.
Come on over here
to your favorite chair, Grandma, and rest yourself.
We got you some of those barbecue ribs you like too.
Where's my coffee table?
And who moved my chair over there by the window?
Oh, Ronnie's getting you a new table, Miss Ethel.
He'll move your chair back, too, if you want.
Where's my TV?
My sister gave that to me.
I know, Grandma.
I lot of your stuff was broke during the break-in.
But we gonna get it back right.
Now, Ronnie, ain't nobody asked you
to go throwin' away my stuff and rearrangin' things.
You done got my pressure up. Go on, now!
You done enough.
Jada, help me to my bedroom so I can lay down.
And get that bag from him so I can take my medication.
He don't know the doses like you do.
Ha ha. This show's so funny, man.
Come in. It's open.
Jake here?
Yeah, he in his room. Jake!
Some little nigga here to see you.
Can I come in?
What you want?
You gotta stop trippin' on me, Kev.
I'm not always the one makin' trouble.
I be trying, but...
they just see me the way they see me, you know?
I feel you.
Look, you'll have the munchies after.
Might as well take it.
And...
Forgive me?
Controller behind you.
This year's Aftertaste: The Next Generation champion is...
Chef Dan Matthews!
Whoo!
Thank you!
- This is my shit! - And there he is!
Brandon Johnson!
Thanks for putting up a great fight.
Hope you don't mind the photo op.
- Hey, you stole my shit. - Yo, you work for me.
Not the other way around. Now smile for this...
Fuck this!
She finally doze off?
She did.
Not before she ranted about the TV
and the rest of her things a little more.
Salvaged what I could.
She act like she don't appreciate none of what I did.
It's not that, Ronnie.
Things have changed for her.
The attack still has her shook up.
I just wish we could have done more.
You sure you don't have enough to replace the TV?
I just don't have it.
Why'd you walk off that job again?
It was a bullshit job, Jada!
I'll get a new TV when I can!
Don't catch an attitude with me.
You just don't understand.
What the hell's going on with you?
Come with me.
Where the fuck this come from?
It's a peace offering, 'cause I need some peace.
See? I told y'all he was hiding it.
Ain't nobody hiding no money. Damn, Shay!
Then where you magically come up with $400?
For each of us?
- I sold my collection. - Uh-huh...
Look, my bad for the way I was acting earlier.
I know I ain't been the best father, but I'm trying.
I'm gonna do better. Look, I filed for unemployment.
I'm already looking for full-time work.
But for right now, it's just the food truck gig,
off the books. The money's funny.
Some good weeks, some bad weeks.
But each of y'all gonna get something.
From unemployment and the truck.
Look...
If it work for y'all...
okay.
I'm down.
Fine. I'm gonna give you a chance.
But if you bullshit any of us even one time,
I'm hauling your ass back to court.
And we'll be right behind her.
Fuck around, and the government
gonna be garnishing your wages till you die.
That's fair.
And...
Ain't nobody here dumb enough to believe
you sold your whole collection.
I know your ass kept a few pairs.
Mm-hmm. - Well...
I found this here.
It's to my mother.
What, you found this letter to your mother here?
- Yes. - But she didn't live here.
No. She lived with my grandma.
Mr. Bennett lived here with his family.
- Who's this? - It's me.
Why does this Mr. Bennett have a picture of you with your shirt off?
That's not it.
He was my father.
Ohh.
Your father lived in this house?
Across the street from you?
He and my mother had a thing.
My grandma told me who he was when I was a boy.
Told me to stay away from him.
We never spoke about it after that.
Wow.
That's a lot to process.
- I'm sorry. - It's all right.
You didn't know. A lotta people didn't.
I mean...
what do you do with something like that?
Had my ways of coping,
once I came back from the service.
You remember that nice lawn, right?
- Yeah. - He watered it,
treated it like it was the most important thing in the world.
But watching him tend to it over the years,
you finally reach a breaking point.
One day,
I snapped.
What do you mean, you snapped?
Ronnie, don't go over there, please!
Got tired of looking at it, so I did something about it.
Hey, come on out here. Look at what we got.
Ronald Garvey Davis, come back here!
Get offa that lawn!
Give me some motherfucking respect!
Go ahead, call the police.
Don't you touch my boy!
It was a silly thing to do, I guess.
Said you wanted to see me, Mr. Gasca?
Yes, Mr. Williams.
Have a seat.
Look... what'd I do?
If it's about the test,
- I didn't cheat. - No, it...
It is about the test, but then it's not.
Let's just have a chat, okay?
Okay.
These are your grades.
Mostly Bs, couple B-pluses.
- That's good, right? - Yeah.
But these...
are your test scores.
You scored way above average.
the 99th percentile in all three categories...
Math, Science, English.
Some of these Math and English questions...
the tenth grade level.
How'd you know the answers?
I don't know. I just knew.
You're naturally smart is what you're saying?
I guess so.
Because the difference between your grades and your scores
tells me that you are not being challenged here.
Give this to your mother.
What?
Hey, Kev! I won, G.
I proved all these hating ass females wrong!
Damn! The Papa Cave in full effect now.
Yeah. And I get to see some dolphins at the Shedd Aquarium.
Again... don't nobody care about the Shedd Aquarium.
What did Gasca Want? He always up in people's shit.
If you agreed to do another play,
you on your own, fool.
No, I-it was nothin'.
He wasn't talking about shit.
All right, let's go. Come on. Help us.
You're telling me Drake could get it over Chance.
What the fuck?
Not over, but definitely before.
I mean, I kinda agree.
Drake is so... whiny, though.
He don't use condoms, either. I mean, that's my only issue.
That's your only issue?
You just gonna ignore the fact
that he's the epitome of a fuck boy?
But Chance is a fuck boy, too, though.
Bitch, that's blasphemy.
Chance gonna be mayor.
Damn! That must be new bae.
Maybe.
All right, all right, ladies.
Five laps. Let's go.
Get the lead out. Get the lead out.
Pace 'em, pace 'em.
Get a move on, Williams.
You're laggin' behind.
Mm.
Hey, how you doing? Is Mr. Perry here by chance?
- Take a seat. - Thank you.
You got an appointment, young blood?
No. But, uh...
I do have this.
Wait here.
Somebody's here to see you.
- Young man from that truck. - Send him back.
Follow me.
Thank you.
- Hey, Brandon, right? - Yes, sir.
How you doing?
You want a drink?
Why not?
So...
what's on your mind?
Look, man, I'm working my ass off,
but nothing I'm doing is working.
Look, for real, I...
I don't know how much fight I have left in me.
The system is rigged against you.
And me.
And every other black man in this city.
You just need to learn how to navigate it.
Listen, Brandon, I don't do this often,
but I see something in you.
And it would be an honor
to help you out.
Exactly what do you need?
Money.
How does ten grand sound?
Thank you.
This is gonna be...
the best investment you ever made.
My people will be in touch.
Thank you.
Hey.
Tell the old man
we got the fish.
Mm.
- Synced and corrected by Firefly - - www.addic7ed.com -