Rowr!Eat your breakfast.
Breakfast with the League of Women Voters at 8:30,
then a meeting with the Hispanic Federation at 11:00.
I'm on by 9:45, no exceptions.
I told them 9:30 with a hard out at 10:00.
Keep your remarks under 30.
You two are becoming a staple in my kitchen,
like my coffee maker.
Only four weeks left.
It's down to the wire.
Well, Cori, if my husband hasn't already told you,
you are doing an amazing job as campaign manager.
Oh, I tell her all the time.No, you don't.
But it's better that way.
My mother said needing praise is a sign of weakness,
giving it, a sign of guilt.
Yikes.Indeed. Yikes.
I'd like to review the itinerary with your wife, if I may?
Sure.Um, well, his wife is right here,
so you can speak with her directly.
I didn't want to overstep.
Two events today.
Today?Today -- League of Women Voters
this morning, then lunch at Gods Love We Deliver.
It's important that we project the image
of you as being a happy, charitable couple.
Well, the good news is that we area happy,
successful, charitable couple.
But the bad news is,
we're going to have to project it some other time.
It's important.
Uh, just this once.
N-No. I have a full day.
David, we talked about respecting my time.
I mean, it's not even 7:30, and it's starting?
This is the new us?
I'm sorry. You're right.
Yeah. I know.
Well, it's good to see you, Bree.
I'm glad you came in on your own.
That makes one of us.
Well, are you trying to save your marriage
because you love your husband or you're terrified of being alone?
Okay, wow.
We're just diving right off into the deep end like that,
just no warning?
Can't we start off with something easier,
like my relationship with my mom?
Which I have a lot to say about, by the way, 'cause she was --
Bree, we'll get to your mom another session.
Okay, um...
Look. Yeah, the idea of being alone scares me a bit.
How could it not?
I mean, I've been with Gary since college,
and I'm not good...
with change or trying new things.
And I want to try to save my marriage,
but what really scares me is...
getting back together with Gary,
and I can't fully forgive him for what he's done.
And then we break up again, and this time,
I'm just older and less sexable than I am now.
Well, you'll be happy to learn
that what you're feeling is not that uncommon.
Now, my advice in most cases
would be to do whatever you can
not to look in the rearview mirror.
Instead, look at the life around you as it is now.
Okay.But in your case,
I'm gonna recommend the exact opposite.
Let me get this straight --
You want me to look in the rearview mirror?
You want me to look back there?
You know Gary had a side piece back there.
Back there is a nightmare for me.
Don't you remember any of this --
The polar bear shelf?
Well, before this side piece,
there was a time when you fell in love with Gary
enough to commit your life to him, right?
Yeah.
I...guess it wasn't all a nightmare back there.
I think you'd do well to go back to the actual place
where you first remember falling in love with Gary
and see if you can recognize the person he was then
and the person he is now.
Maybe then you'll be less afraid
to take whatever the next step might be.
Um, would you care for still or sparkling while you wait?
Yes. Um --Two dry martinis, please.
Thanks, Vidal.
Ari. Kat.
So good to see you.So good to see you.
I'm sorry I'm late. That child custody mediation
was supposed to be cut and dry, and it was anything but.
You know clients change their minds
when everything's on the line.
I know, and they can change their mind 100 times.
I will still bill them by the hour regardless.
You look good.
Political life treating you well.
Thank you, but David hasn't been elected yet.
Well, all the pundits say he's a shoo-in.
I hope you're right.
Oh, I'm rarely wrong. And I'm willing to bet
that you will be practicing law before the month is out.
I beg your pardon?
No, no, no, no, no. Davis Polk's gotten much too big.
I didn't say you'd be working back at the firm.
Oh, thank you.
Tell me you don't miss practicing law.
Great. Let me cut to the chase.
When I left Davis Polk, I started my own firm.
It's small -- four attorneys, including me.
You'd be the fifth if you joined us.
Your starting salary.
Okay, Kat.
You just happened to have an offer for me
in your pocket.
I don't leave anything to chance.
Now, what do you say?
Here we go.
Mm, coming here smelling so good, girl, mm!
Looking so, so good. How you gonna do that to me,
come up in the spot smelling like this?
All right.
Get off me. What do you want?
Okay, we gonna talk about the tour.
I talked to a booking agent.
She's convinced that we gonna sell out every single date.
I'm already working on a preliminary song list
from "Love Slave."
Not "Love Slave."
Those -- Those songs are 15 years old.
My new album is dropping tomorrow.
Why wouldn't I promote my new material?
It's silly.Because we also using this tour
to announce this partnership, all right?
So we need to promote our shit.
Besides, when people come to a show,
what do they want to hear? They want to hear your hits.
Your new record is --
doesn't really have that mass appeal yet.
My single is number-one on the charts.
It's what people want to hear. I mean, that's evident.
But, see, the only reason why
the record's even doing anything
is because of our -- our headlines, a'ight?
Now, it's time you faced the truth, baby girl.
Look. It's our drama
that is climbing to the top of the charts,
not your song.
Wow.
The truth is...
You saw that I was doing well for myself without you,
and you tried to shut it down.
This label isn't a collaboration.
This is a power move...Babe, what are you talking about?
...so you can control me.What are you talking about?
I am going out on a limb for this.
Excuse me?
I am the biggest artist you have ever had.
Stop with this bullshit, Derek.
You're only out for yourself, always have been.
Oh, really? That is the pot calling the kettle black.
And what about what you do, huh?
You can act all high and mighty, but we both know you did not
get to where you are thinking about other people.
Well, that's changing.
It's a new day.
Didn't you get the memo, baby?
Well, you go ahead and walk out there.
Go ahead, and this deal is done.
All of it is done.
I don't care.
I would rather fail on my own
than succeed with your punk ass.
A'ight.
I had a really great lunch with Kat.
Oh, yeah?
How is the Pit Viper of Paternity Cases doing?
David, you can't call her that.
Stop. And she's a very big fan of yours.
Oh, big enough of a fan to make a fat campaign donation
with lots of commas and zeroes to the left of the decimal?
Ugh, do you never stop working?
Well, speaking of which,
I think I might like to jump back in.
Where?The job market.
Megan is doing really well,
and Cori, obviously, has you handled now.
I'm feeling a little restless.
Mm-hmm. Yeah, I see what's going on.
You got a job offer.
Something like that, yeah.
You know what? I'm betting you'll be even more desirable
two years from now when we get back from Albany.
When we get back from Albany?
Who said we were going to Albany?
I believe that would be the constituents of District 30.
You know what I mean. I ain't going to Albany.
Very funny.No, I'm not joking.
David, I thought that you would go up there during the week,
and then you would come home on the weekends
while I stayed here and held down the fort.
And now with this new opportunity --
All right, no, stop -- stop right there.
Why would you ever think you'd stay here
while I went to Albany?
Because, David, my whole life is -- is here.
Well, my whole life is here at the moment, too.
But things change.David --
I am not interested in being in that town
as a first-term black senator alone
without my wife by my side.
David, we never actually discussed
both of us moving to Albany full-time.
Ari, there will be other opportunities.
You don't have to feel like this is your only one.
Oh -- Sorry.
Hey, Cori, just a sec.
Just relax and let everything play out.
Hey! Oh, my God. You're still here.
Do you remember me?
Me and my boyfriend, Gary, used to come here
all the time back in the day.
We would, like, be clubbing,
and then we'd come here in the morning,
'cause we really needed some greasy food
to soak up all that alcohol --What do you want?
And you were so mean back then, too!
Ooh, you were so mean.
Aww, this reminds me of my 20s right now.
What do you want?
Well, my therapist said I should re-create my past.
So two hot dogs with mustard and relish.
Gary used to call it "breakfast of champions."
-$7.
Who hurt you?
I was so foolish to think that Derek changed.
Maya Angelou said,
"Someone shows you who they are the first time, believe them."
She also said, "We may encounter many defeats,
but we must not be defeated."
Ari and Bree tried to warn me.
But I wouldn't listen.
Okay, all right. Hazel? Hazel, listen to me.
You're gonna be okay, I promise.
How do you know that?
'Cause I know something you don't.
And what's that?I know exactly how
my dad cheated you out of so much money for years
while you were married.
Mmm!
Just as delicious as it was before.
Can't believe we've been coming here for 20 years.
Now...
Even now,
despite all the bullshit, I can still see it.
I see our whole life together.
I love you no matter what, Gare-bear.
I love you, too, Bree, so much.
Wow, this exercise really does work.
I feel like I'm listening to him right now.
No. O-Open your eyes.
It's the breakfast of champions.
How did you -- Did you follow me?
No, I didn't follow you,
When -- When Odessa told me to go to the place
where I first knew that you were the one,
it was like a total of seconds
before I knew exactly where it was.
And -- And -- And to answer her question
on whether or not there was enough of who you were then
in who you are now,
oh, the answer is completely clear.
Bree, I love you.
I love you, too, Gary.
And I want to work on our marriage.
Oh, God, I'm so happy to hear you say that.
Mwah. Oh, baby.
I love you so much.
Mm.
Oh, wait. My phone's ringing. Wait one second. Sorry.Hey, what? Oh, okay, all right.
No, that's fine.Yeah, don't spill it,
'cause you know --Nope. I got it.
I got it, I got it.Hello?
I can't hear anything. Hello?Under the earmuff. Under.
Oh, under the ear.There you go.
Hello? That's better.I know.
Hey, Hazel. Guess what? I just ran into Gary at the park.
Tell her we got hot dogs.Yeah!
What -- Slow down. He did what?
Oh, hell no!
Girl, girl, stop. St-- Slow down.
Meet me at my place right now, okay?
Okay, I got to go, Gary.Baby, but the breakfast of champions is gonna --
I know. We'll do it, we'll do it. I love you.
I love you, too!I love you so much!
All right.
Bye, baby. Bye!
Girl, that Negro been stealing from me!
What? How?
My dad had two sets of accounting books.
Uh, two sets? Like T-W-O? Plural?
So all the money we made from "Love Slave" --
Was only a fraction of what she actually made.
That triflin' piece of shit.
God.
That is a new low, even for Derek.
Oh, no, no, honey.
That's the same kind of low.
Hey, Breezy, it's me.
Hey, Versace. Listen, Bree, I came as fast as I could.
You said it was important.
Is everything okay?
Hey, Ari.
I'm gonna give you guys a second.
Look, Ari. W-We just --
Ari, please. Just -- Just wait.
At least give me a chance to apologize.
Yes, let her apologize.
She apologized to me. It was so good.
I even let her grovel a little bit before accepting.
Look, I was wrong, and you were right.
And -- And I...
I could never repay you
for everything that you -- you do for me
and how you're always there i-in my time of need,
and I'm sorry that I took our friendship for granted.
"And I will love you like a sister."
I think that's enough, I think.
No, "I will love you like a sister."
And I will -- I will -- I will never --
Okay, dummy.
Of course I forgive you.Ohh!
Of course I forgive you.
I'm sorry, too!
That was so stupid.
That was stupid. I'm so --
Hey, ladies.
Oh, oh, oh.So, we don't have all day.
We got a lot of corruption to cover.
-Ohh. -Holy shit.
I'll get the wine.
And the blue cheese.
You got weed?
After combing through all my dad's files
that we got in the heist,
more than a few things raised red flags.
I just didn't put it all together until I printed it out.
Okay, so, this is the real bank statement,
and this is the one he reported is real.
Mm-hmm. - This is some next-level shit.
I didn't think Derek was this smart or I was this stupid.
So, let me get this right. He's been under-reporting
his income and hiding the excess?
Yes. And what's worse, he stole millions from Hazel
and used that money to start the new label.
Oh, I hate him!
He is evil!
Sorry. I know it's your dad.
He wouldn't pay for my college.
He said he was cash-poor, and meanwhile,
he had millions in the bank.
So please go ahead and talk as much shit as you want.
I think it's clear what we need to do.
What's that?
We need to take him out.
Okay, no.I mean it.
He's got to go.
Hazel, no.
No hit men, no murder, no way.
We talked about this.Well, we got to do something.
Well, can't we just report his crooked ass?
Well, yeah, tax fraud is a federal crime.
And if we present this to the IRS,
the government will seize his assets,
and he's looking at 15 to 20 behind bars.
Oh, hell yeah. He deserves to be somebody's prison bae.
Butif we report him,
you don't get the assets, either.
And I would hate to see you lose
everything you worked so hard for.
Okay, wait. But why don't we just sit him down
and force him to negotiate with us?
I mean, once he finds out what we've got on him --
-No. -No, no, no, no, no, honey.
We been there. We tried that.
We're done negotiating.
We're done being polite.
We need to get a little bit more creative.
And I think I have a plan.
Mnh-mnh.This is why I mess with you, girl.
Mnh-mnh. No.
Yeah. No.
Yeah. No, Ari.
You said the heist was the only job we would be doing.
Hazel?Hmm?
Sweetie?Yeah.
I need you to call 'dem boyz.
Can you do that?No.
Oh, yes.Okay.
No. No!
We're not calling dem boyz, okay?
"Call dem boyz, call dem boyz, call dem boys."
Are we calling dem boyz?
That's why the name of this joint Ellevate,
'cause that's what we about to do.
Yo, my man, put that in the corner office. Thank you.
Now, come check your boy when you got a minute, a'ight?
Cool.
Hey, baby.
Not now. I'm busy.
With what?
My album drops at midnight!
And Hazel's single has been charting
higher than mine for weeks.
Girl, it's just a single.
You about to have the number-one album in the world, all right?
How? Hazel's face is everywhere.
Billboards and bus benches.
Where the hell am I, Derek?
Come on. Look around you.
Look, I been doing this forever, right?
Now, trust me.
Turn that frown upside down. Come on. Smile for me.
-FBI! -Police!
The hell is going on?
You're under arrest.Asshole.
The hell you talking about, I'm under arrest? For what?
You have the right to an attorney.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law.
And -- And... And you know the rest!
Stella, call my lawyer!
Okay, Bree.
You a bad bitch, and you ain't afraid of nothing.
Say it and mean it. You are a bad bitch,
-and you ain't afraid -- -This is bullshit!
-You know that, right? -It is bullshit.
Holy cow! They got him!
Okay, they got him. Here we go.
What the hell are y'all doing?
You don't worry about what we doing!
Hell no! What kind of cops -- Take these cuffs off!
Take these cuffs off!What's the matter?
You don't like bondage?
How about some S&M, huh?
Shut up and get in the van!
No! No!
Just like "Wild Kingdom."
Aah!
Damn, girl. You ain't playing.
Sho' ain't, motherfucker.
Y'all ain't no damn FBI.
No shit.
Listen to me.
Whoever's paying you,
I could triple that.
He's awake.
Connecting us now.
What the hell is going on?
Good morning, sleepy head.
I should've known you was behind this.
What the hell y'all inject me with?
It was just a sedative.
You'll recover physically.
Now, emotionally and financially,
I don't know if you'll ever be the same.
You know this is kidnapping, right?
When I get out of here, I'ma make you pay.
No. What you're gonna do is sit there and listen,
because I have the floor and the leverage,
and I'm gonna use that leverage
to get back every cent
you stole from me.
I ain't giving you shit.
Oh, no. You will.
You see, I found your bank accounts and your tax forms.
Both sets.
So either you play nice,
or I'm gonna give those files to the authorities,
and you can listen to my brand-new record
in your tiny prison cell.
It's your choice, baby.
A'ight, what you want?
Three words.
E. Vry. Thing.
And in music news, the saga of hip-hop's former first couple,
Hazel Rachelle and Derek Ellsworth,
has reached an absolute fever pitch,
as cameras captured an obviously distressed Derek Ellsworth
being escorted out of the building
in his pajamas.
Sources tell us the contentious divorce
between the former power couple
has taken a turn in Hazel's favor.
Stay tuned.
Oh, my God.
He looks like a sad black Hugh Hefner.
What happened?
Aw, I kinda feel sorry for him.
You do?For real?
Of course not. Screw Derek.
I'm the one that called the paparazzi in the first place.
Ooh!Savage.
That is petty. That's like Tom Petty.
Girl, I figured it's not enough to get my penthouse back.
He needed to eat some humble pie.
Well, remind me never to divorce Hazel Rachelle, honey.
That's right. Don't do it.
In the eyes!
In the eyes!In the eyes!
Look, I know it's gonna be hard to hear this.
Bree?Hmm?
I'm finally leaving your nest for good.
I'm --
I know you're gonna be miserable without me.
You don't have to say it.
I'm gonna miss you like I'm gonna miss having foot fungus.
But I love you, and I'm so happy for you.
And it comes at a really good time,
because...I have some good news.
What?
Gary's gonna move back in.
And we're calling off the divorce.
Oh!
Oh, my God.Yeah.
Oh, my God. I'm so happy for you, Breezy.
Me, too, me, too.Are you serious?
Yeah. We're gonna try and work it out
and support each other and still go to therapy and --
I'm sorry, I'm sorry. What did you say?
Did you say "therapy"?
You mean with, like, a trained professional?
Okay, yes, Ari.
You were right, okay?Mm.
There is something to therapy.
"Not a real science."
Never not about me.
Hazel, how you feeling about the new album?
Yeah!Um, I'm really happy
that it's finally dropping,
and I'm really proud
of the work Khalil and I did together.
He'll call when the time is right.
Exactly. All in due time.
I love you guys.
I love you, too. We're still partying, right?
Because I got a babysitter, and I got my eyebrows threaded.
So we still partying.Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
Okay.Hell yeah. We have much to celebrate.
-Yas! -Yas!
Today is the day.
Stella Bentley and Hazel Rachelle's albums have dropped,
and it's gonna be a fight to the finish.
No matter who takes the top spot, I hear our girl Hazel
is celebrating her release in style.
All right, everyone.
At this time, I would like to welcome Sasha to the stage.
Hey, everybody.
Thank you for coming out tonight.
I'm Sasha Mitchell, and tonight
to honor my bonus-mom,
the one and only Hazel Rachelle.
A woman who took me under her wing when I was kid.
A woman who put money aside to help me pay for not one,
but two degrees,
'cause that's how dope she is.
We're here to celebrate the release
of her amazing new album
and all her many accomplishments.
So, without further ado,
everybody with hands or a holler,
give it up for Hazel Rachelle!
- Hazel! Hazel! - Hazel! Hazel!
-Hazel! Hazel! Hazel! -Hazel! Hazel! Hazel!
Thank you. Thank you, everybody.
Um, Sasha, that was not a gift, darling.
That was a loan.
-Ooh!
Um, when I started,
I had to rely on a lot of men in the industry,
men who tried to mold me into something else,
because they thought that who I was wasn't enough.
And after a while, I started believing that myself.
But...
with the help of my true friends,
I realized that I was more than enough.
Shit, I might be too much.
Listen, growing older
doesn't mean that your story or your voice is irrelevant.
It just means that you have more stories to tell.
Hazel, I'ma let you finish,
but not before I congratulate you
for hitting number one on the Billboard charts!
How do you know that?
I got some insider information.
All right, everybody. Let's get this party started!
We did it!
No, stop.Oh, my God. We did it!
Hey, stop it. Youdid it.
You did it.
I can't even believe you're here.
Aw, come on, now. You know damn well
your number-one fan was gonna be here.
I'm so happy for you.
Thank you so much for pushing me.
We good?
Yeah, we good. Don't you worry 'bout it.
You just give me a call when you need a producer, all right?
I definitely will.
Do your thing, all right?
Thank you.
Life is what you make it.
And when times get tough,
your friends are the ones who get you through it.
They remind you that supporting your partner
and his dreams and his ambitions
doesn't mean you relinquish your own.
Ooh, hallelujah.
Yeah!A'ight, where should I put this?
They show you that an act of forgiveness...
...is sometimes
the bravest path we can choose.
Just get it right there like this. I got it.
And they help you turn your darkest moments
into opportunities to come back
even stronger than before.
Well, you have had quite a year, haven't you?
-Yes. -You flipped
a very, very public scandal
into a number-one album,
and now you're your own boss.
So what's next for you and your new label?
This is more than a label.
This is my baby.
It's a creative safe space
for the next generation of female artists
looking for allies
in this crazy, very male-dominated industry.
If I learned anything from my girls in the past year,
it's that when women support each other,
there's nothing we can't do.
That's the kind of world I want to help create.
The next chapter of our lives
has yet to be written.
Our story is far from over.
It's only just begun.