[Suspenseful music plays]
Papa Dean: My dear Jojo.
They say a wise man
doesn't repeat the same mistakes over and over.
He makes new ones.
With that said,
I'm trying not to inundate you
with too much information.
I once made that mistake with your mother.
And the result was tragic.
Roughly five years ago,
there was a top secret audit by the government
to evacuate what was then known as Freeman Lakes.
They wanted to tamper with
the fact that Freeman Lake's massacre was not a myth,
but actually occurred over 200 years ago.
What they uncovered was several skeletal remains.
The remains of our ancestors
instead of going public with this information.
Rather than track down and issue reparations
to the descendants of Freeman Lakes.
They sold the property to a powerful man.
A powerful man you may know.
He goes by the name of Charles Marshall.
[Birds and insects chirping]
-[Laughing] -Will we still get mad?
-Horrible.
-When are you...
-Hey!
-Hey, Sarah.
Um, you okay?
What are you doing here?
-Yeah. I'm good. I was just looking for you.
Actually, kind of wanted to apologize.
Um... are you guys celebrating?
-Celebrating life.
The restaurant closes early on Sunday,
so we all come here, we make some home cooked meals,
make some rum and punch, and we sing,
play music and dance.
Over there it's Pastor Everett.
Get a word at the end and then prepare for next week.
-I love that.
-Yeah, synergy. Come on, I'll introduce you.
Just not used to mixing with the guests.
-No. Yeah, I'd love that.
But first, I'd really like to apologize.
Sure.
Listen, I really heard everything you said, okay?
I would never want to jeopardize you or your job.
And I guess I'm just really happy that we met.
Okay? And I think that everything happens for a reason.
Even us ending up in that cabin. So...
-Really, Sarah, is that why you're here?
To ask that question? -No, God.
No, no, no.
I love our friendship,
I wouldn't wanna ruin that.
Which is why I'm gonna do this on my own.
Okay? I just need you to help me figure out
how to get back to that cabin.
-I told you, we're not allowed in that area.
Closed off for a reason. It's not safe.
-Look, she'll keep me safe. -Who's she?
I don't know, but the sooner you get me back to that cabin,
the sooner I figure it out.
-Okay, well, I told you, whenever I got up,
I heard the river, so it must be down east.
Your best bet is to go down Charles Road, all the way down
and make sure you get out and walk.
But you need the golf cart. So here.
-Really? -Yes.
-Thank you. -Okay.
There.
-Wait. Um, actually, I'll drive
let me just see the keys.
So, what exactly are we looking for?
-Um, I'm not exactly sure,
but, I mean, I think I'll know it whenever I see it.
[Distant crying]
Hey, did you hear that?
-Hear what?
-I don't know, it almost sounds like someone's crying.
-Crying?
Yeah... I think it's coming from here.
-Hey, wait. What are you doing?
Hey, hey, what are you doing?
-Bingo.
-Hey, how'd you know it was gonna do that?
-I didn't.
[Eerie whispers]
-Wow.
-Oh, yeah. We need to get up outta here.
-Um, yeah. -Like now. Come on.
-Okay. Yeah. Yeah, sure.
Yeah, let's... let's go.
[Door opens]
-Oh -Yeah.
You just can't help yourself, can you?
-Shit. What are you doing here? -What am I doing here?
-Look, I can explain. I'm really sorry.
-You've seen her, haven't you?
She led you here.
You look just like her.
Edward Teror's daughter.
She's probably your great, great, great, great grandmother.
Both: Who?
-In 1865,
shortly after the abolishment of slavery,
Edward Teror was the first black man
to own land on these grounds.
He was smart, wealthy, powerful, and most of all, respected.
But the white men couldn't stand him.
One day they torched his land, murdering him,
and enslaved his youngest child, his daughter, Ruth.
I believe that's how your family ended up here.
-OK, um... How do you even know all this?
-Well, she talks to me, too.
When Teror was killed by his enemies,
he swore revenge through his descendants
that they would grow and sprout from all over the earth
and reclaim this land. And he was right.
Many of the few who survived returned to Africa.
Many returned to the Caribbean.
Most of us are descendants from the black people
who originally lived here.
That cult chamber that you guys were about to go to?
-Yeah. -Yeah.
That's where they had their sinister ceremonies.
-Proceed with tonight's rituals.
[Screaming]
-They believe that drinking blood from Terror's descendants
gave them powers and immortality,
and they sold their organs for profit.
[Sobbing and screaming]
-What?
-Wait, does this have anything to do with those black women
who went missing here a few years ago?
-Yes, many like Samantha Jones and several others.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg
because you are a direct descendant of Teror himself.
And as of late, the currents have been getting
stronger and stronger and more aggressive.
They want us to fight back.
-You know, I always knew I was meant for something bigger here.
So does this mean I'm your new leader?
-Girl, you are not my leader.
But you can lead the way out. -See, that's fair.
-Yeah, I thought so.
They patrol around here every hour,
which is probably how they caught you the last time.
-Yeah, I know you didn't think I knew about that.
-We got to be. We got it.
Papa Dean: Now, what you don't know about this man,
is that he is actually our arch nemesis.
His ancestors claimed the land
and the lives of our ancestors for generations.
While she was a leading and influential member
of a secret society called The System.
He is a vicious and brutal man.
[Knocks at door]
-Hey, Jen.
I'm not sure if you've eaten.
I made you some shrimp kebab.
It's my go-to get out of jail free meal.
What better way to say I'm sorry?
I should have come home last night
and not made you worry.
Not made you doubt whether I'm in this for real.
Which is why we should do what you wanted.
We should leave this place.
Pack up and go. You know it's not safe.
-It's not.
But we can't leave. -What do you mean?
-I just... I can't explain everything fully yet.
But I need to stay. We need to stay.
-Okay, now you got me worried.
-My grandfather.
This house.
The... The lake. This...
This is our future.
And I got to get a couple more pieces together.
And once I do, baby, I promise I will tell you everything.
[Chuckles softly]
Do you trust me?
-Of course.
-Good afternoon.
My name is Marvin Fitzgerald,
the resort manager here at Lake Levy,
where we like to say,
"Live in luxury and gated serenity,
"where amenities are aplenty."
[Laughs]
One of our esteemed guests has endured a harrowing ordeal.
And even though she does not own property here,
anyone who passes through the exclusive gates of Lake Levy
are treated just like we own them.
My apologies. Like one of our own.
Because here at the lake,
safety is our number one priority.
So we'll have a brief statement from the young lady
we're so happy is now safe and sound.
I bring to you, Miss Chenah Chenee.
Or as her millions of fans on TokTok know her as, Chee Chee.
[Laughs]
[Crowd applauds]
-Thank you. Thank you guys.
Um... hey.
Okay, um, to my fans and my followers,
I'm honestly here because of you.
I love you guys so much, and I know you love me.
And I know you all are wondering,
how did I break free?
Well, I'm gonna tell you.
They had me tied to a pole with my hands behind my back.
I would hear him on the phone often on speaker,
and I had heard a heavy foreign accent,
like he was from the Caribbean,
you know, saying stuff like, "You want eat?
"You're hungry, child."
Yes I'm hungry, I'm kidnapped sir.
It was horrible.
They wanted to get into my mind and my phone.
Hmph, but I wouldn't let 'em.
You know why? Because you know me.
I'm Chee Chee. [Chuckles] I had to stand strong.
I wasn't going to let them ruin my brand
or everything that I built on my platform.
I knew in my bones I had to fight.
And that's what I did. I was not going to die there.
They had my hands tied behind my back
with a rope... just like this.
And I prayed and I prayed and I prayed to God.
And God answered so quick and took like two seconds
and pop! The rope popped.
I wiggled out and I was free.
Get off me! I'm not done. Thank you.
I untied my legs... and I was tiptoeing out.
Slowly and quietly, I saw my phone.
[Sighs] I was free, but I had no idea where I was.
I was confused.
I thought about calling my mother,
my family, my friends, but I couldn't risk it.
As I was out there running for my life,
I'm sure at any moment they were gonna grab me again.
The people that I know would never let me down were my fans.
So I went to IG and I was right.
My fans saved... my... life.
But I am here. I am free.
Thank you.
Back up off me, tighty whitey. I said get off me!
You talk all that stuff about safety,
and there's probably somebody right here
that's responsible for all of this.
-She didn't say... -No!
-Anything about this in our meeting.
This is very troubling.
I promise we'll look into this.
[Suspenseful music plays]
-To whomever did this, and we will catch them,
we're gonna prosecute them
to the fullest extent of the law.
You understand?
-Shit.
[Sighs]
Okay.
-Come on, Papa Dean. Show me something.
What am I missing?
-As was the case with slavery...
...they separated many of our kinfolks from us.
Siblings. Mothers. Husbands.
It may shock you to discover that centuries later,
some of these very people,
descendants of those who worked in the plantation...
...in the big house of the Marshalls,
ancestors still work for the Marshalls family
to this very day.
Beware of these modern day Uncle Toms.
Oh.
-You know, I still can't believe she just said
all those things about you guys.
I mean, what happens now?
Could any of it be true? -No, none of it.
She's just a bigger distraction to what's really going on.
And to think that I actually used to look up to her.
-Oh. Lesson learned. Be careful who you idolize.
-[Chuckles] Yeah.
You know, I really admire how you guys
look out for each other.
It's really amazing. -We have to.
After Michelle was killed,
I promised myself
that I would not let her death be in vain.
She was the one who opened my eyes
and revealed to me who we were.
But she knew too much.
And that's why they slaughtered her.
But I'm going to put a stop to this.
And you're here to help me. It's divine.
-No, wait. Venus, you know, I'd really like to help you.
Seriously, I would.
I just don't see how I play a part in any of this.
Your guides will show you.
Well, this place has been changing.
People are connected.
Wait. What is this?
-We're looking for Hendrix. Clark.
Do you know where he is?
Tell him to turn himself in.
Hayden's only going to make things worse.
-Turn himself in?
-All right, baby, what do you wanna do today?
It's so beautiful outside.
So I was thinking we could go on a hike?
Or did you want to do your music shit?
-So you wanna tell me what really happened?
-You were at the press conference,
weren't you?
-Right.
Right. You mysteriously freed yourself.
Then you ran into the woods, while on live...
...with a dead cell phone?
It's not adding up.
-Well, that's what happened.
-Stop playing with me, Chee Chee,
I know you made all this up.
Why?
[Scoffs]
Wow.
Was that an admission of guilt?
We're talking about a person's real life.
You know, they're gonna come down on all the workers
till they find a scapegoat.
- Okay, they'll be fine.
OK? They work here.
You do music.
You know what I do? I do drama, I act.
I'm dramatic, and that's what the people want.
-No way.
Outta all the white people here
you chose to put this on a black person?
That's foul!
-Okay, don't act all holier than thou, okay?
At least nobody died.
-Really?
-What do you want from me? What do you want me to do?
-To tell the truth!
Or I will.
-Well it'd be your word against mine.
-I need to go, man.
-Wait, what? You breaking up with me?
That's it. Say it with your chest, then.
Be a man.
-Have a nice life, Chee Chee.
-Shit.
[Knocks at door]
-Can I come in?
-Come in babe. -Mom.
-Hey. Everything okay?
-[Laughs softly] No. Not really.
Can I ask you a kind of weird question?
-Sure, baby. Anything?
-OK, um...
Have you felt... different, since we got here?
-Different? What do you mean?
-Okay. I met this girl.
But she's not a girl.
She looks exactly like me.
-Okay.
-But maybe she's not real.
Or maybe she is, I don't know,
but I know that she's our ancestor.
Look, she comes to visit me in my mirror
and gives me messages
or shows me visions of things that happened to her here.
Okay. She led me to this cabin and to this woman named Venus.
Okay. I'm sorry. I know this is a lot,
but you have to believe me. I see her...
-No, no, no, baby. I believe you.
I've been receiving messages from Thaddeus
and Papa Dean as well.
Dreams. Visceral connections.
There is something bigger happening here.
-Yes.
-I did some research online today and it was vague,
but I managed to pull up something on a woman named...
Both: Samantha Jones.
-Yeah, I, um... Googled her too.
-[Sighs] -Wow.
I almost forgot.
Okay, Mom, I need your help for a friend of mine.
Hendrix.
-Okay. - Hey, listen.
Number one, he's innocent, okay?
But they're trying to blame him for the abduction of that woman,
Chee Chee. But he didn't do it.
Mom, seriously. -Sarah.
How do you know?
-I just know.
But I don't know why they're trying to pin it on him.
You have to help him out, Mom. Okay? He didn't do it.
-I think I might know someone who can help.
-I know where he is.
-Okay.
[Exhales deeply]
[Chuckles softly]
-Uh, I don't know what to say, um...
This is mind blowing.
You're trying to tell me that Freeman Lake fable
is actually true, and you're the descendant
and heir appointed to reclaim it?
Babe, you gotta admit, it sounds like a storyline
from the Game of Thrones.
-Man, this is not about the house.
It's... It's not just the house.
It's the water. It's the land. It's...
It's all part of me.
And all these people working here,
they need somebody looking out for them.
Hendrix, all of them.
And that person is me.
I finally understand that.
This is my children's legacy. I have to pass that on,
most importantly, so... I can't leave.
I have an obligation. This is...
Oh, God, it's much bigger than me.
And that's by design.
Look, you taught black history. You understand redlining.
-Yeah, of course,
but what does that have to do with anything?
-Privilege.
The only way my grandfather got this house
is because he bought it under a shell company.
He left me those videos so he could explain our history
and help me execute what he couldn't finish.
-I should have never signed that prenup.
-I... I'm sorry. What?
Where is that coming from?
-I'm your husband. We're a unit.
And yet you're trusting the words of a complete stranger
who clearly has a diabolical agenda.
-Wow. -Janice.
They're trying to manipulate you.
-No, they're not, Ben.
I am clear about this. Clearer than I have ever been.
You were not part of the picture
when all of this was put into motion.
This is how it has to be.
I finally get it. I understand what my grandfather was doing.
He was protecting and securing the legacy of his family.
-Basically, your family, not your white husband.
-Well if I'm being honest... yes!
-So that is what this is about, isn't it?
This is about me being white.
-Ben, I am always gonna have to explain to you
what it's like for us. -Oh, come on.
You think I need you to lecture me on blackness?
You think I don't know? -You can't know!
Look, Ben, just because you teach black
and marry black does not make you black.
-Janice, I know black better than you!
A whole lot more than you think.
[Melancholy music plays]
[Eerie music plays]
[Sighs]
-Oh, sorry, um... We're closed, so...
-I see how you look at me every time I'm around.
Like that one day by the lake
when I was talking to your little girlfriend.
I have a proposition for you.
I'm gonna teach you the game.
With a cute face like yours,
I can get you tons of followers
across all social media platforms.
Millions and millions of fans.
Fans turn into sponsorships.
Sponsorships turn into money.
Okay, before you know it,
you'll be out of this immigrant refugee camp.
You can get your mom a house,
and y'all can run off and live the American dream.
-Okay, so what I gotta do?
-Okay. You played house when you were a kid, right?
Literally just follow me and do these skits. That's it.
-Okay.
-Look.
I know you're nervous, but I got you. Trust me.
-Okay. -Okay.
[Baby coos]
[Eerie music builds]
-Shit. -What have you
gotten yourself into, boy?
-Daddy, I didn't do it.
It's not what everybody thinks.
She lied to me, okay? She said I'd be rich and famous.
And how could I be so stupid?
-We have to leave.
Your life is in danger.
This is all intentional.
A punishment to keep us from telling the truth.
A war is coming. We have to go.
-Where? I have no place to go.
-We've made arrangements for you on the outside.
I need you to remember BFM. That is our sister organization.
I need you to head south towards the river.
They will find you. They have a boat.
-And my mom?
-You will never see your mother again.
At least not in this lifetime.
-What? -Son, we have to go.
Now.
[Suspenseful music plays]
[Water lapping]
[Insects chirping]
[Sighs]
-It is imperative
you all follow the plan we discussed.
Do not deviate from what I instructed you to do.
The young man's life depends on it.
Okay?
Let's go. You see the text?
-Yeah.
-I'll take that. Okay.
Come on. All aboard! -[Sighs] Okay.
-Watch your back. -Be careful. There you go.
-Okay. Wait, wait, wait.
Please tell my mom that I'm sorry
for all the pain I caused her. And...
...I love her. Okay?
-She knows.
She knows, Hendrix.
-Yeah. We got to go.
-Okay. Watch your head. -Watch yourself.
Okay. Okay. Let's move, let's move, let's move.
[Dramatic music plays]
[Suspenseful music plays]
-It's a little late for a London drop, isn't it?
It's past y'alls curfew, ain't it?
-Marshall estate. They requested some clean linen.
Now, Mr. Marshall would be a real hard ass
about his pillow cases.
-Open up the back.
[Suspenseful music plays]
You're clear. But I want you to back it up,
turn it around and get out of here.
-Yes, sir.
[Engine starts]
[Sighs]
-It's time.
It's time.
[Exhales deeply]
[Music crescendos]
[Insects chirping] [Waves lapping]
[Melancholy music plays]
-Hendrix.
You don't see us past tonight...
...know that we are always with you.
And we are proud of you.
Go be great.
[Exhales deeply]
-Turn around... slowly.
-When I was a little boy...
Mama taught me a trick.
She told me that if I was ever
suspicious of anyone in my circle of gossiping,
that I should tell that person, and just that person, a lie.
[Chuckles] A lie about myself
and tell everyone else a different story.
And if that lie was to surface and become the main narrative,
well, then you have your culprit.
So what I did was,
I told someone who I knew for certain
would tell this person that we'd be here and voila!
-You think you're so smart, don't you?
-Nah... I know I am.
Centuries later, your people still fail to realize that
that will be your downfall.
I've been circling back here for eons, ranger.
Different names, different faces,
but same spirit.
Energy is forever.
We're not going anywhere.
I'll return.
-So will I.
I'll see you on the next cycle.
[Gunshot rings out]
[Panting]
[Gunshot rings out]
-No, no, no, no, no.
Please, please, please.
No, no, no, no, no!
No! No!
[Crying]
[Sharp inhale]
[Phone buzzes]
[Dramatic music builds]