♪ Head above water I'm making a way ♪
♪ It's the first of the month And the bills ain't paid ♪
♪ I'm saying Man, this feeling's like Good Times ♪
♪ Yeah Man, this feeling's like Good Times ♪
♪ Keep my family close Pick me up when I'm low ♪
♪ Help me down on this road And I'mma bring us back home again ♪
♪ Man, this feeling's like Good Times Yeah ♪
♪ Man, this feeling's like Good Times ♪
♪ And today I'mma get out my way, Momma ♪
♪ They try to spray But the spirit kept me safe, Momma ♪
♪ Again Man, this feeling's like Good Times ♪
♪ Yeah Man, this feeling's like Good Times ♪
♪ Hustling to survive I'm just doing my job ♪
♪ Feds been blocking my shine But the sun always rises here ♪
♪ Man, this feeling's like Good Times Yeah ♪
♪ Man, this feeling's like Good Times ♪
♪ Oh, yeah ♪
[soft music playing]
[sun sizzling]
[grunting]
[grunting, screaming]
Oh God!
[soft music continues]
[yelling] Ah! What the fuck?
Man, who did that shit?
It was you!
With this sudden heat wave,
the people of the projects are bracing for an increase in violence.
The Burgundy Brigade and the Mauve Squad are ratcheting up to levels so violent
even the Taliban is saying, "Chill."
Residents are advised to stay inside where there are no AC units,
a move the city justified because Black people
are "Already too cool."
- [gun shot] - Damn, that was close!
[clears throat] Anyway, I'm Danielle Robinson. Back to you.
It's a damn shame.
Black folk can't have a day of heat without a day of violence.
And on my first week in office,
I will not let these thug-a-bugs ruin my name.
I'm planning on proving to the residents that they may not have chosen me,
but being stuck with me is actually good for them.
Oh, look at you!
So, the same strategy I used when I knocked you up.
- Smart, babe. - Get out of the way! Hey!
[both groaning]
Don't touch me! Your breath is the defrosting the meat.
Your face will freeze it back up.
Yeah. I don't want my underwear to thaw out.
[both groaning]
Is that why the popsicles always taste like baby powder?
Baby powder? I'm a grown-ass man. I use Gold Bond.
Now, hush. I'm watching the news.
Ooh. Please let it be a gang day.
Due to the heat and the violence that followed,
the Chicago School District has declared it a gang day.
All project schools are closed.
Children should swelter in place until further notice.
North Side schools are open, as usual.
- Another gang day? - Gang day?
They'll have to end the school year later again this year.
Over a little violence?
Back in my day, we walked to school through gunfire both ways.
Man, we need to get somebody in here that can change things.
[clearing throat] Hello, new HBIC here.
I wasn't expecting this gang war, but I won't let this senseless violence
stop me from succeeding.
I'mma go meet with the heads of the gangs and stop all this.
How you gonna do that?
Do I need to spell it out again? HBIC. I have my ways.
Come on, Mama. Why I gotta do it?
- You run these streets, don't you? - Yeah. But...
Yeah, but nothing.
Set up a meeting between me, Do-Rag, and Skoochie in the community room.
Am I clear?
- Dal! - Don't you see me talking to him?
I just wanted to buy some Oksana Baiul.
Don't you see me talking to him?
Oh. I'm sorry. Is everything okay?
- It won't be if you keep talking. - Mama!
Now wait and mind your business.
Damn, Mama. The heat getting to you too.
Okay, Mama.
[hip hop music playing]
[Junior] Yeah!
[Junior] Swish, baby!
Okay, look. I need paint for my protest signs.
Gang members can't read.
Ain't no sign stopping this war. It's useless.
Useless is your whole existence.
This is about affecting change, and it happens out on the street.
- Let's go get the supplies. - Hard pass.
- [Grey grunts] - [Junior laughs]
You can't hide from the hood your whole life, Junior.
Who knows what you're missing out on.
I know what's missing out on me. Stray bullets.
I got everything I need right here, including your big stupid head.
- What? - Glass!
Now, LeShawn...
Yo, my name is Skoochie.
And, Antwan...
Yo, it's Do-Rag.
Are we in the streets right now?
You're in the presence of the Holy Trinity.
Jesus, Harold Washington, and Obama.
So you'll be called by your Christian names, you got it?
You got it?
Now, LeShawn and Antwan, as president of the projects,
it is my official duty to look after the residents of this building.
That means even you two.
So this petty war of yours is gonna have to stop.
Now, who started it?
- He know he did! - Oh, no, no!
If y'all gonna act like kids, then I'm gonna treat you like kids.
Kids? Lady, we ain't have fathers. We ain't never be kids, ever.
[both slurping]
No fathers? Even better.
That means we can act like adults,
and we ain't leaving here until we figure this out.
Try me if you want to; I got nothing but time.
[reggae music playing]
[Reggie panting, grunting]
Ooh. [clearing throat]
[clears throat louder]
Peppermint? I just carried your bags to the terminal.
How about a little something for the effort?
Oh, oh, oh, you want a tip, do you? Get your air conditioner fixed, son.
Maybe next time you'll get the silver dollar.
Seriously? It's hot as hell out here.
You ain't got stuff to do, Officer Samuels?
Why don't you go after the sun? He's the one assaulting everybody!
You double-parked in an airport red zone.
Now, I don't make the signs. The people I arrest do. [laughing]
That's a prison joke, in case you didn't catch it.
Your daddy a prison joke! I hear he catches it all the time.
Sir, I'm gonna need you to stop making jokes
about my father getting raped in prison.
Or what? You gonna give me another ticket? I'll just add it to the collection.
Oh, no. You not getting a ticket.
- Really? - Ha. You getting this.
[gasping]
You got anything to say about my daddy now?
Okay, look. I think we got off on the wrong foot here.
I want to apologize.
For what you said about my daddy?
No, for your foot!
[screaming] Ah!
Freedom!
[horse neighs]
You know how we do this here, Freedom.
[police siren wailing]
Hyah! Hyah! Yee-haw!
[upbeat music playing]
[Freedom neighing]
[evil laugh]
[galloping hooves approaching]
[engine revving, tires screeching]
- Freedom, what the hell are you doing? - [Freedom neighs]
Yeah, what's the matter, BoJack? Scared of the projects?
You ever feel like doing your job, you know where to find me.
- [tires screeching] - [Reggie laughing]
This ain't over.
[sun sizzling]
Look, ey, I don't care what he on, a'ight? That's how I feel about it.
- Fuck it. We can do this outside. - [Beverly] Okay, enough!
I get it. It's complicated.
Global warming is real, but you do have a point, Antwan.
Any meaningful change would need to be made on a societal level.
See, you feel me. The sun is a battery for Black people.
It's what we get our superpowers from, *****.
You ain't a plant, you a bitch-ass *****. Know wha I'm sayin'?
You don't photosynthesize. Where you learn this shit at, huh?
In county, and not to mention, my toilet wine game is decent.
That's what's up. Know what I'm sayin'. I love me some bum bowl yac.
[slurping]
Well, since you both seem to be on the same page, we can stop this war.
Kids can go back to school,
and we can go back to worrying about normal things,
like losing our feet to diabetes.
Now, we need to agree on a truce.
A'ight, man. If he good, I'm good.
Oh, man. I mean, I guess.
And cut off the drugs.
Ain't happening!
Watch your mouth!
If there's no drugs, there's no blocks to fight over,
then there's no violence.
There's gonna be peace if I have to beat the brakes off you.
- You wanna try me? - [both] No.
No, what?
"No, ma'am?"
It's, "No, ma'am, Madam President."
[both] Yes. No, ma'am, Madam President.
Beautiful! Congrats!
We've all just had our first successful peace summit in the projects.
To make it official, I'm gonna need you both to surrender all weapons to me.
Now.
Ha, easy-peasy.
Citizens of the projects, it's safe out here.
Come out, come out, wherever you at.
[soft music playing]
What in the Childish Gambino is going on here?
I was thinking the same thing, except with Donald Glover.
I know hitting you with this protest sign is wrong,
but it doesn't stop me from wanting to.
Hey, you two. Why aren't you playing?
What do you mean, play?
Out here? Where they do that at?
Over there! Now, go.
We're here with the projects president Beverly Evans,
who negotiated The Red Treaty.
Mrs. Evans, my first question is, are you for real-for real?
If I'm lying, I'm flying.
[laughing] Won't he do it!
[laughing] You mean, "Won't she do it?"
Okay! Girl! Girl! 'Cause it's our turn.
Girl, it's been our turn!
- Girl! - Who you telling?
A'ight then!
Well, you heard it here first.
This is Danielle Robinson reporting live from the peaceful projects.
Hey, weird girl. You wanna play?
I don't have time for games. I want to change the world.
New world order...
Yeah, yeah, yeah, weird girl. You wanna jump rope or not?
You really think I'm weird?
Yeah. Everyone thinks you're weird 'cause... you're weird.
Yeah, I guess I get that a lot. Okay, let's play.
Come on, y'all. She wants to play!
One foot in, no do-overs. Eenie, meenie, minie...
Hell no! You're singing the songs of your oppressors.
I'll give you a hint. That word wasn't always "tiger."
You still feel like catching anything by the toe?
- She's still weird. - Can't we just have fun?
Fine, then. So now what?
- Well... - [boy] Ice cream truck!
- [girl] I'mma get me a bomb pop! - Come on, Grey. What are you getting?
The same thing you're all gonna get. Diabetes.
Where's the fresh vegetable truck, huh? Where are the cauliflower cones at?
- What's wrong with her? - [boy] Every time.
[girl] She ruins all the fun. Is she 30?
[soft music playing]
Well, I mean, what's a little ice cream going to hurt?
Climate change is gonna kill us anyway.
[girl] Hey, let's go!
Finally!
I said I'm sold out, man. Quit asking.
Well, when can I get the drugs?
Man, I don't know! You gotta ask my mama. She run these streets.
But I need them!
Me too! Formula ain't cheap.
How do I stifle my boredom?
Do what you been doing. Write letters to the editor,
call 911 on somethin' suspicious.
Shit, go play pickleball. I don't give a fuck.
Do whatever White people do. You do that shit.
But I've done all that, and it's never enough.
Nah, bitch, you get your ass back in the car.
Besides, my dad says he's done fixing my mess.
He ruined my life!
So, like, I think it all started when, like...
Whoa, whoa. Do I look like a therapist to you?
Well, just lay that pancake ass down right there
and tell me more about your father.
[mysterious music playing]
Huh?
[music intensifies]
[Junior grunting]
[grunting continues]
I've got dibs on the ball whisperer formerly known as Junior.
Yo, you want next? We got a spot. You want in, or what?
Yeah, sure. I guess.
Go, Junior! Go, Junior, go! Go, Junior, go!
[screaming, grunting]
[tires screeching]
[Reggie] Man, that white line saved me.
Now I can eat in peace
without that Uncle Tom-ass officer harassing me.
That Herschel Walker? I know the one you talking about.
Yeah. He tried to put a boot on my car, and I juked his ass
and made it right below the poverty line.
Yeah! That's the safest place to be.
It's quiet around here. I can actually hear the birds singing.
You know, ever since your wife got the gangs to sign that peace treaty,
it's been a whole day without violence.
We're not the most dangerous city below the poverty line anymore.
We're not?
[dramatic music playing]
But if it ain't dangerous, that means...
[banging on roof]
[horse snorts]
[banging on roof continues]
[policeman] Well, well, well.
This must be my lucky day. Heh.
But not yours.
Oh, shit!
Ha. Run!
[Beverly mumbling]
What in the H-E-double-hockey-sticks do you think y'all doing?
Do you know who I am?
Ooh. Aren't you feisty?
[screaming] Mayor Heavyankles? Police chief? Fire captain?
I'll kill you if you don't let me out!
Oh, now Jesus wouldn't like that.
And if you hadn't noticed, we have the power.
Now, onto business.
We've been watching you,
and we've seen how, against all odds, you've brought peace to the projects.
You're new to politics,
so we'll break this down for you in a way that's both demeaning to you
and patronizing to the audience.
Look, girl, your tax dollars pay for protection of the city,
like police and firefighters.
So, when a city is working in harmony,
such as now, no fires, no crimes, no emergencies,
well, we start to feel unnecessary,
and bad words like "budget cuts" come to mind.
See that? Bad.
Really bad.
So we kind of need the chaos, you following me?
What? Hell no. I am not ending the peace.
Yeah, I knew she wasn't gonna be reasonable.
Let's just get to the part where that mayor cuts off her ear.
[upbeat music playing]
You don't want this, do you?
Ooh. So then you're gonna stop the peace?
Oh, hold up!
Fine! I'll end the peace.
[music stops]
[Beverly grunting]
Little help?
[upbeat music playing]
[police siren blaring]
[both grunting]
[police officer screaming]
[Reggie laughing]
[upbeat music playing]
[phone vibrating]
Hey. Anything happening over there? You arrest anybody?
Nope. Still peaceful.
So peaceful, I feel safe enough
to order that damn gizzard lunch special at Henry's.
I'm not hearing any fucking sirens. Are you seeing any action?
Oh, I'm seeing tons of action.
But no fires.
She lied. Nobody plays us.
[AC motor revs]
[hip hop music playing]
[people cheering]
[snickering]
[people cheering]
Man, I don't think I've ever seen this many kids out here.
Hey, is that your brother?
Aw, yeah!
Yeah!
Junior!
Can't be. He doesn't have friends.
Do you?
Oh, good point. Maybe it is him. What a weird day.
Admit it. You had fun today.
Is that what that unfamiliar feeling was?
Yeah, you should try it more often.
Oh, no. Revolutionaries don't have desirable childhoods.
I need trauma and hardship to toughen me for the challenges ahead.
Plus, I'm nearly 13.
That's middle-aged for a freedom fighter. I'm running out of time.
[grunts] That's why you need to have fun while you can.
Any day could be your last.
And once we take down the system, we can.
Maybe not us, but one day our children will be able to rise up and say...
Tag, you it! [laughing]
I'm gonna get you!
[man] All right!
[man] Yeah!
[grunting]
Hey, now. I heard there was a baller out here looking for me to change his life.
You see, I'm done exploiting my own sons.
I'm looking for somebody else's sons to exploit. [laughing]
[people cheering]
[man 1] Ooh. Come on, boy!
[man 2] Damn! Ooh, that shot!
I wanna have all your babies.
[man 3] Hey, can you get me some tickets, man?
Hey, Junior, you paying my mama rent though?
Oh, Junior! I wanna have your baby!
[sinister music playing]
What do you say, son?
I don't wanna be exploited.
It'll hurt at first, but soon you'll begin to like how it feel.
[grunting] No means no!
Oh, come on, man.
I was gonna make you one of my Balls.
[dramatic music playing]
Huh?
[Beverly grunting, snoring]
[brakes screeching, car door opens and closes]
[Beverly continues snoring]
[gasps]
[police chief] Now, see, we warned your ass, Beverly.
And by "we," he really means me. [laughing]
Hi, Beverly. So nice to finally meet you in person.
My name is Allison Whitemen. You can call me All for short. Two L's.
I represent the system.
[tires screeching]
[police sirens blaring]
[truck horn blaring]
[Reggie screaming in slo-mo] Hey!
You're... the system?
I'm a lot of things.
I'm all things to all people and all people to all things.
But, really, I'm only one thing.
I don't understand.
Of course you don't.
Public school system? Some of my best work.
Every corrupt judge that locks up brown and Black children for a kickback?
Me.
And my personal favorite, stop-and-frisk.
Oof. It really makes my love come down
when a cop hits their quota.
[gasping] Guess what else?
I'm the quota!
Why are you telling me all this?
Just to keep you distracted while the mayor lights the fireworks
to get the gang war started up.
See you later, Bev.
[gasping]
[dramatic music playing]
[Freedom neighs]
Motherfucker!
[Freedom neighing in fear]
[screaming]
[laughing] I'm out this bitch.
[gun fire]
[sighing]
It's so clear now. My dad put all his issues on me.
They're not even my problems. They're his problems.
Oh my God. That means I have no problems.
Hmm. Sounds like you had a real breakthrough.
Well, you know me better than anyone, including my therapist.
I'm your drug dealer, baby.
It's my job. You know I got you.
Re-up just arrived.
You know, make it two. Maybe I'll go see Dad.
I mean, he's the one who got me hooked on these in the first place.
[hip hop music playing]
Now, you know you better follow them shots!
It's not really the gangs' fault.
It's Allison's fault. It's the system.
They put the guns and drugs on the streets
and restrict access to proper education and social programs
in order to drive young men to join gangs.
How do you keep fighting against all the injustices of the world?
I haven't felt this defeated since Whitney died.
You lose a lot of battles. So far, all of them, in fact.
But winning isn't what makes you a warrior.
Fighting does.
And someday, with enough momentum and support, you might just win the war.
Good point.
Hey, I saw you tearing up the court.
Yeah, it was fun for a minute, but I'm good staying inside,
doing my art, and putting Drano in Grey's face wash.
[laughs
Sorry your peace treaty fell through, baby.
Hey, if it helps,
the return of the chaos really saved my ass today.
- [explosion] - [Beverly yelling]
Oh Lord! I can't wait until winter.
[chill music playing]
In Chicago? Careful what you wish for, Bev.