♪ ominous music playing ♪
[nervous panting]
- Come on, come on.
[scratching]
[elevator dings]
[sighs]
[lights crackle]
♪
[scratching]
[lights crackle]
[Kendra gasps]
[people whispering]
♪
[crackling, whispering continues]
[Kendra screams]
[inhales]
♪ Gimme Some More by Busta Rhymes playing ♪
♪
♪ Y'all niggas had enough, gimme some more ♪
♪ Y'all niggas want the wild shit, gimme some more ♪
♪ Yo, Spliff, where the weed at, gimme some more ♪
♪ I know y'all niggas need that, gimme some more ♪
♪ Even though we gettin' money, you can gimme some more ♪
♪ Cars and the big crib, gimme some more ♪
♪ Everybody spread love, gimme some more ♪
♪ If you want it, let me hear you say, gimme some more ♪
♪ Yo, live nigga shit, know what I mean ♪
♪ I represent while we gettin' money and reign supreme ♪
♪ song continues on headphones ♪
[elevator dings]
♪ song stops ♪
♪ light music playing ♪
[distant vacuum cleaner runs]
♪
♪ Selfish Soul by Sudan Archives playing ♪
♪ If I cut my hair, hope I grow it long ♪
♪ Back long, back time like way before ♪
♪ If I wear it straight, will they like me more ♪
♪ Like those girls on front covers ♪
♪ Long hair make 'em stay little longer ♪
♪ Stay hair, stay straight though we feel ashamed ♪
♪ By the curls, waves, and natural things ♪
♪ Curls, waves, and natural things ♪
♪ Okay, one time if I grow it long ♪
♪ Am I good enough, am I good enough ♪
♪ About time I embrace myself and soul ♪
♪ Time I feed my selfish soul ♪
♪
♪ It's been so long since I had a sew in ♪
VERA PARINI: Nella! - Vera!
Morning, hi.
[Nella laughs nervously] [Vera laughs]
Look what arrived.
- [gasps] Oh, I see. Ooh, it's a real brick.
- Seriously, you could knock someone out with that thing.
- Oh, and that's exactly what we wanna do,
we wanna get this brick absolutely everywhere.
- Ah! Don't hit me with the brick!
- Yes. - Right.
- Funny. Oh.
Now, we just need Sam to pick a damn cover.
Hey, has Leonard brought those mockups over yet?
- I already told him that we need them by the end of the day.
- And did you get the Colin cutout?
- It's on its way.
- God, as always, Nella, you're the best. [sighs]
Mm. I wanna talk to you about the Colin Franklin later.
- The one with Shartricia?
- Mm-hm, you read it, right?
- I couldn't finish it fast enough.
- Oh, well, great. Richard wants it in copyediting ASAP.
So, I want your thoughts.
♪ soft jazzy music plays ♪
[both chuckle politely]
YANG: Yep, pulling them up now, Maisy.
Yes, those pages were sent.
Yes, you would look great with bangs.
Yes, really.
Okay, see you later.
[sighs] Maisy's trying to squeeze every last drop out of me before I go.
- Yang, I am begging you,
[softly] please don't go.
You are literally the only one that I like.
Besides, aren't you gonna miss all of this, glamour?
- I think I'll take law school.
- But what about the possibility of editing books?
[script thumps]
Of telling stories?
So, that... I don't know,
a nerdy, little Black girl
who didn't grow up with kids who looked like her
could imagine a bigger world?
Feel less alone?
- Aw.
[slight chuckle] Books were your friends.
- I had friends.
- Were they hobbits?
- Nella? Could you hand out the invitations
to Colin's announcement party, please?
Thank you.
[door slams]
♪ soft ambient music playing ♪
- Did you get my email?
- Ah, Sophie!
Announce yourself, damn.
- Sorry, hi.
- Hi. - Did you read that piece I sent?
- "The Token in the Corporate Machine: Being Black in a White Workplace."
- Did you read it?
- In the last 30 seconds?
- It is such an important topic.
And, you know, I'm always looking for better ways
to be an ally to you.
That piece got me so fired up.
- Mm.
- Anyway, you should read it, like, maybe right now,
and share if it resonates.
Oh, and, uh, here's a manuscript for Vera.
Richard might offer on it.
[deep sigh]
[lights crackling]
[groans]
♪ ominous music playing ♪
- What the?
♪
[low shriek]
- You okay?
- Yeah.
Yeah, I'm fine.
- Don't let this place suck the life out of you.
[phone rings]
- Wagner Books.
♪ mysterious theme playing ♪
♪ ominous music playing ♪
PERSON: Excuse me.
[laughter]
MAISY GLENDOWER: We are so excited. HAZEL-MAY MCCALL: Very excited.
MAISY: There she is!
Nella, come.
There's someone you have to meet.
Hazel, this is Nella. Nella, meet Hazel-May McCall,
my new assistant.
- Really?
Wow.
Hi.
It's so nice to meet you.
- Uh, Hazel,
Nella will show you the ropes once you get started.
She's Vera's assistant.
- The iconic Vera Parini?
- Yeah.
- Who can forget that Vogue profile?
Ugh, those pictures at the beach house in Montauk.
- It was a rental.
It doesn't matter, I mean,
Colin Franklin really opened doors for her.
Y-- This is gonna be so much fun having you here, Hazel.
- Yeah, it's, it's gonna be fun.
MAISY: And important.
Hazel mentors underprivileged students up in Harlem.
- We use the term "opportunity challenged."
- Oh. HAZEL: Yeah.
Our job is to embolden them beyond their circumstances.
Anything for my hood.
NELLA ROGERS: Oh, you're from Harlem?
- Oh, Black mecca born and bred.
MAISY: Oh, Nella and I, actually both from Connecticut.
It's not as cool as Harlem,
but we turned out all right, didn't we, Nella?
- Did you go to college up there, too?
- Uh, UVA.
HAZEL: Mm. - You?
- Yeah, uh, Howard, class of '19.
NELLA: Wow. HAZEL: Mm.
- You must have some crazy homecoming stories.
- I mean, girl, the ones I can remember.
Lil Baby performed my senior year.
- What?
- Girl, it was serious, I am still recovering.
NELLA: Oh, my God, what I would give. HAZEL: Mm.
- A kidney.
I would give a kidney. [Hazel laughing]
- Give me the kidney then.
- Well, I-- [both laugh]
- See, see? - I was ready to give it to you
if you wanted it. [both laughing]
[Maisy laughing]
- Well, you girls are gonna have a lot to talk about
and a lot of time to do that.
I'm just gonna walk you out, Haze.
Ooh, ooh, ooh.
Is that a fun nickname for us?
Haze, Maze.
- I gotta get back for tutoring.
Uh, I will see you all very soon.
Very, very excited to be here. - Yeah.
MAISY: Oh! Well, let me walk you out.
There's just a few questions-- [quietly] She's great!
I have to ask you.
♪ soft jazzy music playing ♪
- The new Yang is Black.
- Bitch, I lit so many intention candles for this.
- It's like Wagner realized that we're in 2023
and there can no longer just be one of us.
- Duh, finally!
So, tell me all about homegirl. What's her name? W-What's her vibe?
- Um, Hazel-May McCall. - Okay.
- And, Malaika, she is so cool.
Like, even you would borrow clothes from her.
- I would only borrow clothes from Rihanna,
on our honeymoon in Greece.
- 'Kay. - Yeah.
[Malaika laughs]
OWEN: Hey!
- Hey. - Hi.
- Sorry I'm late.
The, uh, new mural at school got defaced.
Took forever to clean off.
- It's only been up for, like, two days. - Yeah.
- Fuckin' hate kids.
- And it was so nice.
It was a picture of a bunch of people holding hands,
saying, "You belong here."
- What'd they draw this time?
- Guess.
- Dicks. [Malaika giggles]
- Hey, w-what's the deal with the new girl?
NELLA/MALAIKA: Black!
- Amazing! Ha-- Should we have her over?
- Owen, that's a great idea.
Then we can be work friends and real friends.
- I'ma get more shots.
- Ooh, I don't think we need more. - Ah, but I do!
[phone dings]
- Oh, my God.
- What?
- The dicks are back. [Nella laughs]
I have to go. - Yeah.
- I'm sorry. - It's okay.
- I love you. - Love you.
- Shots o'clock, babies! What's going on?
- Cockblocked by dicks.
- Damn.
Congratulations, baby girl. - Thank you.
[indistinct chatter]
VERA: Nella!
Come, come, sit.
Sit, sit.
I just wanted to tell you that you have been doing a fantastic job.
All of our authors, they love working with you,
and you got Sam Lewis to go on that college tour.
And your edits, they're just brilliant.
So,
I am ready to recommend your promotion to assistant editor.
I am gonna talk to Richard about it tomorrow.
- Oh, my God. [Vera giggles]
Really?
- Yes! - That's amazing.
- Well, I will keep you updated. - Okay.
- And now, Colin Franklin, Needles and Pins,
I want your thoughts.
- O-Oh, right now?
- [chuckling] Yes, right now. And as always, don't hold back.
- [inhales] Um,
guess I should just get right into it. [laughs nervously]
Uh, this character... Shartricia,
the only Black character,
is problematic.
- Oh, say more.
- Well, I can appreciate that Colin wants to represent the opioid epidemic
through a diverse perspective.
- Diversity matters.
- Sure, but... Colin
has written an idea of a person
that somehow also manages to hit on every harmful stereotype.
I mean, a baby daddy whose name she doesn't know,
literally zero friends who aren't crack addicts,
and her name,
and all of this coming from a white author.
I just think that a lot of Black readers are gonna find her
unsatisfying.
- Wow.
- Oh, well, you said not to hold back, so.
- And you didn't, um.
Well, I'm glad you brought this to me first.
You did bring this to me first, didn't you, Nella, not Colin?
- Oh, my God, no.
- Okay. - No!
There's no way on Earth that I would say this Colin
before talking to you.
- Great, great.
So, when Colin comes in for the announcement party,
you are gonna tell him that you love Needles and Pins
and nothing else.
- [muttering] S-- So-sorry?
- I hear you, and I'm listening,
but... Colin keeps the lights on at Wagner.
He's an icon.
I mean, look at him.
- So, you're saying-- - Compliment him, earn his trust,
then you can give him your honest feedback,
but the sweet before the bitter, that's the editor's job.
Nella,
you're really talented
and I want you to excel here.
But, sometimes... part of excelling
is... being diplomatic.
You understand?
- Um,
yeah, I think so.
- Great.
Well, I've gotta run,
but I will talk to Richard soon.
[sighs] Oh, and Nella?
Keep this between us.
Okay. [slight chuckle]
[ambient street sounds, siren blares]
[water running]
[Nella sighs]
- Is it weird of me to say that
it's just really nice that you're here?
- Girl, I get it. - Okay!
- Yeah, no, look, right back at you.
- If you have any questions--
- I have questions about all of it.
NELLA: All right, she's in publicity, I don't know her name,
but she does have a framed picture of Ronald Reagan, so.
- Oh, my God. - Mm-hm.
- In 20-- In 2023? - Mm-hm. Mm-hm.
Oh, that's Greg.
He's in accounts payable. HAZEL: Uh-huh.
- And he doesn't realize that we can all hear him
farting in his office. [Hazel laughs]
Yeah. - Ah!
I-- You know, I mean, it still sounds better
than my old lit mag job in Boston.
Mm, yeah.
I lasted barely a year before I had to get out.
- Boston? Yikes. - Mm.
You want a mint before we go back?
- Yes, please. - Okay.
- Vera is always telling me that she has heightened olfactory receptors.
- What does that mean?
- She doesn't like my lotion. HAZEL: [laughs] Wow.
- Wait, Burning Heart? That's my favorite book.
- It's mine, too.
Wait, okay, and check this.
It's signed.
- Oh, my God. [Hazel chuckles]
Oh, I would kill to meet Diana Gordon.
- Yeah. It was, uh, life-changing.
- This book is literally why I work at Wagner,
because of Kendra Rae Phillips editing it here.
- Yeah, and working with her childhood bestie, Diana?
It's such a cool story.
- Can't even imagine having that kind of success
as a Black woman back then. - Mm.
- Least things are getting better.
- Are they?
You can't wear your preferred lotion in the workplace?
- Okay.
But you're here, so now there's two of us.
That must mean something is going in the right direction.
The system is changing, we're changing it.
- Yes, we are.
- Hm.
- You know that hall of white people they have here?
- Yeah. - Mm.
I... took a selfie with Kendra Rae's photo after my interview.
- Hm.
- Oh, that's lame. [Nella chuckles]
That's lame. [chuckles] [Nella laughing]
- You know, I actually might think that there was something wrong with you
if you hadn't. [both laughing]
- H-- Come on. Hey, twin lames!
[indistinct chatter]
♪ soft ambient music playing ♪
- Boys. EMPLOYEE: Mm-hm.
- Richard.
- Hazel-May McCall.
Richard Wagner.
- It is very nice to meet you, Mr. Wagner.
- Please, call me Richard.
Only my children call me Mr. Wagner.
I'm kidding, I don't have children.
Hi, Nella! [Hazel chuckles]
Welcome to Wagner.
I trust Maisy's been treating you nicely.
[whispering] Has she mentioned that she went to Yale?
'Cause that's coming.
- [scoffs] Twice, yeah. [Richard chuckles]
Um, but, I mean, honestly, it's just such an honor to be here.
Everyone's been really supportive, great, especially Nella.
- Well, Nella is our rising star. She's the glue around here.
- Yeah, I can see that.
- All right, I'll see you both at the party.
Anything you need, my door's always open.
[taps desk]
- Surprisingly cool.
- Yeah, he is. [Hazel chuckles]
[message dings]
[Nella groans]
- Mm? Mm-mm. 'Scuse me.
I heard that loud and clear.
[Nella chuckles] What's up?
- Wagner's just--
You'll see.
[Hazel scoffs]
- [chuckles] Come on, sis, spill that tea.
[Nella sighs]
[phones ringing, office chatter]
- Okay, so, I have this author--
- Mm-hm. - Colin Franklin.
- The Terrorist Next Door dude.
[whispering] Yo, that movie sucked.
- Yeah, and he's about to come out with a new book
on the opioid epidemic,
and he wrote this Black character, Shartricia.
- I'm sorry? - And she is so bad
for the culture, like, on every level.
- [scoffs] Please send that to me 'cause I love a good hate-read.
- Yeah, me too,
but he's our biggest author and I work with him,
so... now I have to decide [sends text]
if I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind
or hold my tongue.
- I don't know what I would do, to be honest.
- Yeah, it's tough.
Look, everyone here is very excited about this book.
It's gonna be huge for the company.
- If Colin's book rubs you the wrong way,
trust it.
You're probably not the only one who feels that way
and any respectable writer would appreciate you saving his ass
before it's published, right? - Yeah.
- If she's dangerous,
he's gotta hear that.
- I don't know.
There's this promotion.
You know, I just-- I don't know if I can go out on a limb like that right now.
- You know what? If you need me, I'll back you.
When the time is right, just say the word.
- Thank you.
- What have we here?
Ooh. It's not mine. It's not mine, is it?
Am I right? Attention, everyone!
Relax, this is not a drill!
[exhales] Daddy's home.
[office applauds] VERA: Colin!
- Oh, Vera! - Ah! Oh!
- Mwah! Mwah! - Mwah! Mwah! Oh!
- Great to see you.
Everybody, remain seated, everything's fine!
[Vera laughing] Everything's fine, I promise.
- Come with me, you handsome man! COLIN FRANKLIN: What? Oh!
There's me! VERA: Oh my go--
[office door shuts] [conversation continues muffled]
- Girl.
♪
COLIN: Mm. - Fill it to the brim.
[indistinct chatter]
♪
- You know, at my last job, when they released a magazine,
all we got were bagels.
Just bagels, no cream cheese. [Nella chuckles]
- Good afternoon, everyone.
Thank you for joining us
to celebrate the announcement of Colin Franklin's new book
and thank you, Colin, for such a long and fruitful relationship.
COLIN: Mm.
[office applauds]
- So, let us all raise a glass to yet another num--
Thank you, Maisy. - Oh.
- To yet another number-one bestseller.
You can guarantee that, right?
- Well, isn't that your job?
[all laughing] - [laughs] Yeah.
[laughing continues] Now you--
[muttering]
[quietly] God, I miss doing these on Zoom.
♪ light R&B music playing ♪ [indistinct chatter]
SOPHIE: Probably not a Phish fan,
but Trey Anastasio is one of the greatest living musicians,
like, of our time, basically.
- Um, sorry, Sophie, Hazel's doing, like, a--
- Oh.
[Nella chuckles] No worries, yeah.
I know deep down there's a Phish Head inside of you.
- There really isn't.
- Ah, Nella, Hazel was just telling Colin
that she read Needles and Pins today.
- You read it? This afternoon?
- Yeah, I did. I wanted to be prepared.
- Since you've read it, I have to ask, it's my baby, what did you think?
- Actually, Nella and I were talking, and I know that she had some thoughts.
♪ tense music playing ♪
- Well, it's rich. - [chuckling] Yes, right?
- Yeah.
And tragic.
- Hm. - In a, in a good way.
But. - Uh-oh, there's a "but."
- No, there's no "but," there's no "but."
- I'm sorry.
I just have to say that... Shartricia... is problematic.
She hits on a lot of harmful stereotypes for Black people
and it's dangerous, she's dangerous.
♪
And I know that a lot of other people... feel that way.
The whole thing is a little, um--
[sighs] I'm sorry, I'm not really explaining myself very well.
- Oh, no, no, I, I, I think I understand very clearly.
It's dangerous. That's what, that's what you said?
What did you think?
- I'm sorry, me? - Yeah, could be helpful.
- Uh, I really liked the book.
It's very, very gripping
and I think Shartricia has potential.
I'm excited to read it again with a specific eye on her,
but it read really well.
COLIN: [chuckling] Yes. I'm so glad you liked it.
- Mm. COLIN: So, thank you.
I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the book, it's not for everybody, my books.
I mean, just mostly everybody. - Oh. [scoffs]
- Am I right? Based on... the numbers.
[Vera laughs] Based on the numbers.
Richard needs to talk to me, I, I forgot,
so I'll, um, [snaps fingers] I will see you all later.
Very good, thank you!
- [quietly] What was that?
- I--
Uh--
- My office, first thing tomorrow.
- Hazel, we would love for you to write an editorial letter for Colin as well.
I think the more eyes we have on this, the better.
- Wow, I'd love to, Richard, thank you!
- Good.
Good, follow me. Let's talk.
♪
[siren blaring, ambient street sounds]
♪ ominous music playing ♪
- What the fuck?
[loud noise] [Nella gasps]
[rattling]
[lights crackling]
♪ dramatic music playing ♪
[lights crackle]
♪
[gasps]
[lights crackle]
♪
[panting]
♪