NELLA: Previously, on The Other Black Girl...
VERA: Needles and Pins. NELLA: Shartricia is problematic.
[applause] - I really liked the book.
VERA: You will apologize.
NELLA: This whole thing with Colin is undoing the past two years.
Just in time for its 35th anniversary, a rerelease of Burning Heart.
- I mean, she never looked out for me the way that we're supposed to.
You know what I mean? - Colin, I'm sorry.
- I had an idea. We should do a sensitivity read.
- Wasn't the sensitivity read Nella's idea?
I got your back from now on.
♪ I’ll Take You There by The Staple Singers playing ♪
♪ I know a place ♪
KENDRA RAE PHILLIPS: D, are you almost done?
DIANA GORDON: Almost. Dang, you impatient.
KENDRA: Yeah, it hurt. DIANA: 'Kay, well, take it easy.
- Ah, ah. Not so tight, D.
- Not my fault. You got a soft head.
That's on Auntie Bev for giving you such a soft life.
- [laughs] Oh, I can't wait 'til I'm in Boston
and I can meet someone who won't give me shit while they do my braids.
- In Boston? [laughs]
Good luck findin' anybody
who could do this. [Kendra laughs]
- Ah.
- Sorry, I just don't get why you have to leave.
Harvard is Harvard, but Diana is Diana, too.
There's only one of me.
- Yeah, and I'm lucky I got you.
- Damn right.
- Huge, man-sized feet and all.
- Wow. You see how you do? [Kendra laughs]
[Diana laughs]
- [softly] Come here.
I'm never really gonna leave you.
All right? I just--
You've always known you want to tell stories.
I need to figure myself out.
And Harvard's the best place for that.
Even if that means some pasty ass Red Sox fan
has to jack up my scalp once or twice.
- [chuckles] You know they will. - Yeah, they will.
[both laughing]
- Call me every day.
'Kay, Kenny? I don't care if you run out of quarters.
Forget your laundry.
You're gonna wear a dirty bra and call your best friend, okay?
On lock?
- On lock.
[Diana chuckles] ♪ Little lady ♪
♪ All right ♪
♪ Mm-mm-mm, mm ♪
♪ Mm, duh-duh-duh ♪
♪ And suck it so ♪
[cat meows]
[sighs]
NELLA: Oh, my God.
OWEN [mouthful]: What, "Oh, my God?" Is that cat back?
- No, I completely forgot about this thing
that Vera wanted me to read at the office last night,
and I guess that Hazel just... dropped it off.
- Oh. Seems nice.
- Yep. She lives in Harlem. That's, like, over an hour train ride.
- Huh.
Maybe she was visiting her boyfriend, or girlfriend,
or grandma, grandma's girlfriend. I don't know. People go places.
I think you're overthinking it. It seems really nice.
- Like, too nice.
- There's no such thing.
I gotta go. I swallowed so much toothpaste to have this conversation.
- Hm.
♪ theme music playing ♪
♪ light, mellow music playing ♪
- Hazel told me we have the same brow shape. [chuckles]
- I know, and you've told me four times this week.
- Hey. - Hi.
- Did you come to my apartment last night?
- So, you got... the manuscript?
- Yeah. [Hazel chuckles]
- Thanks, I mean, I really can't believe that you went so far outta your way
just to help me like that. - It's not a problem at all.
I was at this wine bar in your neighborhood, Olla's.
Have you been?
- No, it's kind-- Uh, uh, well, yeah, once, um,
it's just a little pricey.
- [laughs] But so worth it.
- Yeah. So worth... all that money.
But... thank you
for... standing up for me in the meeting yesterday
and for the manuscript.
I mean, you have the same 24 hours in a day that I do, right?
- I told you... Got your back.
VERA: Did you read it? [clears throat]
The Garcia manuscript. Did you read it? - [mouthing] Thank you!
- [mouthing] You're welcome. NELLA: Yes, I did.
I loved it. Um, quick read.
You could almost... read it in one subway ride.
- Wow, I totally agree.
And we should add that to the marketing campaign.
Nothing's more relatable than the subway.
- Nothing. VERA: Oh,
I have the worst headache in the history of the Western world.
I hate to ask you, but will you go to the break room
and get something for me?
Uh, Advil, Lorazepam, whatever they have in there.
- Yeah. - I'll give you a hand with that, Nell.
[Vera sighs]
- Oh, well, don't you wanna wait for Maisy?
- Nah, she's not gonna be in 'til later today.
- Well, time is just a construct when your trust fund kicks in at 16.
Uh... don't tell her I said that.
- Oh, it's okay. I get it.
She's got a doctor's appointment
every Friday afternoon. VERA: Mm.
- Didn't know the doctor makes house calls to her boyfriend's apartment. [gasps]
- [laughs] Oh, Hazel... you're bad.
[Vera chuckling]
- This is really a one-person job.
- Look. Come to a party with me tonight.
- What? What party? - [chuckling] Yeah.
- Isn't it, like, a Wednesday?
- [scoffs] Girl, my friend who works at Condé Nast
said that there's a huge fundraiser for MoMa uptown somewhere.
- You got invited? - [sings] ♪ No ♪ [snaps fingers]
- So, you're just gonna crash?
- [snaps fingers] Tell people you belong and they'll believe it.
[Nella sighs] - Nella, this is the kinda thing
that cultural elites go to.
Okay? A.K.A., people who wanna write books, right?
Maybe Anna Wintour has a book about under seasonin' chicken
and reusin' teabags she just can't wait to write.
And she's waiting at this party for an up-and-coming editor
to coax it out of her.
But we gotta get there by, like, six so we can roll in.
- Okay, well, that's never gonna happen
because Vera has never let me outta here before six.
When her grandmother died, she made me go sit shiva... with her.
- Damn. - Yeah.
- Maisy already said that she was leavin' early
so she could try and poach an author. [clicking tongue]
So, we just need to get Vera out somehow.
Maybe that's it.
What's the deal with them?
- Vera and Maisy? - Mm.
- They hate each other. [Hazel laughs]
So, Vera and Maisy were assistants together.
They've, kind of, always been pitted against each other from day one.
[gulping]
- Ooh. Rough night?
- No. Why?
- Oh, you just look tired.
- [chuckles] Well, when you have a best-selling author--
Oh, you wouldn't understand.
- Bye. - Bye, now.
- Bitch. VERA: Bitch.
NELLA: When they were both promoted to editor,
Wagner only trusted them with female-skewing books.
Gone Girl, Girl on a Train,
Girl Does Crazy Thing, What's Wrong With Girl?
Basically, anything with "girl" in the title.
Now, anytime one succeeds,
they feel like it's at the expense of the other.
- [chuckles] Perfect.
♪ ambient music playing on speaker ♪ [Vera groans]
[door knocks]
[stops music] - Hazel.
- I was just checkin' in to see how you're feelin'.
- Oh, do you have a spare semi-truck to run over my forehead?
- [chuckles] Uh, if you need anything,
you know an extra pair of eyes on something, I'm here.
Maisy said that she's leaving early
to try to poach an author, so I'll be free.
- Mm, author? What? Who is it?
- I really shouldn't say in case it doesn't work out.
- Um.
[quietly] Just between us. You can tell me.
And it's fine. It's fine. Maisy and I are old friends.
I've known all three of her noses.
- [laughs] Uh, I, I guess you'll find out eventually.
It's, um, Kevin McMicheals, the mystery novelist.
Yeah, he lives in Idaho, but he comes to New York once a year
to pitch his next book,
and he always has a cocktail at 5:00 P.M. at Chez Zou.
So... Maisy's gonna go and... introduce herself.
- Wow.
We are so lucky to have you, Hazel.
♪ ominous music playing ♪
Nella, I'm heading out.
This headache, it just makes me want a drink.
[whispering] Can you make me a reservation for Chez Zou at five?
- [whispers] Yep. - [whispers] Great.
And... I'm sorry about yesterday.
Sometimes I think I work too hard and I work you too hard.
So... no more calls tonight.
Just take off. When you're done.
NELLA: What did you do to her?
- Gave her exactly what she wanted.
Come on, let's get changed.
- I mean, all I have is my work clothes.
Well, I do have a sweatshirt that I keep here for when it gets cold,
but it's got a big picture of Steve Urkel on it.
- [laughs] Are you serious?
- Yeah.
- Oh my-- Okay, come on. Mm-mm. [laughs] I got you.
- Oh.
♪ Conceited by SZA playing ♪
[inaudibly speaking]
♪ I don't like nobody, I don't feel guilty about it ♪
♪ I just got my body done, ain't got no guilt about it ♪
♪ I just heard your opinion, I could've did without it ♪
♪ All these bitches is minions, despicable like, ooh, oh ♪
♪ Feeling like Mike Lowrey, oh ♪
♪ Proud about my salary, oh, ooh, oh ♪
♪ Heard they calling me out ♪
♪ Love it when they calling me out, oh ♪
♪ I got no reason to depend on you ♪
Oh, wow. I --
You kinda made me look like you.
- You're welcome.
Or not. Damn! - No, I-I love it.
Did we just do something fucked up? [Hazel sighs]
With Vera and Maisy?
Like, did we contribute to the already fucked-up-ness of the system?
- You can't take all the problems of the world on your shoulders like that.
Colin? Then this?
We just out here tryin' to survive.
- By survive you mean... get some free champagne
and watch Anna Wintour get sloppy on the dance floor?
- You and I know exactly how fucked up the system is,
more than Vera and Maisy.
We're taking advantage of something created by the powers that be
long before you and I both stepped onto those elevators.
You need to take the wins where we can get them.
And tonight, that means [snapping fingers] we gon' draaaaank.
[Hazel laughs]
[sighs] Just promise me you'll take this for what it is.
A win.
♪ low ominous music playing ♪
Promise.
- I promise.
♪ ominous music continues ♪
Oh, my God. You're bleeding.
- What? - Do you need, like, a Band-Aid
or something? - Just-- I'm fine, I'm fine!
Uh... I'm gonna meet you downstairs.
We're gonna crush that party.
♪
[sighs]
♪
- Wow.
Okay. Ivy League. [laughs]
You need to graduate so we can afford a taxi.
- [sighs] I'm so, so happy you're here.
- Me too.
So, what do you wanna do tonight? How does Harvard get down?
Have they even heard of Stevie Wonder?
[both laughing]
- Uh, well, actually I, um,
I figured we could stay in and catch up.
- Is everything okay?
- Um,
sometimes it feels like
everybody's looking at me.
- That's just white people, Kenny.
You gotta let these things roll off your back.
- Well, it's easy for you to say.
- Or you could transfer. [Kendra sighs]
You're not happy. Right? So, you-- - No, no, I can't just give up.
I'm lucky to be here in the first place.
- Okay, well, I wish I could help, but it doesn't seem like you want me to.
- [sighs] Because you can't. You don't get it.
- I'ma go wash my face.
- Diana, I didn't mean--
D--
[acoustic guitar strumming]
- FYI, there is a naked man playing guitar in your hallway.
[door thuds]
[ambient street sounds]
♪ Welcome To My Island by Caroline Polachek playing ♪
[laughter]
♪ Welcome to my island ♪
♪ See the palm trees wave in the wind ♪
[indistinct party chatter]
- Can't believe this is happening.
I'm sweating so much right now, my body is, like, peeing.
Is that possible?
- Girl, you need to chill.
Ooh, ooh. Hey! Hey!
Oh, my God, hi!
Oh, you're back from London.
- Yeah, just got back. HAZEL: Hm.
- How do I know you again?
- Oh, my bad. You not Pharrell.
- How did you know he was in London?
- Girl, that hat.
If he wasn't in London, he wanted to pretend he was.
- This is-- - Ah, cute.
Okay, you ready to go talk to some people?
- Uh, could we maybe, like, get a drink or something first?
- Look, all you gotta do is just chat a little bit, okay?
That is how you move up in the world.
- Girls! I-I'm Kate, the hostess of this little shindig.
Um, tell me again who invited you?
- I-- Well, I-- We are--
- I'm Hazel-May McCall and this is Nella Rogers.
We're editors at Wagner Books, junior editors.
You know, I was at drinks with Giselle Chung
from Penguin Random House last week,
and she mentioned that you were having this thing tonight,
but I... I haven't seen her.
- Oh, well, Giselle's in Greece for two weeks.
You know. - Oh, right, right.
- She'll be so sad she missed you, I'm sure.
Yeah. You know what's so funny is I, I didn't know that
Wagner had two... new editors. [Nella laughs]
- [laughs] That is really funny.
You know, I am just gonna have to tell Richard that I need
that press release next time. [snaps fingers]
[Nella chuckles]
Oh, my God, is that an original Danielle Mabry?
- Well, I think it's safe to say that you have a very good eye.
[group chuckling]
You know, Hazel, if you are into modern sculpture,
there's someone over here you really should meet. - Um.
♪ Welcome To My Island continues playing ♪
Hi. Yeah. Thanks.
♪ The ocean blue ♪
♪ I am my father's daughter in the end ♪
♪ He says watch your ego, watch your head, girl ♪
♪ You're so smart, so talented ♪
- Hi, I'm Nella Rogers. I'm an assistant editor at Wagner Books.
Have you seen... the sculpture?
- Are you feelin' okay, honey?
- Yes. I'm sorry. I'm just-- I'm very nervous.
- I'm Lena. Lena Jordan.
- Wait, as in, "...and this is our podcast producer, Lena Jordan?"
With Get the Real with Jesse Watson?
That podcast is, like, my Bible.
I actually have to admit, I sent him a DM.
- Not you, too... He gets a million DMs.
Lots of feet pics.
- [laughs] No, not that kind of DM.
I was actually trying to convince him to come and write something at Wagner.
I just know that he has a brilliant book inside of him.
Oh, what, you don't think so?
- Oh, no. I know he does.
But I also know that Wagner is absolutely not the right place for him.
They haven't had a Black editor since-- - Kendra Rae Phillips.
- A million years ago?
- Listen, I know that Wagner has a bad reputation for people like us,
and I know firsthand that it is well deserved.
We are gonna change them from the inside out.
They were a trailblazing company back in the day,
and they can be that again.
- Honey, I love that you believe in yourself,
but having 15 years on you,
I know nothing ever changes.
Good luck on your journey.
♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey ♪
[phone line ringing]
NELLA: Come on, come on.
HAZEL [on voicemail]: You've reach Hazel-May McCall.
Please leave a message. [phone beeps]
[indistinct party chatter]
[phone buzzing]
- Hello?
Hazel?
I'm in the stairwell.
CALLER [through phone]: [laughing] Hazel?
[sighs] Good luck.
- Who is this?
[call disconnects]
- Hey.
You okay?
- Yeah... Just needed a breather.
Had a weird conversation.
Two weird conversations, actually.
- You know what goes really great with weird conversations?
- What?
- Mini sandwiches and champagne.
- [laughs] Oh. - Mm-hm.
You want? [chuckles] - Thank you.
♪ mellow electronic music playing ♪
[both giggling]
- Oh, my God, you are so fuckin' moody, girl.
Like, I have never met anyone more clearly a Cancer.
- I know, I know. I just-- I'm feeling,
[inhales sharply] like, wistful.
[Hazel laughs] No, I am.
Well, I'm startin' to feel like I'm not going anywhere at Wagner
and I've just wasted the last two years.
- You know what?
I am about to "Iyanla, Fix Your Life."
[laughs] You have all the tools in the toolbox.
You just, you just need to use them.
Like, fuckin' take a risk.
Why is an up-and-coming editor hiding in a stairwell
from the party of the year?
- Okay, fair. - Yeah.
- But don't you wanna be the up-and-coming editor?
- Well, sure.
- Well, then why are you being so nice to me?
We're competition.
- Look at Vera and Maisy.
They make each other miserable,
and there is more than enough room in the world for both of them.
I don't wanna be that.
Do you?
- Definitely not.
- You shine. I shine.
[clicks tongue] On periodt.
Let's get back in there.
Everyone's probably talkin' about Steve Urkel,
and... you're not even there. [Nella chuckles]
Come on, come on. Get your stuff. - Okay, okay.
♪ upbeat funk music playing ♪
[people chattering]
Hi... I'm Nella. I'm an editor at Wagner Books.
I'm really sorry to interrupt.
I just wanted to talk to you
about some of the titles we have on our upcoming slate
that I am really, really excited about.
- Do you have a business card?
- Yeah. Well, not exactly--
- I don't think she's had them printed yet.
Isn't that right, Nella?
- Richard... I-- - Let's have a chat.
♪
- So, what would you do?
- What?
- Oh, you're a big, fancy editor, I understand.
What's your first project?
- I'm really sorry. I didn't-- - Ya didn't think you'd get caught.
You took a big risk, Nella.
Impersonating an editor-- - I know. It's not me.
This party, the lying... this lip color.
- ...is the ballsiest thing I've ever seen you do.
- Wait, what?
- Keep going.
Tell me about your first project.
- Um.
Burning Heart.
It's the 35th anniversary, and... I think that you--
that Wagner should do a rerelease.
- Go on. - Wow, okay.
I-I, uh, actually have a whole presentation with P&Ls,
and art mock-ups, and we could do a new foreword,
maybe by Diana Gordon or Kendra Rae Phillips?
- No.
- S-Sorry?
- No. Kendra Rae Phillips is not possible.
- I know that no one has heard from her since she left publishing,
but we could find her.
I could find her.
I'm really sorry. I didn't--
I shouldn't have brought it up. I don't know what I was thinking.
- You know, after all this time,
Burning Heart is still the thing I'm most proud of in my career?
And Kendra Rae Phillips is my biggest regret.
Couple weeks after the book came out,
they found her bag and her ID on a subway platform,
no one ever heard from her again.
That's the official story.
But that's bullshit.
Kendra Rae took her own life.
Broke my heart.
♪ gentle somber music playing ♪
- I am so sorry for your loss.
And I don't mean to speak out of turn here,
but shouldn't we do a rerelease of the book?
To honor Kendra Rae?
- You know, you remind me of her.
You cannot keep an idea inside no matter how up against it you are.
Let's talk about it more tomorrow.
Maybe there's something there.
- Really?
- Really.
Goodnight, Nella.
♪ Living in the Moment by Coops and Isabelle Brown playing ♪
♪ Livin' in the moment ♪
[elevator dings]
- Kenny! [giggles]
- Diana, what are you-- Look, you can't just show up here.
- But I brought sandwiches.
- Yeah, I can't eat those.
- What? - [laughs] Also, I can't leave for lunch.
I just can't let them think I'm slacking.
- Wagner has been working you too hard.
Is that Richard?
That's your boss?
- Now, quit. - Mm-mm. 'Scuse me?
Are you Richard Wagner? - I am.
- I'm sorry. I just wanted to say that you have such a superstar
in my friend, Kendra Rae Phillips, here.
- We're lucky to have her.
She never says hello to me on the elevator, but I get it.
I'm scary. [chuckles] - Oh. [laughs]
- What's your name? - I'm Diana Gordon.
I'm a writer. - She any good?
- Uh, yes, she's fantastic.
Um, early Faulkner mixed with Angelou, but still uniquely Diana.
- Well, you'll have to show me what you're workin' on.
Maybe over a lunch a little more exciting than what you have there.
- I'd love that. - Great.
Meet me downstairs in five? The three of us, we can talk shop.
It was nice to meet you, Diana.
- Likewise. [chuckles]
Uh, uh, uh. [snapping]
Can you believe that? [laughs]
You okay? What's wrong?
- Did you come here to have lunch with me or just to pitch yourself to my boss?
- Whoa, what? I just did us both a favor.
We are having lunch with the Wagner of Wagner Books.
Are you serious right now?
- [sighs] No, you're right. You're right.
Let's go to lunch. [Diana/Kendra laugh]
[horns beeping] [Hazel chuckles]
- That could've been so, so, so, so bad.
- Ah! But it wasn't, I told you.
- Oh, my God, is this what cocaine feels like?
- [chuckles] Yeah, no. - Oh.
- You have so much potential, Nella. It just... needs to be unlocked.
- And I mean, wasn't it so crazy what he said about Kendra Rae Phillips?
- Oh, I get it.
She was totally alone and she just... lost it.
- Yeah... I mean, thank God we're not... alone.
- Not anymore. [chuckles]
Weird thought, should we get more food?
- You know what? I'm glad you said somethin'
because I was startin' to wonder if 24-hour ramen was a thing?
- Ooh, invent it. Invent it right now.
- Wanna go over...? - Ooh, yes!
NELLA/HAZEL: Taxi!
- Hi! NELLA: We're looking for some ramen.
♪ gentle suspenseful music playing ♪
- Things have changed.
I need you.
♪