You guys, the Wi-Fi is not working again.
What'd you two do?
Look at the calendar, my grumpy one.
It's password change day.
You want to know what it is?
Nah, I got it.
I can't believe you two still hide passwords
by taping them to the bottom of stuff.
There's apps for that.
It's tradition, though. And we like tradition, don't we?
Uh, don't we, my little debutante?
I guess.
Ding, ding, ding, right answer.
Because your cotillion is a very expensive tradition.
But the password tradition-- it has no cost
and requires no app and it's very efficient.
You know, this all started because
your Grandpa Ted would never remember a password,
and your Grandma Nicole came up with the idea.
The only issue we ran into is my dad remembering...
Remembering what object the password was taped to.
Ha, ha. I know the whole story by heart.
So cornball.
And I proudly wear that moniker.
Do you have any plans since school's out
for teacher development?
I was thinking about stopping by the free clinic.
Grandma is volunteering all day,
and, then after that, Orphey Gene's.
I want to talk June into coming to cotillion.
Oh, hey, Pop, are you too busy working
on your fundraiser to make me a smoothie this morning?
Anything for you. Smitty?
I'm good. Thanks.
All right, well, step into my laboratory.
[phone buzzes]
Bradley Smith here.
It's me.
You got any intel yet about Grayson's boss at Garland?
Not yet, but I'm updating my pops on the case later.
I'll see if he can work his contacts.
I wish Grayson would just open up and come clean.
Yeah, he'll come around.
Well, there has to be a way to move him along.
Don't go rogue and talk to the guy yourself.
-Okay. -I'm serious, Smitty.
You need to stay away from the hospital.
If Grayson's boss finds out a reporter's sniffing around,
it could be bad news.
WOMAN [over P.A.]: Dr. Roberts to bed 391.
Aah!
♪ ♪
It was a domestic case,
but I'm about to put it to bed.
The McManuses?
You guessed it. It's the fourth time this year.
They ought to just get divorced.
Well, at least it hasn't escalated to anything physical.
Thank you for your service.
And don't you get jealous, boo.
I brought a treat for you, too.
Hey, this isn't the club room. We got work to do.
You and your little girlfriend can meet up later,
preferably far, far from this station.
Rude and grumpy.
Guess it just runs in the family, huh?
His wife, Darlene, the queen of mean, is just as nasty.
Ain't that the truth.
Sorry I'm late. I know how important
being on time is for you.
I'm a dispatcher. If I'm not punctual,
people could get hurt or die.
Hey, Naomi. Coffee regular, right?
Yes. You always remember.
Oh, June, uh, this is my mother-in-law,
Darlene Hawthorne.
And, Darlene, this is June Hughes.
Oh, my goodness. This is Jacob's mama?
Oh, he is the best thing since Orphey Gene's fried catfish.
Kind, fair, handsome.
The real deal.
Give me that.
Always a free cup of coffee for anyone in his orbit.
All right. Thank you.
But, Naomi, I haven't laid eyes
on that handsome hubby of yours in forever.
Where you been hiding him?
He's, uh, still out of town on his training assignment.
Oh, okay, well, good for him.
Of course, he's the kind
who always wants to be improving himself.
I'll be back to take your orders.
Thanks, June.
It's not easy lying to the people you care about
or who care about Jacob.
It's a necessary evil.
But, Naomi, I didn't ask you here to discuss Jacob,
but Izaiah.
He seems to be doing pretty well.
Did something happen?
He's been making questionable decisions lately.
What about?
Where his life is going.
And it's never been more clear to me than after having
lunch with him and that girl, Eva.
It's you.
You're a difficult woman to track down.
First, I went to your dad's practice
to surprise you with breakfast,
but Ted told me you were taking the morning off,
which is strange 'cause when we talked last night,
you told me you couldn't spend the night at my place
'cause you had to work early at your dad's.
Ooh, you got breakfast tacos?
I hope you got extra pico and hot sauce.
Mm... No. I'm withholding nourishment
until you tell me why you lied about your schedule.
I woke up this morning and remembered I told Derek
I'd help him with the free clinic inventory.
I got so wrapped into that, I forgot to tell you
my sched changed.
Sorry you had to haul breakfast tacos all over town.
Are you?
'Cause it kind of feels like you're trying to ghost me.
Thank you. That really is beautiful.
-I swear I wasn't trying to scare you, I just... -Uh-huh.
-I just wanted to surprise you. -Oh, I was surprised, all right.
I was "screaming like an idiot" surprised.
-Why are you so jumpy? -I don't know. I'm just, um...
-Too much caffeine, maybe. -Oh.
Certainly not your handsome face.
I'd kiss you, but Lia is like the Wicked Witch of the West.
-Her crystal ball sees all. -Don't I know it.
Yeah, I've been meaning to ask you, how is your mom doing?
Is she feeling better?
-She is. -Good.
I'd still really love to visit her.
You know, i-if you still want us to meet.
-No pressure. -I swear, I swear, I want to introduce you two.
I-I think you'd really like each other. It's just...
It's hard to predict when she's gonna be having a good day.
Well, I'll wait for as long as it takes.
I'm not going anywhere.
What is your opinion of this Eva person Izaiah is seeing?
I don't know. I don't actually think about her that often,
unlike some people in my family.
She did your Aunt Nicole wrong.
When she threw in with her mother, Leslie.
Yeah, but Aunt Nicole has extended
an olive branch, so there's that.
So she's comfortable with Eva now?
As far as I know.
And Uncle Ted even hired Eva, so it looks like
she's turned things around with both of them.
And honestly, I've been impressed with Eva.
How she stepped up and got the free clinic open.
And from what I hear, she's been an extreme help
to my friend Derek, who manages the clinic.
I see.
Now, her mother, on the other hand,
that's a different story.
Quite a story.
Somewhere between Bathsheba and Queen Midas.
I had a run-in with her at the club.
She sought you out?
I was having lunch with Eva and Izaiah,
and Leslie inserted herself.
I walked away unimpressed with both the Thomas women.
Yeah, I can see how that could happen.
But you and I didn't hit it off right away either.
Maybe you give Eva the benefit of the doubt, for Izaiah's sake.
He's all caught up in her.
I realize, if I don't accept Eva,
that it might affect my relationship with my son,
and he's already spent too many years away from home.
I wouldn't want him running off again.
Okay, well, then there's your answer.
But you said you wanted to talk about
Izaiah's questionable decisions, plural.
I wanted to apologize to you on his behalf.
Izaiah should have never
approached you about contacting Jacob.
It's my fault that he put you in such an untenable position.
Can you forgive me?
That woman sat in my club judging my daughter
while eating food that was charged to my account.
That sounds about right.
You know, I was ready to dispatch the dispatcher
when I heard how she was talking about Eva.
And Eva having to sit there and listen to that crap
just to be polite to her boo's mama.
You set her straight?
You know I did.
Darlene tried to read me for filth,
but you know what? I've got this
industrial-strength grime shield, honey,
and nothing is sticking to me.
So...
Talk to me.
What...
...is your beef with that beyatch?
Well, she ain't never liked me.
She only tolerated me because she hangs out
with my soon to be ex-wife.
Mm. Well, that's one more strike against her.
Darlene is as cold as ice to me,
and it's only gotten worse since the separation.
-Her and my wife... -Mm-mm-mm.
Soon to be ex-wife.
Yeah. They are two peas in a judgmental pod.
Now you know why I bought a boat.
'Cause Sheila's the only woman that
doesn't drive me nuts.
Uh, present company excluded, I'm sure.
Oh. You drive me crazy in a good way.
I pretty much tried everything to talk June
into attending cotillion.
-You giving up? -No way.
But she thinks that she'll embarrass Tyrell and me,
that she'll stick out.
She said, "You don't need me there,
like ketchup on crab legs."
I can see the point.
Dupree gatherings can be intimidating.
And the pomp and circumstance of a cotillion?
That's a lot of pressure for anyone
who didn't grow up going to events like that.
Dad, how did you handle being tossed into
the country club culture when you started dating Pop?
MARTIN: Hey.
Your daughter is asking you a question.
Sorry, you two, my mind is on the story.
Must be a pretty big one, using up all your boomer bandwidth.
I am not a boomer.
But I am sorry.
I am here.
I promise to focus on the topic.
We were talking about why June wants to skip cotillion,
and I was wondering how you dealt with meeting the family.
Did you feel out of place?
I have not thought about this in a long time.
Uh...
Okay, when your pop first brought me to the home
of Mrs. Anita and Mr. Vernon Dupree,
I was... petrified.
He was practically shaking.
-SAMANTHA: Really? -Yeah.
I had this image of all the Duprees
sitting around this large table in their gowns and tuxes
with fancy cutlery, like some period drama.
I was afraid of using the wrong fork.
You know my family.
Eating in front of the TV was how we had dinner.
But I did my research.
I learned the difference between a salad fork and a dinner fork,
a red wine glass, a white wine glass, the whole nine yards.
We get to Vernon and Anita's,
and Martin takes me into the backyard,
and there is a large table,
but it is covered with butcher paper.
There's no dishes.
And Rowena, she walks out with this bucket,
and it's-- dumps it out, and it's this giant crawfish boil.
And the Duprees, they went to town.
Everybody except for Grandpa Ted.
He had his own dish.
Because of his shellfish allergy, right?
Yeah. Yeah, but the point is,
I was immediately comfortable with everybody.
And that was Gran's plan all along.
Yeah.
I just love how you guys totally welcomed Tyrell and me.
I never felt like an outsider,
and I don't want June to feel like one either.
[door closes]
Some dude's been following me.
I remember that SUV. It's the same SUV.
The plate. It ended in 4907.
Okay, I am calling the police.
No, don't.
Martin, the SUV followed our son home,
and is waiting outside of our house.
Why don't you want me to call the police?
The-the car that was following Tyrell
is a part of our new security detail.
Security detail?
What the hell, Martin?
Working on something juicy?
I'll tell you over dinner.
A refined and elegant one.
Why the upgrade?
I got a closet full of designer threads that you bought me.
I just want to get dressed up and treat you
to a night on the town.
Mm, well, then wear something purple
because it represents wealth, luxury, and nobility.
And it will match a little number that I plan to wear.
-[phone buzzes] -Hawthorne here.
Hawthorne here, too.
I have a new lead in the Red Market case.
Glad to know it's moving forward. What you got?
The lab tech I get the plasma from at Garland--
he let some interesting information slip.
The guy gets his orders from a female at the hospital.
-He give you a name? -Nah, not yet,
but it does narrow the field by about 50%.
I've been trying to build his trust,
but it's not really working.
The guy knows to keep quiet.
Whoever he reports to keeps a tight leash
and has my guy running scared.
I was hoping you could send somebody
to check it out since I can't
really walk around the hospital.
Yeah, we can't have you blowing your cover
this far in, so...
-I'll put somebody on it. -Thanks, Chief.
And, Pops? How's Ma? I heard
-she's been missing me. -Yeah.
Darlene prays every night for your safety, son.
Tell her her prayers are appreciated.
I'm glad she has a higher power watching
over me.
There's nothing to forgive, Darlene. It's fine.
DARLENE: No, there is.
Hear me out.
I told Izaiah about my superstition.
How when Elon would go off on a new assignment,
how I liked to hug him goodbye and wish him good luck.
It made me feel confident he was coming home safe.
I didn't get to do that with Jacob,
and it's his first undercover case.
And he could use all the luck he could get.
Oh, I can't believe I put my foot in my mouth like that.
I'm... It's just a silly superstition.
Darlene.
I am terrified that he won't come home.
He hasn't told me much about the case,
but from what I've gleaned, it's...
fairly dangerous.
And I can't even confide in my own family
because they've got too much to worry about as it is,
and I want to keep Jacob safe.
I've just been living with this fear
swirling around in my head,
-and I can't make it stop. -Oh, Naomi.
This is just uncharted territory for me.
For our marriage.
For everything, and I just
keep thinking about the worst case scenarios,
and what would happen afterwards, and
how will I go on if...
Oh, God, how do you stay so level-headed?
It wasn't always this way.
What you're feeling is normal for an L.E.O. wife.
When Elon and I were newlyweds, I worried a lot
while he was on patrol.
Till one day, he told me,
"I trust the training my team has had.
"I will be okay.
And if something does happen, you will be okay."
My son made the right call marrying you, Naomi.
You've got his strength,
that steady kind that gets you through.
And the people that stand with him stand with you, too.
Thank you, Darlene.
-You are very wise. -Oh.
And you make me feel so much less alone.
I know what this is about, so we can skip the back and forth.
My mom came in hot.
Hot? She went total scorched-earth.
She's opinionated.
She called me the spawn of Satan
and told you to steer clear of me.
That's quite an opinion.
I didn't... I didn't know you heard her.
That I heard her was the problem? Not that she said it?
You know the worst part? You didn't even defend me.
Hold up. No, that's... No, I didn't let that slide.
-Okay, I told her... -There was a long pause.
Long enough to convince me
that you actually agreed with Darlene.
So, I left, and you wonder why I didn't want
to face you last night or this morning?
I know how this story ends-- with me alone.
You dipped out too soon, Eva.
That pause you think was so terrible, that...
that was me collecting my thoughts, my emotions.
Okay? I didn't want to go off on my mom
at the Fairmont Crest Country Club.
I needed to think of a respectful way
to tell Ma that her behavior was unacceptable.
I can't believe you got all in your mother's face.
Wait, now you're mad that I stuck up for you?
You made it worse.
Now Darlene will totally blame me
for turning her baby boy against her.
Don't get it twisted. I would not be standing here
if I raise my voice or talked back to Ma.
Nah, she... she doesn't stand for that.
No, I calmly told her what she would be missing out on
by not giving you a chance.
Your humor, your style,
your intelligence,
your commitment to your mother.
Yeah, but everything you like about me
is everything Darlene disapproves of.
I'm not good enough for her.
I don't have a pedigree like Jacob's wife.
I'm sure Darlene was all smiles all day
when Jacob introduced Naomi to her.
What if I told you it wasn't that way from the get-go?
I wouldn't believe you.
Ma gave Naomi a hard time, too.
About her background, her education, the whole nine.
-For real? -Mm-hmm.
Heard it from Jacob himself.
Makes me feel a little better.
But I bet she didn't call her the spawn of Satan.
That's a hard one to come back from.
Yeah, Eva, I'm...
I'm so sorry for what Ma said,
but I got to remind you that this is our relationship.
Ma's opinion does not matter.
Of course it does.
I'm glad I was able to make you feel better.
You did.
Can we circle back to my other son for a minute?
Izaiah.
Specifically, him asking you for help contacting Jacob.
He just wanted to make me feel better,
just like I wanted to make you feel better.
He didn't know that's not how things are done.
He grew up in a cop family, but he left us early,
and, well, he didn't take it away with him.
But rest assured, I set him straight.
Oh, well, I schooled him, too,
and I wasn't cool, calm, and collected about it.
Maybe I should apologize to Izaiah.
While you're at it, can you knock some sense
into him about dating Eva?
-Not my job. -Mm.
And I don't really want to get in the middle
of that particular family drama.
Besides, you don't need me fighting your battles.
You're right. I have taken on much bigger opponents
than that scheming backstabber,
and I've come out on top every time.
Mm-hmm. I bet you have. Watch out, Eva.
I'll take care of the bill on my way out.
No, no, no, no. I'll-I'll take care of this one.
I'm about to stay here and eat some of that peach cobbler.
Okay.
-I'll see you later. -All right. Take care.
Thanks.
MARTIN: My campaign manager...
Shonda's behind this?
She floated the idea to hire a security detail,
and Granddad agreed that it would be prudent.
Oh, well, as long as Vernon deems it would be prudent.
Come on, Smitty. Let's be real.
Since I've been campaigning across the state,
my visibility has increased,
and with that, attention to you and the kids.
Now, I couldn't just ignore that reality,
so I had to make a decision to take precautionary measures
to keep my family safe.
Wish I had known that before I tried to outrun a professional.
-He came in here terrified. -And I'm sorry about that.
I was gonna broach the subject today, but
when Tyrell came in, I text Shonda and found out
that she hired the detail for us.
Again, I am sorry.
And I am sorry that you were frightened.
Wasn't all that scared. It was a canon event.
All right, now you're fronting.
Is this gonna be like all the other times
where you had to beef up security?
Well, it will be a little different.
Somebody will be watching the house day and night,
like before,
but each of you will have your own individual bodyguard
nearby wherever you go, including school.
Shonda is contacting Ms. Felix, your principal.
After all that weird stuff with the stranger, I guess it's okay.
Plus, it might up my cool factor for cotillion.
Ooh, I hope I get a hot bodyguard.
So everyone's on board?
I'm not.
Not in the least.
Sounds like the 'rents need time to talk.
We can swing over by the clinic, visit grandma,
and then head over to Orphey Gene's.
You, me, and my hot B.G.
Why Orphey Gene's?
To try to talk June into coming to cotillion.
You want her there like I do, right?
I'd be cool with it.
She'll get to see my embarrassment in person.
[phone chimes]
Uh, Pop, Dad.
Grandma Nicole is wrapping her shift up
at the free clinic earlier than she thought.
Like, within the next hour.
I'm gonna skip the clinic visit
and head over to Orphey Gene's.
Okay, be careful.
That's up to my security detail.
We'll be careful.
I'm glad the kids find this amusing, because I don't.
I swear, Smitty, my plan was to discuss
the security detail with our family.
I'm not regressing back to the man
who has an idea and acts without considering your feelings.
I believe you.
And I appreciate your intentions.
But I'm working on a career-making story.
I can't exactly show up to meet my sources
with an armed bodyguard.
So, I need to set some ground rules for the security detail.
Okay. Shoot.
They are only on me when I'm here at the house
or with you or with the kids.
-Oh, come on, Smitty. -It is nonnegotiable.
Well, at least let me have them set you up
with a panic button, if needed.
Sure, but I cannot have anybody tailing me, Martin.
Okay. I'll call Shonda and have her relay
the terms to the security team.
Thank you.
Okay, now I have to go.
I thought we were having lunch together.
Duty calls, but I will make it up to you.
-Be safe. -You too.
What the hell is she still doing here?
Chief Hawthorne.
I suppose I have to remind you
that I'm an upstanding member of society in this town.
High society.
Which means I pay your salary.
So, you might want to show me a little bit more respect.
I may show you the inside of a jail cell
for impeding a police investigation.
Marcel has work to do.
And from where I'm standing, you're a big impediment.
Chief Hawthorne.
I'm going to take my lovely impediment
and walk right on out that door.
Guess you don't get this kind of view at home, do you?
I love the smell of roses in the morning.
Get it?
You know, I like that we're both movie buffs.
You-you know, I maybe would reconsider smelling that flower.
I took it out of a bouquet
of a very contagious patient's room.
-Ah. You did, huh? -Uh-huh. Yeah.
You are such a nut.
[phone chimes]
Is it your mom?
Uh, no, no, no, but I got to--
I got to return this call.
MAN [over P.A.]: Dr. Wright, dial 316.
-JACOB: You at work? -Yeah.
Let's meet up.
I don't want to discuss our side hustle over the phone.
Hospital stairwell in 20?
That's not a good idea.
We should keep our distance from each other.
Stick to the drop schedule. People
are getting suspicious.
Wait, what people?
I got to go.
ASHLEY: Smitty.
-Ashley. -Hey.
-Hey. Long time no see. -Yeah. Same.
What are you doing at the hospital?
Uh, cotillion biz with Nicole.
Oh, yeah. Naomi told me all about the cotillion.
You know, I haven't seen Nicole.
I've been in and out of patient rooms all morning,
but, um, she's probably in her office,
and if not, if you need my help, I can track her down.
Well, I appreciate the help,
and I will let you know if I need you to do that.
-Okay. -Yeah.
So you want to go over your speech again?
-It has to be perfect. -Why?
You want to convince June to come to cotillion, don't you?
I already practiced it, like, three times.
You're low-key high obsessive about her coming, aren't you?
I just... I want something to go my way.
I mean, Leslie stole my idea for the free clinic.
It looks like Francesca might be taking Platinum Deb.
Great-Gran has cancer, and my bodyguard is a woman.
-But she's hot. -But I don't swing that way.
What's really bothering you?
Nothing.
I'm not as dumb as you think I am.
You've got a high-key mood going on today.
Well, hey, you two. What is this, my lucky day?
What about milkshakes?
-On the house. -I'll have one.
But first, I need to talk with you.
You got a minute to sit?
Samantha dragged you here to talk to me
about going to that fancy dance cotillion thing?
Well, it ain't gonna happen.
I said I'm not going, and I mean it.
WOMAN [over P.A.]: Code blue.
Well, if it isn't Miss High and Mighty Hawthorne.
I was just leaving,
and I don't have the time for your foolishness.
And I don't appreciate you coming after
me and my daughter at the country club.
You'd better think twice before coming
for the Thomas women again.
Is that a threat?
You bet your frigid ass it is.
Izaiah, you have what I've always wanted.
What's that?
A normal family.
I can count the number of family dinners we had on one hand.
But you grew up in a home with parents who loved each other,
who paid attention to their kids,
parents who took their kids to fried chicken special night
at Orphey Gene's,
and who, to this day, host Sunday suppers.
Look, if your mother doesn't like me,
then that puts you in the awkward position
of either spending time with me
or time with your family.
And I will never ask you to choose.
I will never ask you to miss out on family time.
Normal is subjective.
And those family dinners you marvel at?
The number of them that ended with yelling
and-and slamming doors far outnumber the fun ones
you'd imagine where everybody got along singing "Kumbaya."
Nah. I couldn't wait to get away from
my normal family.
I didn't ever think I'd come back.
And I definitely didn't think I'd come back
to the DMV and find... well, you.
And I'm not letting anyone--
not even my own mother-- disrespect you.
Eva, you...
You are smart and beautiful
and driven and unafraid to own your mistakes.
Hold on.
I was gonna surprise you for your birthday, but...
now seems like the perfect time.
Are you a sight for a gossip-starved nurse.
Can you hang a little? I go on break soon.
Oh, I'd love to throw some shade and share all the goss,
but I've got to drop off this Dupree Heritage Foundation grant
application to my Aunt Nicole and then
headed back to the office.
-Text me later? -Absolutely.
Nicole sure is popular today.
NAOMI: You know what?
I've just decided that I could use a cup of coffee first.
Maybe a scoop of your raspberry sorbet.
Mm-hmm. Okay.
A gift from my raspberry sorbet.
I am thrilled that my bestie has a handsome, romantic,
stand-up guy like Grayson in her life. Hm.
I didn't tell him to convince you to come to cotillion, June.
I'm gonna check my ID, but I'm pretty sure
I wasn't born yesterday.
Now, the both of you should know by now that I have street smarts
and can't nobody pull the wool over my eye.
I'm gonna go and get your milkshakes.
I don't want a milkshake.
I want you to get over yourself, okay?
You don't get aura points for being too scared
and insecure to go to a fancy party.
For once, can you just stop thinking
about yourself and just be there for your kids?
Is that too much to ask?
Go on. Open it.
At WinterFest,
after I busted my ass on the ice,
you asked one of the people working there
to bring ice for me.
Yeah, I remember.
She was temping at the event
to earn money for her startup business.
Mm-hmm. That's right. Making and selling bracelets.
Izaiah.
I tracked her down and commissioned
this one-of-a-kind bracelet for you.
Here.
Uh, what makes this one unique is that
one of the strands comes from the country club napkin
that the ice was wrapped in.
I accidentally took the napkin home.
Accidentally?
I stuck it in my jacket pocket then forgot about it.
I remember joking about falling for you
at WinterFest, but that night, I knew
you were special, that I wanted you in my life.
So, I had the designer use the napkin
so you would never forget
that WinterFest was the beginning
of something spectacular.
She told me that the braiding of it symbolizes unity
and connection.
Weaving multiple strands together forms
a single stronger unit. An unbreakable bond.
That's what we have, Eva. An unbreakable bond.
I choose you.
I will always choose you.
Izaiah, this is...
I'll keep it forever.
And I'll think of you every time I wear it.
I've been in touch with Jacob.
He says the insider at Garland Memorial is female.
So you still friendly with the chief of staff there?
Dr. Whitmore. Yeah. We go way back.
I was thinking maybe you could talk to her.
Unless you...
You don't think she's involved?
Do you?
I wouldn't think so. Lia's good people.
But I'll get together with her, something social, maybe.
See if she's seen anything suspicious
around the hospital, particularly the lab.
There's a male tech that Jacob's been picking
illegal shipments up from.
I don't have a name for you yet,
but it shouldn't be too hard to narrow down.
I'll see if Lia's heard of anyone on staff
-in financial trouble. -All right.
I appreciate your help, Marcel.
I just want this case wrapped up
and my son home in one piece, ASAP.
Yes, sir.
♪ ♪
[knocking]
Smitty. What are you doing here? Where's Aunt Nicole?
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