Original subtitles

It was the best thing for the both of us,

and I didn't need you a minute more

cramping my style since birth.

-Mama... -Key?

I'm gonna be a father again.

If you just said what I think I heard,

I'm gonna lose my lunch.

Is there any sadder sight

than an aging lawyer, his trophy wife

and a designer baby?

It's like a midlife crisis bingo card.

I'm so glad you could come, Sharon.

It's been too long.

Yeah, it has been a while.

How was your flight from Chicago?

Is that why I came all this distance, for small talk?

It's a place to start.

Sharon.

Vernon.

So wonderful to see you again.

It's good to see you, too, Sharon.

Yeah, we're happy you were able to make the trip,

and on such short notice.

Well, I never learned how to say no to Tracy.

I thought Tracy would be joining us.

She offered, you know, but, um,

I think it's better if it's you and me.

Well, with that in mind, I have a few things to do.

I'll get out of here

and give you two time to catch up.

Okay.

I really didn't think you would come.

Seeing you brings back so many memories.

Yeah, for me, too.

You know, I don't know if you can still sing,

but as I said to Tracy,

you're obviously still quite the actress.

-Detective Hawthorne? -Yes.

Detective Walker. I got word you were looking for me.

You're the one with experience in digital forensic analysis.

From my old job at the Secret Service.

I was hoping you could help me out with a case

that seems to be going cold.

We got a new suspect, and I want to hit it

from a different angle.

Sure. What you got?

Some security cam footage from the scene.

We sent it off to the FBI to be analyzed, but no luck.

But I was under the understanding

that there's a software that can analyze a video

and tell you the suspect's height?

Yeah, it can match height to within an inch or two.

It can even match clothing

to what the suspect's wearing on camera.

Okay, so if I were to get ahold of the suspect's shoes--

-with a warrant, of course-- -Mm-hmm.

...can the software tell me if it's a match

with the one on the video?

It's no guarantee, but it's been done.

[exhales] You're a godsend, Walker.

This is my first hope to cracking this case.

All right.

If Leslie's prints show up and the DNA matches,

all it proves is she came in contact

with the jacket at some point.

Not that she was wearing it

when she ran Laura off the road.

LESLIE: Hmm.

Some people say it takes three witches to make a coven,

but I guess two will do if you're motivated, hmm?

Conspiracy brewing in that cauldron? [chuckles]

What are you two crones grousing about now?

-We were talking about you. -[gasps] No.

We realized you and I have something in common.

Our love for biker gear.

Look familiar?

♪ ♪

Hey, Martin,

has Kat talked to you about her plans for Samantha?

What plans?

Well, I know you're not thrilled about Samantha wanting to model,

but I think that Kat has come up with a happy medium.

Okay.

We want Samantha to be the teen face of our purse line.

That way, we can target all age groups,

and Samantha can get involved with something fashion related,

but not go full-out.

You know, give it all you got. Modeling.

I don't know. Samantha's so young.

Well, if you want to discuss it, your favorite cousin can be

persuaded into joining you for lunch.

Sorry. I'm meeting my dad.

Ooh, sounds serious.

It's our first time talking since I let him have it

after the anniversary party from hell.

Mm-hmm. That part.

Yeah. Finding out that your dad has a whole side life

is some next-level betrayal.

When I went through that mess, it shook me.

Speaking of, I saw Bill and Hayley here last night.

Hmm. And did they tell you that I have

a half-sibling on the way?

They weren't shy about putting it out there.

I knew it was possible that they would go there,

but seriously?

My dad's got two grown daughters,

and here he is about to father an infant

with a woman that is only

three years older than me.

I mean, cringe is not even the word.

It looks like a leather jacket.

I used to have one back in the day

when those sort of things were in style.

Mm-hmm. What happened to yours?

Don't remember. Probably gave it away years ago.

What a coincidence.

This jacket was also donated.

Oh, at the same church you happen to attend.

What a coinky-dinky. [scoffs]

I don't care!

Now I'm gonna leave the two of you

to your thrilling discussion about secondhand clothing.

Have fun.

You always did come out swinging.

Which is probably why you reached out to Tracy first.

No, I reached out to you first. You hung up on me.

All right. Do you blame me?

No.

I know you think I was heartless,

and I used you and the group to get where I wanted to be.

That's what you said to Tracy, isn't it?

You called us collateral damage.

Yeah, I-I did say that, but...

it doesn't mean I didn't care about you.

I had to disassociate from my feelings

to get through what happened.

It was just too much for me to handle.

[scoffs] Too much for you.

I-I know how that sounds,

but I'm just trying to be honest.

Honest for a change.

I knew this wasn't gonna be easy.

And I don't expect you to play nice.

You've been sitting on a whole lot of anger

for a very long time, but at least you're here.

So can we just put it all out on the table

and deal with it?

You know, you spent years

acting like Tracy and I didn't even exist.

And now you want to analyze my feelings,

like I need your permission to be pissed?

Standing there, looking all proud and proper,

still trying to be the one in charge

when that is what ruined us.

-Coffee? -Yes, thank you.

We're gonna need a second cup.

Excuse me. Excuse me.

Thanks for coming, Dad.

Thank you for the invitation.

[clears throat]

I've been thinking about secrets

and how we all keep them.

I know I've kept a few of my own, even from Smitty.

Something that I'm not proud of.

I love you, Dad.

And obviously, I don't like

how you treated Mom, and I never will.

But I wished I had treated you

with a little more understanding and compassion.

That means a lot.

Thank you, son.

Where do you stand with Mom? Are you talking?

[sighs] We are.

That's progress, at least.

Uh, not enough, I'm afraid.

We're not having the discussions we need to be having.

I've learned more about Leslie and the extremes

she is willing to go.

Turns out she's far more dangerous

than any of us thought.

Your mother needs to be aware of that.

Mom! Just in time.

Leslie was just telling us

that the jacket we found could be hers.

I did not. I said it was similar.

Child, my jacket is in much better condition, so...

Did you show her what you found in the pockets?

We haven't had the chance.

Leslie was in such a hurry to leave.

I have a feeling the police will find

all of this very interesting.

Oh, okay. I get it.

So you think that's my jacket.

The one that I supposedly wore to force

poor, defenseless Laura off the road that night, right?

-Is that right? -Exactly right.

[laughing]

This is too funny.

Y'all are hilarious. Really. You know what?

You-you really have a lot of time on your hands,

and-and I think you need to find something to do.

Okay?

You need a hobby, Mona. Baby, please find a hobby.

Please. You know, but do me a favor.

Don't write short stories.

Do not ever write a short story, because your imagination is

taking you to places that are dumb

as a box of rocks.

Well, this has been a lovely conversation,

but I am headed to the police station.

Hmm. Hold up.

I'm coming with you.

[scoffs] Come on.

After you, Nancy Drew.

What do you have to do to get a cup of coffee around here?

There was a busboy, but he seems to have disappeared.

Yeah.

But if you're right

and Leslie was the one who forced Laura off the road

and then caused cardiac arrest, the woman is insane.

Clearly.

Which is why I'm even more worried about Eva.

Because she was raised by the psychopath or because

you think Leslie is not done punishing her?

Well, both.

The frustrating thing is,

the person I'd like to discuss this with the most is my wife.

The award-winning psychiatrist.

But she's justifiably furious.

Not only because of the affair and all the lies,

but because I've subjected the family

to this dangerous woman.

Well, you and Bill managed to keep Leslie away

for almost 20 years.

Maybe...

Ah. You know, back in the day, I could pay her off.

This time, it didn't work.

Plus, now we share a daughter.

And believe me,

Dana is working that angle as hard as she can.

I'm sorry you bumped into that woman.

You can probably never take an easy breath

worried she's hiding around every corner.

Seeing Leslie's always a shock to my system.

That smirk of hers.

If only I'd seen through her from the start.

I know it's gonna sound strange,

but it would be easier to forgive Ted

if he'd had his fling with somebody more appropriate.

-An "appropriate" sidepiece? -[chuckles]

-[chuckles] -I said it would sound strange.

The thing is, Leslie is just so outrageous

and immoral and bizarre.

What does that say about Ted that he would pick that over me?

Let's stop right there.

First, he didn't.

Ted chose you.

Because I was pregnant.

Because the man loves you beyond reason.

Second, Leslie's some kind of shape-shifter.

I actually thought she was a kind, maternal churchgoer,

and she was none of those things.

I suspect she fooled Ted the exact same way.

Am I supposed to feel sorry for him?

Are you going to try to tell me you already don't?

ANITA: I didn't mean to sound patronizing.

I'm just trying to say...

I'm ready to listen.

So... let me have it.

I'm strong enough now to face what happened

in a way that I, I wasn't before.

I suppose it's easy to face just about anything

when you got money at your back.

I know I made a lot of terrible mistakes,

but I have worked hard for everything I have.

Working in the music industry,

nobody handed me anything.

You still think you're the only one

who had it in her, don't you?

The only one willing to work for it.

We were talentless hacks trying to ride the coattails

-of the great Anita Williams. -All of us were talented.

You had a spectacular voice.

I know that.

Despite the fact that Dante kept pushing me

to the background so that you could shine.

I had offers of my own to go solo

that I never took because I was proud to be an Articulette.

But when you up and left,

those offers dried up.

-I am so sorry. -You should be.

You know, word got out

that I had problems with drugs and alcohol,

that I was getting drunk and performing drunk on stage.

But you know all of that, don't you?

Because you and Dante made damn sure those rumors spread.

I had nothing to do with those rumors.

Now, you can accuse me of a lot of things,

but not that.

Okay. Say you didn't spread those lies.

It still doesn't change the fact

that Dante dragged my name through the mud

to protect his investment in you,

taking out your competition.

Even though you went in a whole different genre,

didn't you, Miss Jazz Artiste?

There are so many things that I regret

and would do differently if I had the chance.

And that is why I am reaching out now

and pleading to do this concert with the two of you.

It's not about the fame and fortune

or any of those things

that I thought were important back then.

I want to make amends.

Make peace with the past.

I'm glad to hear you say that.

Because that means that all of this,

all of the wealth and the fame aren't enough

to kill the shame that lives inside you.

That will be with you until the day you die.

No justice, no peace, right?

In your case, Anita Williams Dupree,

it's too late for either of those.

-Hey, Jacob. -Hey, Officer Handsome.

I came to give you some evidence

in connection with Laura Peterson's car crash.

This leather jacket.

I assume Leslie came along to confess.

[Leslie chuckles]

I came along with little miss, uh, wannabe cop here.

purely out of curiosity.

Would you like to have a lawyer present?

Honey, please.

I am perfectly capable

of handling this stupidity on my own.

[sighs] Exhibit A is this jacket.

It's just like the one

the motorcycle rider was wearing.

It came from a thrift shop

that takes donations from Leslie's church.

Which means it could have been worn and handled

by anyone since the night of the accident.

Now you're thinking! Yes.

There's no proof, honey,

that that jacket has anything to do with me.

Except in the pockets I found this.

A tag from the thrift shop.

A parking ticket for a motorcycle

without a license plate that was parked

on the same street as Laura's car crash,

and a receipt for a coffee shop nearby

made out to a "Cherry C."

Cherry C is very similar to Sherry Carter,

one of Leslie's aliases.

Miss Thomas, is there anything else you want to add?

Oh, you bet I do.

Where do I file for a restraining order

against this?

Granddad?

Don't you have a beautiful office at home?

[chuckles]

You know, I wanted a different atmosphere

for the speech that I'm working on.

Hmm, so the atmosphere really affects the speech?

Oh, especially when it comes

with Orphey Gene's peach cobbler.

Sit down. I'll order you a piece of your own.

I'll sit, but no cobbler for me, thanks.

I just left the gym.

So tell me about this speech.

Well, it's a commencement address.

Uh, the latest of many.

You do give kick-ass commencement, Granddad.

Thank you. I try.

You'd think I'd run out of advice

for young people at some point, but somehow I never do.

Well, that's probably because we keep finding

new and different ways to screw up our lives.

Is everything, uh, all right?

I was in a relationship

that was very much off-line,

which is now very much over.

And not by my choice.

Well, I'm sorry to hear that.

Few things are as painful as reaching out

to someone you really care about

with an open heart and being rejected.

I put together some tangerines and cheese.

I remember how much you used to like to snack on them.

That's all we could afford back then.

Oh, you don't have to tell me.

Remember how we had to pool our money together

to get that Marvin Gaye album?

Then Tracy went and sat on it.

We never let her live that down.

Now we can stream Marvin anytime we want.

No chance of breakage.

Sing along like we used to.

Remember when we met him?

[chuckles softly]

Stop yourself, Anita, and save the energy.

You can't play me like you did Tracy.

All this "back in the day" nonsense.

I'm not here for it.

How much does Vernon know about what really happened

to split up the Articulettes?

He knows that you and Tracy were

still angry at me for siding with Dante.

The rest, I... I told him it's complicated.

Oh.

So you allowed Vernon to think what everyone else did.

All of the bad press that Dante fabricated.

Tracy and I couldn't even defend ourselves.

Because...

Dante made us sign NDAs.

Just to get our final payment from him.

I never knew that.

I know. Of course you didn't.

Because you wouldn't take our calls.

You hung your sisters out to dry.

We finally had to give up on the Articulettes.

And go back to the old neighborhood

with our tails between our legs.

With nothing, nothing to show for it.

Tracy told me she still sings.

Oh, yeah. She does.

Oldies, cabaret and nightclubs.

And for me, with the... the "spectacular voice"?

I'm choir director at my church.

And I give vocal lessons on a sliding scale.

At least I was able to buy a house

with the payoff that Dante gave me.

It's nothing compared to this, of course.

I'm probably living your nightmare.

A quiet life back in the old neighborhood.

Everything that you ran away from.

I am not that girl who left.

My priorities have changed.

That's easy to say now.

None of this is easy, Sharon!

I admit the pain I caused,

but you cannot blame me

for the decisions that we made together.

I knew it.

All this crap about making amends.

You just want to let yourself off the hook, don't you?

-Decisions we made together?! -We did.

You were the one who decided to break ranks.

You were the one who said

she was gonna go follow her dreams,

no matter what it meant

for the rest of us.

You told us, "Oh, you could go along with me or not."

And you did.

Yeah, we did.

And may God forgive us.

I have had it up to here

with this pretentious child and her insinuations.

This jacket-- oh, excuse me, "Exhibit A"--

could have come from anywhere.

Kat could have bought it

and put it in the church donation box herself.

Lie all you want, Leslie. Don't nobody believe you.

Then she whips out a parking ticket

and a coffee shop receipt,

which also have nothing to do with me.

I mean, really, Kitty? "Cherry C."?

As if I needed an alias on top of an alias

to order some damn coffee.

This harassment has to stop.

And I mean it when I'm asking about that restraining order.

-You arrogant bitch. -Kat, stop.

Know this.

I am not putting up with any more bullying

-from any of you. -[scoffs]

And that's Miss Bitch, bitch.

She's freaking out. That's good, right?

The chain of evidence--

Everything you'd need were in those pockets.

I mean, can you believe it?

That jacket has to be the same one from the accident.

It looks just like the one in the video.

[sighs] I was with Mona, and I was trying on the jacket--

Wait, you tried it on?

Well, yeah.

That's how I found the papers in the pockets.

That's enough proof to nail Leslie, right?

If that's all it took, I'd be arresting you now.

Because you were the last one to try on this jacket

and touch these papers.

Without gloves, I assume.

So if I find any DNA

or fingerprints, it's likely to be yours.

[sighs]

[knock at door]

Ted.

Hi.

I don't know why you're so surprised.

May I?

Uh, sure.

You know, I've been trying to reach out to you

to discuss your mother's accusations.

Well, that's why I've been going ghost.

Because my mother is my least favorite topic

of discussion right now.

Eva, no matter what your mother said,

I never believed you were the one

who ran Laura off the road.

Well, lucky thing I had an alibi.

I believed you before the alibi.

I believe in you, Eva.

And I'm here for you, if you'll let me be.

How could your mother cast suspicion on you?

It's hard to understand why she does the things she does.

But I don't think she meant anything by it. Not really.

I think she mostly wanted to get on Kat's last nerve.

She probably thought it was funny.

We both know this is more than just a bad joke.

Dana wanted to punish you

for siding with Nicole and me over her

to create a wedge between us.

We both know how manipulative she is.

I hope you realize you can't trust

that she has your best interest in mind.

You need to protect yourself from Dana.

Even though I'm sad that things didn't work out

with the person that I was seeing,

a part of me feels like I dodged a bullet.

I mean, I got away relatively lightly.

My mom isn't over my dad and maybe never will be.

And he's off having a baby with his new wife.

I didn't realize.

I better check with your mother, make sure she's okay.

That's probably not a bad idea.

And look at Aunt Nicole and Uncle Ted.

I mean, they were the perfect couple.

And if even they can't work it out,

what hope is there for the rest of us?

Chelsea, sweetheart.

There are also a whole lot of positive examples of love

all around you.

Jacob and Naomi,

Martin and Smitty.

And, I like to think, your grandmother and me.

You and Gran are relationship goals,

but not everybody is so lucky to find their soulmate.

It's-it's not just about finding the right person.

You have to learn about each other, adapt.

So that you become the perfect match over time.

I remember what Gran said.

The secret to having a perfect marriage?

Paying attention.

Your Gran is-- as usual-- right.

Over the years,

I've become the world's foremost expert

on Anita Williams Dupree.

I wake up every morning excited to learn more.

I never should have come here in the first place.

Sharon, please. Don't go.

This is what we need to get at, all three of us.

I can't be the only one to wonder

how much responsibility we bear,

individually or collectively, for what happened.

And is it so unforgivable that we fought to be somebody,

to live our dream?

Until you made it perfectly clear

that your dream is the only one that mattered.

You keep making it sound like I was in control, but I wasn't.

Because you conveniently gave the control to Dante Green,

and we all know how that turned out.

We were barely children then, Sharon.

And in the years since, I have worked hard on myself,

shifted my focus outward, on my children,

the-the-the charities that Vernon and I have

committed ourselves to.

Your only commitment is to what it always was:

making yourself look good.

But now you want people to believe

that you're this benevolent philanthropist.

But I know the truth.

Maybe it's time I let everybody in on the secret.

Including Vernon.

Oh, hey, sweetie.

-Everything okay? -Fine.

I just wanted to stop in

-and see how you were doing. -Hmm.

I am still not used to being the person

that people need to check in on.

But thank you for your concern. It's sweet.

I saw Dad.

He told me about Leslie being responsible

for Laura's accident.

All the harm that woman has caused.

I know exactly how you feel.

I came face-to-face with Leslie this morning

after learning about that.

It was everything I could do to stop myself from striking out.

Good thing you kept it in check.

Because a woman like that would definitely use it

against you if you ever lost control.

How's your dad doing?

He misses you.

Are you here to plead his case?

Because that seems to be going around.

I'd never pressure you to do something

you're not ready to do.

But I am surprised that the champion

of talking things out

is going with avoidance instead.

I prefer to think of it as setting a boundary.

And I appreciate that your father is

respecting that, if nothing else.

Sounds like you're still

too angry to deal with Dad, which I get.

If it was only that simple.

As much as I hate what Ted did, I ache for him.

It would be so easy to let him come back home,

wrap his arms around me,

and tell me that nothing has to change.

No one would blame you for doing that.

I would.

Because giving in would be a relief,

but it wouldn't be real.

And the one thing that I know about my life moving forward?

It has to be real.

I didn't understand why you went with your mother's plot.

But now I have a better sense

of what it must have been like being raised by her.

You're afraid of Dana, aren't you?

You know more than anybody what she's capable of.

You want to know if I think

my mother's the one who forced Laura off the road?

I'd like to hear your take on it.

I did wonder,

but I didn't think that she could have gone that far.

So when she denied it, I chose to believe her.

What do you know about Laura's cardiac arrest?

We think she might have been responsible for that, too.

She denied that, too, and I let it go.

I know I'm new in your life.

And I understand if you don't feel comfortable

completely trusting me, but I want you to know,

if you ever feel like breaking free from your mother,

you can come to me.

That's more than I deserve after what I put you through.

Now I'll be honest, I'm...

still dealing with feelings of being an insta-dad.

But the fact remains,

you are my daughter.

And you deserve better than what you've had in your life.

And I'm gonna do everything I can to make that up to you.

Hmm?

You should be careful around her, too.

Hmm. Because Dana's decided we're destined to be together?

I told her that will never happen.

Yeah, so did I.

But Mama has a tendency

to confuse what she wants with reality

and to go all in on whatever's in her head.

Guess we should keep looking out for each other, then.

Agreed?

[door closes]

I am just asking you to consider

what I'm offering.

The chance to recapture some of what we've lost.

I know exactly what you're offering.

Tracy and me back propping you up

while you take the spotlight front and center.

And then, after you've gotten what you've wanted,

eased your conscience, stroked your ego,

you'll toss us aside, like before.

That is not what I want at all.

Hear me when I say this, Anita Williams Dupree.

I know you better than anyone.

Better than Vernon.

I will never trust you again.

[door opens]

[door slams]

♪ ♪

What happened?

I thought I could talk to Sharon,

make her see.

But how could I convince her to forgive me...

...when I can't forgive myself?

I gave Jacob the jacket.

Jacket?

The one that Kat thinks Leslie wore on the motorcycle

that ran Laura off the road.

And? Is Jacob gonna arrest her?

I don't know.

He wasn't very encouraging.

Leslie actually accused me

of buying the jacket and planting it.

Jacob said a defense lawyer would have

a field day with that.

He has a good point.

He also didn't love that I tried on the jacket.

He said my DNA will be all over it.

He's right about that, too.

Look, picking apart everything I did isn't helpful.

You aren't exactly perfect.

Well, if you thought before you acted--

Stop it, both of you.

We just need to accept that Leslie is

probably gonna get away with everything that she's done.

I ran the video through the program,

and it's estimating

that the motorcycle rider's height is about five foot seven.

Same height as my suspect.

Mm-hmm. And I may have ID'd

the manufacturer of the helmet and the boots,

but I need to do a little bit more research on that.

Okay. What about the jacket?

Ah, saved the best for last.

It's a match for the video.

-Yes! Good job, Walker. -Mm-hmm.

I went home and realized

that someone had been in my apartment.

[gasps] That's terrible. Did they take anything?

What did you do with my helmet and gloves?

[scoffs] Calm down, Mama.

They're hidden in a much better place

than your apartment,

which is the first place the police will look.

Oh, so you're telling me that you took them to help me?

Oh, not at all.

I wanted to make sure you wouldn't be tempted

to throw me under the bus again.

I told you I would never--

But what you say isn't always what you do, Mama.

Let's just think of this as a little helpful reminder

that you need to stay on my good side for a change.

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