Original subtitles

-Morning, beautiful people. -Good morning.

And what a very good morning it is.

Okay, Julie Andrews, should we cue the hills

to start singing, too?

Don't make fun of your sister.

Oh, please, have at it. I am in such a good mood.

The pregame, the tailgate and Banneker

pulling it out in the fourth? Oh, I had such a good time.

We all did. There was so much to celebrate.

And we wanted you to enjoy every minute

of Tyrell's first homecoming as a Banneker man.

I don't like the way that sounds.

And why does your face look like that?

I thought you'd be floating with Bill doing better

and Hayley about to wear

a prison jumpsuit for the rest of her life.

Unfortunately, that's not gonna happen.

They dropped the charges.

What? How?

The police have everything they need.

The poison, the motive.

How is she able to walk?

You need to sit down.

Hey, bestie.

You're back.

When my girl beats a felony

and doesn't even send a courtesy text,

I had to come see it for myself.

Marcel told me the charges got dropped.

They did, and whatever you posted for bail,

you'll get it back.

Oh, yeah. Notification already hit my email this morning.

Oh, good. Then we're squared and you can be on your way.

I didn't come for a refund.

I came to give you your flowers.

I clocked it from day one that you were

playing old Billy Goat.

You want a trophy?

I want the story.

Now, tell your bestie

all about your big bad power move.

I heard something yesterday that didn't sit right with me.

Our private conversations?

Turns out they weren't as private as we thought.

-So it's true. -Mm-hmm.

Hayley has recordings about that night on the country road,

about Martin killing that man to protect you,

how we all covered it up, and what we did to Kenny.

We?

You know what I mean.

You represent some of the most powerful people in this country,

yet you let your own house get wired.

My house gets swept regularly.

-Then how? -Hayley.

She knew the schedule here and at the house.

She worked around the sweeps and...

she was selective.

Do I need to emphasize how big the stakes are here?

Vernon, I am well aware.

My family, my legacy,

Martin's re-election.

And those aren't even the only names at risk.

I know who's in the blast radius, Vernon.

I've been running the math since the moment I found out,

and I've already put moves in place to contain it.

You, uh, you wanted to see me, boss?

You took off in a hurry last night.

I mean, you sent me on my way.

I figured we was done talking.

I figured you could use the time to really

think about where you stand.

Now that Hayley Hamilton

has made an enemy of her soon-to-be ex-husband,

a man of considerable reach.

And of me.

Whatever stunt Hayley pulled,

I got nothing to do with it.

Oh, that's a tough sell.

Boss, I'm being straight up.

Whatever beef you got with her, that's between you and her.

After all these months you've been cozying up to her,

no.

No, you don't get to be close when it's convenient

and a bystander when the bill comes due.

There's no middle ground here, Randy.

You're either with Hayley

or you're with me.

Now, who's it gonna be?

♪ ♪

-Ooh. -Little bro.

-Yeah. -What brings you by?

You know, just thought I'd pull up to say what's up.

[chuckles] All right, all right.

I came to collect my hundred that Pops owes me

since Banneker handled business yesterday.

Man, that game had me sweating.

Facts. I thought we was cooked for a minute, too.

Look, I hate to break it to you, but Pops just stepped out.

[sighs] Of course he did.

The one time I actually want to see him and he disappears.

Ah, y'all really out here bonding, huh?

Chill, it's not that deep.

Nah, it is.

In fact, you've been bonding with

a few unexpected people lately.

Like who?

Kat.

What's that about?

Just saying, you and Izaiah were looking real familiar.

Please don't start with this again.

I swear, this song is on repeat.

That's on you, that is not on me.

And I wasn't the only one clocking it.

Naomi saw. Jacob definitely saw.

Is it so impossible for a guy and a girl to be friends?

No, it just gets complicated

when that guy in question is your sister's boyfriend.

Half sister,

and I don't give a damn how she feels about it.

As far as I'm concerned,

Eva can kiss my rich, happy Black ass.

That woman is evil.

Poisoning Bill, almost shooting my sister,

and now she has the nerve to threaten my son, father

and everyone who has stood ten toes down for this family?

I used to think that Leslie Thomas was

the worst thing walking this Earth.

Hayley just raised that bar.

We've been saying the same thing since the news broke.

NICOLE: No, what you

have been doing is actively working

to keep this from me.

When did you find out?

Yesterday.

And Ted?

Oh, wow.

I was smiling and laughing and thinking

finally, my family has caught a break.

And neither one of you said a word to me.

-Nicole-- -No.

You have been deciding what I can

and cannot handle, like I am a piece of glass.

I have already told you that I do not

appreciate being managed.

No one is doing that.

Yesterday was a blessing. Everyone was so happy.

You were so happy.

So happy, you practically strolled in here singing.

ANITA: We were not gonna

drop that in your lap

when you couldn't do anything with the information.

And we called first thing this morning to loop you in.

Martin doesn't know?

He does not.

Nicole.

Nicole, wait.

I am not gonna let my son get blindsided.

Your father made it very clear he wants us

to hold off on telling Martin.

For what?

A solution.

You remember how this almost broke him and his marriage.

Why make him relive the trauma of all that

when your father is working on a way to neutralize this?

And Bill's not rolling over either.

Between him and Daddy...

Hayley chose the wrong family to mess with.

Sweetheart, you have to trust us.

Rein it in,

just until we see how this shakes out.

I've got my P.I. doing a deep dive into Hayley's past.

Hopefully, there's something there

that can flip the leverage.

God willing.

But I'm more concerned with where we stand today.

Well, steps have been taken.

I went to Joey.

I heard.

What did he say?

Well, he's not happy.

He made it very clear that he's more than willing

to, um...

clean up the mess.

[scoffs] I have no doubt.

You realize what we set in motion?

That's on Hayley.

When she made her move, Joey had to be informed.

Men like Joey hear a problem,

and they start digging graves.

I will not have another body on my conscience.

We're in agreement there.

Are we?

Bill Hamilton is the bane of my existence.

So, watching that bloodsucking parasite get played,

ooh, it just did something to my spirit.

It's almost orgasmic, actually.

[groans] TMI, Leslie.

We need to talk about you oversharing.

Oh, right now, we need to talk about

you sharing too little.

So, you gonna tell me what went down

or we gonna just keep doing this little dance?

Whatever I may or may not have done

doesn't concern you.

All righty, then.

But answer me this.

You're free,

charges dropped, fresh new start.

So why aren't you grinning so hard that your face hurts?

I mean, look, it's great not being in jail,

but what I'm not enjoying is sitting

in this hotel room, waiting on a prenup settlement from Bill.

Especially when I've been cut off from everything.

Cut off how?

Bill's assistant put my things

in storage, but she's being petty

and won't tell me where. I even texted Bill,

and he's avoiding me, too.

Hmm. Well, sounds like

the perfect time to go shopping.

Oh, and get some fresh new looks and...

Oh. Come on, girl.

The new statement pieces to go with this new attitude.

[laughs]

Oh, and maybe even some wigs.

You know, I'm the wiggy expert.

Hee-hee.

You're serious?

What better way to spend the money

that I'm getting back.

Well, if you insist, how about we go now?

[Leslie squeals]

I knew you'd see it my way.

[laughs]

[Hayley scoffs]

I have been solid with you, Joey.

Every call, every job, I showed up.

You did.

With half-truths, lies, omissions.

I've changed. Okay?

I wouldn't play you like that.

Well, let's put that to the test.

Tell me...

just what is Hayley Hamilton to you?

A fling? Your future?

And think about your answer, because I won't ask again.

All right.

She's my blood.

Family?

My cousin from back in Philly.

Well, that's interesting.

Thanks for clarifying.

Don't mention it.

Doesn't really help your case, though, does it?

I mean, you've been letting me--

well, letting everybody-- read that situation wrong.

So now I have to ask,

what else are you keeping from me?

Due respect?

You made it abundantly clear that you didn't

want to know what me and Hayley had going on.

Sure, yeah, things have changed. I get it.

But being real with you,

I don't know what Hayley has on you and Bill.

She told me she had something,

but she didn't give me the details.

Now, on my life, Joey,

that's the truth.

Your life? Well...

...I'm glad we're speaking the same language.

Because that's exactly what's on the line here.

Bro, you still here?

What? You thought I was

just gonna bounce and leave that hanging?

All right, talk to me.

You know Kat and I are just friends,

so why are you pressing me like it's something else?

Because neither one of you

brought your significant other yesterday,

and y'all were chilling together,

looking real comfortable.

Jacob, you are reading way too deep into this.

Am I?

Yeah.

Tomas had work. Eva wasn't in the mood.

That's how Pops ended up getting the invite.

All right, fine. I hear you.

I don't mean to make it a thing.

And you've been putting that work in with Pops.

I respect that.

Thank you.

But while you're out here repairing one relationship,

make sure you don't lose sight of the other one that matters.

Ladies.

Hey, Eva.

Kat, quick question.

Why would I be kissing your ass?

Excuse you.

I'm pretty sure I just heard my name come out of your mouth.

Well, my name's been in everybody's mouth lately,

and they all have something to say

about my friendship with Izaiah.

Okay. Yeah, well, then add me to the list.

Girl, please. Izaiah and I are pals.

That's not changing, so if you're feeling insecure

about your relationship, that's on you.

You know what?

I'm going to give you a second to collect yourself

because you really don't want to try me

before I've had my coffee.

Like I said, complicated.

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh.♪

RANDY: Come on, Joey,

you really think I'd be dumb enough

to sit here and make it hard on myself?

Is that rhetorical?

I'm being straight with you.

Well, then let's find out.

I'm going to give you one last chance

to prove you're worth keeping around.

Listen carefully.

Hayley has recordings.

What kind of recordings?

The kind that don't need to see the light of day, ever.

They can do real damage to powerful people, including me.

On everything, Joey, this is the first I'm hearing of it.

Then consider yourself caught up.

I want all those recordings out of her hands and into mine.

That means you get her passwords,

cloud storage, backups,

any digital hiding space

that Hayley thinks is safe and untouchable.

And I want all of it today.

Say less. I got you.

You don't got me, Randy.

You deliver. And if you don't,

then the next time you and your cuz have a conversation,

it could be the last one either one of you ever has.

I will hold off.

But the minute the situation is handled,

Martin will hear the truth.

Of course. Agreed.

And if this godforsaken situation drags on

and we are still sitting in this mess when

the election is breathing down his neck--

He will be told. I give my word.

Until then, patience is a virtue.

Okay, yes,

I heard it myself when it came out.

You, the woman who runs to danger like it's cardio?

All I'm saying is that we don't want this thing

to blow up before we know where it lands.

Nobody's blowing up anything.

But we're not hiding either.

The easy thing would be to cover our heads

and pray that that sociopath

doesn't light another match.

But that's also the worst.

It'd be letting that poison-peddling grifter

dictate how this family moves.

Hayley walked into our lives with her manufactured tears

and even more manufactured past,

and almost took everything.

But we will not let her take our peace on top of it.

So we just go on living our lives.

Fairmont Crest is already buzzing.

Hayley's arrest didn't happen in a vacuum.

They don't know the half of it, not the poisoning,

nor the charges being dropped.

Which means they will fill in the blanks themselves.

And if we just disappear...

Anastasia Belleclaire will have a field day.

So let's not hand her any fresh material.

So we show up, heads held high.

That's right.

That's how we flow.

We're Duprees.

Now, someone was promised breakfast. Our job?

Keep up appearances

and give your father room to handle

that vicious little viper once and for all.

The last time you said something had to be handled,

we buried a man.

That was different.

Kenny was a threat. If we didn't act,

he would have ruined us and everything we spent decades

building and protecting.

And how's what Hayley's doing any different?

A vindictive racist versus the woman I married?

So it's chivalry keeping you from resorting to murder?

No. Try history.

It's the fact that I gave her my name.

Look, I'm not interested in blood,

but I'm not gonna sit on my hand and let Hayley

hold this family hostage either.

She almost killed me, Vernon.

Sat at my table, slept in my bed,

looked me dead in the face every damn morning,

noon and night while she was poisoning me.

She took her shot, and she won't get another one.

Well, as long as deadly measures are off the table,

I'll take your word.

Good. And you need to let me handle it.

This is what I do.

No, Bill.

I'm afraid I don't trust you with that.

I couldn't help but notice the shift between

you and Andre yesterday.

Well, there goes light conversation.

You both said it was nothing.

But a mother knows.

I saw it too. We talked.

Andre is having feelings about the level of involvement

I have had in Bill's situation, which I understand.

I just need to sit down and

do a proper temperature check, that's all.

Well, do that sooner rather than later, sweetheart.

You don't want that wound to fester.

I hear you, Mother. I...

Oh, hell.

Now all of our temperatures are about to spike.

Brace yourselves.

Seriously, Leslie,

I can't thank you enough.

My closet at the Bowman is packed.

Well, the pleasure's all mine.

Any excuse to pick up a few new fits for myself.

[groans]

Well, well, well.

Shall we say hello?

Let's.

Oh, good morning, ladies.

Isn't it a lovely day?

I'm surprised you made it past the front door.

You are no longer a member of this club or this community.

And yet, I'm here.

She's my guest.

So let's remember our home training.

Leslie?

We spoke about this.

The company you keep

is a reflection on you.

Choose carefully, or you may find yourself

right back where you started, on the outside looking in.

Well, let's not pretend

that that was ever going to change.

You all enjoy your breakfast.

[fingernails tapping rapidly]

Kat, stop. Please.

Or say what you need to say before I lose my mind.

Things would be a whole lot less complicated

if people just minded their own damn business.

People or someone in particular?

I don't know, take a wild guess, Chels,

since you're so good at reading a situation.

Do you hear how defensive you sound?

You keep saying there's nothing to see,

but the way you're acting says the opposite.

Oh, my God. I am so over this.

I've done nothing wrong, but somehow,

I keep being on trial.

"Why do you do this? Why do you say this?"

I don't owe you or anybody else

an explanation on anything.

Kat, don't be like that. I am not the enemy here.

Could have fooled me.

Look, I don't appreciate the attitude, bruh.

I most definitely don't need you coaching me

on how to handle my own relationship.

All right, you got it.

You and Kat are friends?

Cool. But come on, Izaiah.

Don't act like you don't know what this looks like.

Things are different now.

I mean, Kat saved Eva's life.

That's true.

But those two will still never give each other

the benefit of the doubt.

How do you think Eva would feel

if she'd seen you and Kat like that?

She'd be straight. You know why?

'Cause she trusts me, unlike my own brother.

Hang on, wait. I never said that.

You didn't have to. You've been implying it

since I walked through the damn door.

I'm-I'm not one of your cases, bruh.

Look...

...I'm just trying to offer you some

brotherly advice, that's all.

Well, maybe next time, wait until somebody asks you for it.

So, you're doubting my abilities now?

You're in a volatile state.

But emotions don't announce themselves,

they ambush you.

And we have absolutely no room for that right now.

So, you're saying I need to keep my distance.

While maintaining plausible deniability.

If something goes south, you'd be the first one

the police will look at.

No.

For once in your life, Bill...

...let someone else take the wheel.

[chuckles] I told you this would be fun.

We should make it a habit.

As your guest?

Or is getting my membership reinstated

on your list of "oh-so-generous gifts"?

Well, when I went to dinner with Lionel,

he wasn't trying to hear any of that.

In fact, he didn't even want to discuss

any architectural ideas for my shouse.

That man had one thing,

and I mean one thing only, in his mind.

Mm. Good for you, upgrading from the cop.

I turned him down.

-[scoffs] -I know, I can't believe it either.

But Marcel has gotten under my skin in a good way.

Mm, Leslie Thomas,

passing on a Belleclaire for a worker bee.

I know, right?

Ah, life has its plot twists.

[phone chimes]

Oh, uh, something came up. I need to go.

Thank you for today.

Anytime, bestie.

[sighs]

Hey, boo, I was thinking of you.

Are you free?

EVA: Mind if I sit?

Look, I appreciate you trying to play referee earlier,

and that you didn't automatically take her side.

I know she's your number one.

Is there something you want, Eva?

Yeah, and I probably shouldn't even ask,

but is everything good with Kat and Tomas?

Far as I know.

That's good to hear.

And before you go there, I'm not suggesting anything

is going on between Kat and Izaiah.

I am confident in my relationship.

So confident that you need to drag me

into all this with these questions?

That's fair.

It's just...

even after what Kat did for me,

I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I'm just wondering if she's ever gonna let go of the past

or if she's just finding new ways to come at me.

[R&B music playing]

You came.

Well, you said it was important.

Mm. You being here is what's important.

-Aw. -Mwah.

[laughs]

You know, I've worked this place but...

...never been a guest.

Yeah, well, get used to it,

'cause things are gonna be different now.

I just spent the morning treating Ms. Hayley

to a new wardrobe, so I figured it's time to spoil my man.

Now, I ain't trying to step on your toes,

but all this you're doing for Hayley,

you sure she ain't playing you?

Mm. You're worried about me.

[chuckles] That is so sweet.

But I want to help her, okay?

Women like us, well, we were forged

by the same fire.

That kind of life leaves marks.

And those marks, when you see them on somebody else,

it feels like you found something kindred.

You know? A kindred spirit that...

Oh, gosh, I can't remember the last time

I actually had a real friend girl.

Well, longer than I can admit.

Well, it's your call.

It ain't one I would make, but...

You jealous?

You need me all to yourself.

Like I could handle all that Leslie.

Mm.

Well, you know,

there's nothing wrong with trying.

[chuckles] Ooh, I was thinking

that we could go on a trip, just us.

-Oh, yeah. When? -Yeah.

Soon. Today.

Can't. Too much on my plate at work.

Oh, right. Of course.

But you should still go.

Take Eva.

Maybe.

I mean, I do love my baby girl.

But there's something about, uh,

having fun with my new bestie.

It's different. [laughs]

Hey, got here as fast as I could.

-What's the emergency? -Didn't I tell you last night

that you messed with the wrong one?

What are you talking about?

Joey.

Due to whatever you used

to get from under those charges, he now sees you as a threat.

Why would you pull something that could

blow back on the both of us?

I pulled the only card that I had and it worked.

For now.

But I can assure you, prison is better than what

Joey does to people he sees as a threat.

He wants those recordings.

He told you about those?

Not what's on them.

But what I do know is,

is that he wants access to everything.

The cloud, backups, every copy that you think

you have safely tucked away.

And if I don't deliver--

No, no.

The second I hand those over, we lose our edge,

and then we're both dead anyway.

Cuz, why are you not hearing me?

Joey only has one way of dealing with his opps. One.

And if you don't want to give me what he wants,

then we need to be out of here tonight.

And go where?

Anywhere but somewhere obvious.

So you can forget about Saint Barts

'cause that's the first place Bill will look.

Hard pass, Randy.

-Hayley-- -Look, I am not running, okay?

I didn't go through all this just to leave my payday behind.

Cuz, please, forget the money.

If you stay here chasing a check,

you won't live long enough to cash it.

Is that what you want?

Because that's the only place this road leads.

I'll talk to Joey myself.

[sighs]

Go on, then. But I'm out.

You're on your own, cuz.

Hmm.

More for me. [chuckles]

-You look like I feel. -Careful.

Apparently, I can't be seen talking to you.

They all knew about the pregame, too.

Folks got a whole lot to say about everything I do.

Uh, I just hate that I have to keep

defending my every decision.

Welcome to being a Hawthorne.

-Sounds miserable. -It is,

and unfair, but...

hey, it builds character.

Lucky us.

Is it so hard to assume the best in people

instead of jumping to the shady?

No, it shouldn't be.

But people love a narrative more than they do the truth.

But at least you and I both know what this is.

Mm-hmm. Friends.

Exactly.

Hmm.

I wish I could tell you what you want to hear,

but Kat is the GOAT of grudge-holding.

Not too far off from someone else you're related to.

[sighs]

My mama?

I'm not coming for you, but

what is that, Eva?

Posting bail for Hayley?

Trust me, I was just as shocked.

They're not even close. Leslie barely knows her.

And she went and set loose a person

who tried to kill my dad.

Mama said she was just doing a favor for her new friend.

[laughs]

I'm just repeating what she said.

Leslie conveniently left out that she's had an axe to grind

against my father for decades.

Look, as wild as your mother is,

Hayley is right there with her.

A different brand of unhinged, but just as unpredictable.

You need to stay far away from that woman.

I have zero interest in being tied to Hayley.

And I wish I can get my mother to feel the same,

but just like Kat, she won't change for anybody.

You got a minute?

I need to talk to you about Hayley, man to man.

Say your piece.

I just let a dangerous person walk.

And that goes against everything I stand for.

And I'm not naive.

I know what it takes to make charges disappear.

You pulled strings, Bill. Big ones.

Well, I'm not worried about Hayley.

After what she did to you?

What she did to this family?

Look, the only way any of this makes sense

is if your hand was forced.

Oh, you don't need to understand it, Jacob,

but you do need to accept it.

So no second thoughts?

It's not too late, Bill.

Hayley can still get what she deserves.

Look, this doesn't have to be a thing, okay?

You are not my target.

You just, unfortunately, happen to be in the orbit

of the man who is.

Your play is threatening to tear down

everything that I've built.

That's the very definition of a "thing."

All I want is what I earned.

Years of my life.

Well, years on my back, to be honest,

but look, once Bill settles up,

I am gone from this godforsaken town

and off to relish in the kind of life of luxury

most women dream of.

And you, Mr. Armstrong,

will never have to lay eyes on me again.

And I know

that's asking you to take my word for it,

and I know my word doesn't carry much weight right now, but--

None.

I mean, look,

you and me, we were never handed a damn thing.

We took it.

That's something I always respected about you,

as well as your instincts for survival and...

which is-- that's all this really is.

So I am hoping that you can take that

under consideration.

I can.

Mm.

I appreciate that.

You know, I'm glad we had this talk.

I will show myself out.

♪ ♪

I have a job for you.

Look, I know you're coming from a good place,

but you're not seeing the full picture, son.

Come on, Bill, the woman tried to kill you.

Listen, what Hayley did

and what's best for me and my firm are very different.

Last thing I need is this story dragging through the courts

and every gossip blog in the DMV turning it into a joke.

Well, maybe you're not worried about your wife,

but I'm worried about mine.

Naomi put herself on the line for you.

Distracted Hayley so Dani could sneak into your house.

Made sure I showed up with my badge to catch Hayley

in the act of threatening to shoot Dani.

Hayley had every reason to want payback.

Naomi will not be Hayley's next target.

You don't know that.

I know more than you.

-So that means-- -I believe

we've covered everything here, Detective.

You handle your business,

and leave me to mine.

That smug little self-satisfied smile she had on her face.

If Bill and Daddy don't handle this, I will.

I would love to see that.

ANITA: Dani.

And that is my cue to leave.

I'll be in touch.

Sweetheart, I know this is excruciating, but just...

pause, just for a moment.

Don't count your father out. Not just yet.

Joey, I-I told you you could trust me.

You've told me a lot of things, Randy.

I've learned to pay attention to your actions

rather than your words.

Joey, I just need a little more time.

I can get through to her.

Time's up, Randy.

[line ringing]

Don't get all brand-new on me, girl.

I know you see my name lighting up that phone.

[phone vibrating]

I've got a proposition for you, bestie.

Sun, sand and trouble.

The treatment that neither one of us was raised to deserve,

but we're getting anyway.

Call me back.

Not now, Leslie. I've got a new life to start.

[muffled shouting]

Captioning sponsored by CBS

Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org