Original subtitles

[opening theme music playing]

[upbeat music playing]

[Mark] Oh, I love it.

Being back in Oakland again.

Hey, what do you say I take you on a little tour.

Well, we have plenty of time for sightseeing.

Let's get there first.

Let me at least show you my old beat, huh?

Your old beat isn't gonna disappear in 10 minutes.

Not after 15 years.

[blows] 15 years.

Boy, it's great being back.

Seeing Captain Friend, Frank, and Joe and all the guys.

Whoever said, "You can't go home again?"

Thomas Wolfe.

Who's Thomas Wolfe, your assignment?

No. He's the guy who said, "You can't go home again."

[scoffs] Wasn't very bright, was he?

[humming]

[indistinct chatter]

[telephone ringing]

-G-O-N-Z-A-L-E-S. -[typewriter clicking]

[grunts] Don't you people have enough Gonzaleses?

Okay. At the corner...

You know what I think you ought to do mister?

I think you got to reach for the ceiling,

one hand at a time.

-Mark Gordon? -[laughing]

-You son of a gun! -Hey, Frank. How are you?

Oh, God, it's great to see you.

You could have called.

Well, I didn't know I was gonna be in town until yesterday.

-How's Martha? -Oh, she's great.

She'll be dying to see you.

And you wouldn't believe Kevin.

-Oh-- -He's on a football team now.

Can't wait to see him. Want you to meet a friend of mine.

Jonathan Smith, Frank Lawler.

-Hi. -Frank, pleasure to meet you.

You've got quite a fan of this guy right here.

Right here is the best partner any cop ever had.

[chuckles] We had some fine times, that's a fact.

Not like nowadays.

Half the force is out with blue flu.

You got scum like these walking the streets.

Richard, put this wetback in the cage, will you.

[grunts] Please, please. Give me a break.

I didn't do nothing.

-Please... -Tell that to the judge, Paco.

Come on. Let's go over to Sherlock's, get ourselves a couple of cold ones, huh.

What's with the blue flu?

Oh, it's the same old story. Everybody wants police protection,

but nobody wants to pay for it.

I'll tell you, if I didn't have only eight months to go to my pension,

I might be coming down with something myself.

[gasps] One good thing happened out of all of this.

I'm going out on patrol again tomorrow.

First time in five years.

I wish I could be with you.

That's not a half bad idea, Gordon.

Captain Friend. [chuckles]

-How are you? -Good to see you, Mark.

You weren't serious right now?

Well, you're still in the police reserves, aren't you?

Yes, sir.

Then we can call you up in an emergency...

When half my men are all pretending to be sick,

and the bad guys are about to take over my precinct, that's an emergency...

You mean, Frank and I will be together again?

For couple of days, until we get this thing settled.

-All right. -Hey, you and me together again, huh?

[Captain] And Frank,

I don't want to hear about any judge and jury stuff out there.

Yeah. No, sir.

I'm not kidding with you.

I heard you, okay?

All right. I'll see you both in uniform, 0700 tomorrow morning.

Well, partner, let's go have that beer.

All right.

Jonathan, you're going to love Sherlock's.

It's the safest place in Oakland.

-There's always a cop on the premises. -[Frank laughs]

Look, why don't you two go ahead. I've got an appointment.

We have an assignment? I thought we'd go to Frank's for dinner afterwards.

That's all right. You go ahead, and I'll meet you at the motel later.

[kids playing]

[knocking at door]

-[sighs] -[door opens]

Oh, Mrs. Neal?

I'm Jonathan Smith. I'm from Watchtek.

This is my resume.

[siren wailing]

Ah, you were looking for a security guard, weren't you?

Yes, we do need a security guard.

The old one quit a week ago,

what with this blue flu and all.

But, uh...

Well, we've never had a white security guard at Peabrook.

It's a dangerous enough job for a black guard.

Well, maybe it's time you started to integrate.

[both chuckle]

You remind me a lot of my late husband, Mr. Smith.

He was always seeing the bright side.

Does that mean I have the job?

Well, I have to get dinner ready now for my two boys,

but, uh, come back in an hour. We'll fill out the paperwork.

I will have had time to talk to the Tenants' Association by then.

Well, fine. Thank you. I'll see you in about an hour.

Hey, hey, hey. Slow down.

Mr. Smith, this is my youngest son Julius.

How you doing, Julius?

What's the matter with you? Cat got your tongue?

You're the police?

Well, sort of.

Going to be the new security guard...I hope.

You have to understand, Mr. Smith,

the only white folks come down here seem to be with the police.

You got a gun?

Why? Am I gonna need one?

Around here you do.

[dog barking]

I wanna tell you,

if it wasn't for your father, I wouldn't be here today.

Hey, hey, hey, come on. You saved my behind enough times.

I ought to thank you for giving me the chance

to teach those jungle bunnies a lesson.

[laughing] I speared one today in practice, dad.

-Got him real good. -[Martha] Kevin.

Football is a game, not an organized race riot.

Was he a half black or a full black?

[both laughing]

All right, now for the really big news.

Here's to the best team that ever rolled out of the 16th Street Station.

Let's hope we still got it, buddy.

What do you mean, "Still got it"?

Captain Friend called me up from the reserves

because of blue flu thing.

You promised me that you wouldn't go back on patrol duty.

I don't have a choice, hun.

With this blue flu thing we're operating at half strength.

All right! May the force be with you.

Okay.

[Kevin] Okay.

She all right?

Oh, she's fine.

♪ I want to be happy ♪

♪ But I can't be happy ♪

♪ Till I make you happy, too ♪

♪ I want to be happy ♪

♪ But I can't be happy ♪ [laughing]

♪ Till I make you happy, too ♪

♪ Life's really worth giving ♪

♪ When you are mirth-giving ♪

♪ Why can't I give some To you ♪

[laughs]

-Hey, man! -[laughing]

Hey, man, how you doing?

Bless me.

If it ain't the ghost of Mark Gordon!

Hey, aren't you the man that gave me a tip on a horse one time

called Inside Move?

[both laugh]

The only horse that ever finished first without a jockey at Bay Meadows.

Hey, what happened to your hair? I thought you were a barber.

-Looks like you ate it. -Hey, stop that.

[both laugh]

-You remember Jerome. -Hey, Jerome.

Sure I do. How's it going?

-Good. Fine. -All right.

[barber] I thought you retired about 15 years ago.

Yeah. So did I.

I stopped by to see Frank, the next thing I know, they drafted me

because of this blue flu outbreak.

I heard they're scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Let's get out of here, Mark.

Come on, Frank, what are you doing?

These are old friends here.

That's your problem. Come on.

We're supposed to be working, remember?

Hey, look, I'll come by and see you later, all right?

Yeah. Good to see you.

Right. Bye-bye.

[footsteps disappearing]

[engine revving]

[horn blowing]

There aren't many fish living near this pier.

What makes you say that?

Me and Albert, we fish here a lot.

Oh, I thought Albert didn't like fishing.

He likes fishing.

He just doesn't like fishing...with white folks.

But, you don't feel that way?

Sometimes I do.

Why? Because your brother feels that way?

I suppose.

You're gonna meet an awful lot of people in your life.

Some you're going to like, and some of them you're not.

It shouldn't have anything to do with what color they are.

I was thinking.

Maybe if we catch a fish,

maybe you could come to dinner at our house.

I'd like that very much.

Let's see if we can catch one, huh?

[upbeat disco music playing]

You boys having trouble getting into your car?

This ain't our car, We was just checking it out.

Checking it out?

Checking out to steal it was what you were doing, right, boy?

We didn't touch this car.

-Watch you mouth-- -Hey, Frank. Come on, take it easy.

You've been off the streets too long, partner.

All right, you two, beat it.

I said beat it!

[indistinct radio chatter]

Not you.

Hey.

Look what we got here.

You know, if I'm not mistaken,

this is the kind of tool a person could use to break into a car.

That's my tool, man.

No, man. That's your ticket to jail.

I didn't do nothing.

Tell it to the judge, punk.

I didn't do nothing!

[handcuffs clicking]

I sure like my son bringing home dinner like this.

Hmm.

Fish is good for you, right, Mama?

-Oh, you bet it is. -[laughing]

[door opens]

[sighs]

Mrs. Neal?

Yes.

Your son was arrested today on suspicion of car theft.

I didn't do nothing.

Jonathan, what are you doing here?

I was just having dinner. I work for Mrs. Neal.

The juvenile court will contact you first thing in the morning.

All right.

Go and wash up.

Your brother caught us a fish for dinner.

I ain't eating with him.

You're eating with whoever your brother and I invite to this house.

You can't make me.

You can't make me do nothing!

[door closes]

Is there anything else, officer?

No, ma'am.

Maybe you should go with your friend.

Thanks for the fish, Julius.

[door closes]

[pop music playing] [siren blaring]

What are you doing down here, Smith?

I work down here, Frank.

I'm the new security guard for the housing project.

[laughs] Jeez, I didn't know you work down here.

I could've got you job on the docks,

instead of keeping the peace in little Nairobi here.

I'm doing fine.

Suit yourself. Let's go, partner.

Want us to drop you off at the motel?

I'd rather walk.

[Frank] Hey, Mark. Let's go.

Hey, back early. I thought you're gonna stop up at sherlock's?

I didn't feel like it tonight.

[sighs]

You know, he's one of my best friends, Jonathan.

And he says things he doesn't mean it.

It's not him. He's not like that.

I don't know. Maybe, the job's getting to him.

[sighs] Look, I'm not trying to make excuses for him.

Yes, you are.

All right. So what if I am?

Frank's my friend.

He's a good cop.

[sighs]

I'm going to take a shower.

You know, Jonathan...

this morning I couldn't wait to get this uniform on...

but, I can't wait to get out of it.

[somber music playing]

[upbeat music playing] [children playing and screaming]

[motor whirring]

Albert...

Why don't you help your brother with the cleaning?

Uh-uh. Sugar man don't do no housework.

[telephone rings]

Yes.

Oh, yes, officer.

He won't?

Thank you, officer. Thank you very much.

Goodbye.

That was the juvenile court clerk, Albert.

They're not going to press charges.

Yes! The sugar man!

Too bad for the chump police.

They said they had insufficient evidence.

Yeah, they got insufficient brains is what they got.

That includes Julius' friend Smith.

Mr. Smith has never done anything to hurt you.

He's white!

That's good enough for me.

The way you and Julius kiss up to him make me think

you're both going to end up like papa.

What do you mean, "End up like papa"?

I mean, papa was a white man's fool.

Everybody knows that.

Your father was no man's fool.

He was a good marine.

If he was suck a good marine why did he die?

Honey, he died for his country.

He died for some fake white politician, mama, and you know it!

Don't you ever say that!

Don't you ever say nothing to hurt your father's memory.

[dramatic music playing]

That's the last time you hit me, mama.

You hear?

What do you want?

It's Mrs. Gault in apartment 4b.

She says there's a snake in her toilet.

Well, that'll be about the 10th one this year.

Problem is...

Nobody else can see them but her.

Come on, Julius, let's go get us a new rap sound.

Can we get the new LL Cool J?

We'll get whatever you like.

You be back by dinner.

Yes, mama.

[somber music playing]

Are you all right?

I can't seem to reach him.

He just gets further and further away.

I know, it's not easy for you being both mother and father.

Sometimes I feel like Albert doesn't...

I feel that no matter what I do,

nothing will change.

And that's when I feel that maybe my husband did die for the wrong country.

I don't think Ron would like to hear you talk like that.

Ron?

How did you know my husband's name?

It's hard to spend any time around Julius and not hear about his father.

Julius was only six

when Ron was sent off to the Middle East.

He's a lot like his father.

Sometimes...

I feel that Albert will change him.

Albert has so much hate!

[woman screaming]

That'll be Mrs. Gault and her invisible snake.

I'll see her.

[somber music continues]

[upbeat music playing]

Well, well.

[indistinct radio chatter]

Looks like we just found ourselves a drug dealer.

Maybe a pimp.

Come on, Frank, it's just a guy coming out of a house.

Hey, good buddy, open your eyes.

A spade in this neighborhood with a car like that, dressed like that?

He's no Supreme Court Justice.

I'll run a check on his license.

Suit yourself. I'm gonna go have a little talk with him.

[indistinct radio chatter]

It's a nice car you got there.

I like it.

I suppose you got proof of ownership?

It's in the glove compartment.

You're not looking at any glove compartment, mister.

Not without me looking in there first.

Hey, man, what are you doing? This is outrageous.

You just coming out of a rock house, didn't you, brother?

I just come from my mother's house.

Frank...

The car is registered to a Jonas Barnes, Orinda.

If you look in my pocket,

you'll see that that's my name.

Take out your wallet, sir.

And your license.

Jonas Barnes, Orinda, California.

Picture ID's him, Frank.

Yes, sir, we're sorry.

My friend here's a little antsy because of the blue flu situation.

You and your partner haven't heard the last of this.

Oh, yeah? Be sure to get my badge number right.

You can read, can't you, sambo?

[engine revving]

Well, you can't win them all, huh, partner?

Frank, what's happened to you?

What do you mean, "what's happened to me"?

I mean, you used to stop a suspect because of what he was doing,

not because of the color of their skin.

Hey, Hey. Don't lecture me on being a cop.

I am not trying to lecture you.

I'm trying to talk some sense into you.

It's not a police state. It's America.

Yeah?

What's he doing here?

[sighs]

[funk music playing]

[Jonathan] How you doing, fellas?

You like rap music, Mr. Smith?

Ha. To be honest with you, Julius, I don't think I know very much about it.

It goes like this... [beatboxing]

♪ That's Mr. Smith, Guards our house ♪

♪ Keeps the bad guys out ♪

Man, he ain't into it.

White folks don't care about rap.

Albert, there's an auto repair shop near here. I was talking to the owner.

Mechanic just quit. He's looking for a young trainee.

I thought you might be interested.

I told you, I don't work for no white man.

Well, I didn't say whether he was white or black.

The fact of the matter is he's black.

Where'd you say this place is? I might check it out.

Got the address right here. 16th and main, near the train station.

I can find it.

Yeah, well, later.

[funk music playing]

You know, Albert's not really so bad.

You know, what he said about you not digging rap music...

I could tell, he was just blowing smoke.

[chuckles] You could tell, could you?

You got soul. I can tell.

Yeah. And I can tell it's time for you to get home and start on your schoolwork.

Yeah.

You got a pretty good soul yourself, Julius.

-Excuse me. -[laughs]

Thanks.

[man on TV] 3-2 Pitch. Swing and a miss.

-Hey, all right! -Okay.

At least we get to see the final three innings.

You know, it's a lucky thing that Jonas Barnes turned out to be legit.

[chuckles]

No thanks to you, partner.

[Frank] Aw, come on. Give me a break, will you?

Three out of four times, a shine like that turns out a pimp or a pusher.

[laughs]

It's all right. It's all right, love. Let me get this, all right?

-I'll clean it up. -No, Martha,

you've done enough for me in these last couple of weeks, all right.

Just let me clean it up.

Just let me do it!

[indistinct chatter on TV]

[sobbing]

I get so tired of that talk.

I'd hoped that he'd finish out his 25 years on the desk.

What's happened to him?

I wish I knew.

I don't know. The years on the street, something snapped.

He hates anyone who isn't white.

In the car, at the mall...

even watching television, he's always saying something,

and now Kevin's imitating him.

Except I know that kind of prejudice sticks.

It's passed on from one generation to the next.

Yeah, I know.

I've talked to him about it, but he doesn't admit there's a problem.

If you could somehow get him back on the desk...

This work slow down should only last for a few more days.

I'm scared, Mark.

Every time he walks out that door, I'm scared of what will happen.

I'll go clean up the mess.

[somber music playing]

[upbeat pop music playing]

[door closes]

[lady] Help! He's coming out!

He's trying to kill me!

Will somebody help me!

-Somebody, help me! -All right, Lady, I'm coming.

Mark, take it easy.

Take it easy? Somebody's trying to kill her!

No, they're not. That's Mrs. Gault.

She thinks there's a snake in her toilet.

[laughs]

A snake in her toilet?

That's right.

All right. I'll go calm her down.

You know if you use it right, this uniform can works wonders.

All right, lady, lady. Just calm yourself, calm yourself.

I'm officer Gordon.

-Oh, thank god you're here! -Uh-huh.

[crying] They don't believe me.

There's a big snake in my toilet.

I haven't gone to the bathroom in five days.

You got to believe me!

Yeah, all right. I'll take care of it.

All right, you just lead the way here.

All right. Yeah.

-[door opens] -[Mark grunts]

And I've been telling the landlady,

and every time she come here,

that old big snake hid down the toilet,

and they say I'm crazy.

But, officer, I've seen him!

Well, of course you have!

In there.

[sighs]

I done, I done slam the seat down on his head.

Oh, that was good. That was very good.

Now, I'm going to do is I'm gonna go over and lift that lid,

than you tell me if you see a snake.

Mm-hmm. You think I'm crazy.

No, I didn't say that. I'm a police officer.

All I want is the facts, ma'am.

Don't be talking like that Dragnet show. Just lift the seat.

Okay.

[chuckles]

[grunts]

Now, do you see a snake? I do not see a snake.

But, I seen him, officer. It's in there.

Well, of course you did.

[chuckles]

[screaming]

You seen him! You seen him!

Hallelujah! I'm not crazy!

Where've you been, Albert?

I know you weren't in church this morning.

I had some appointments.

Speaking of appointments, a Mr. Holmes called a while back.

Said you were supposed to see him about a mechanic's job.

I ain't working for no slave wages.

Everybody's got to start somewhere.

Once you get experience, there's good money to be made fixing cars.

There's more money to be made stealing them.

What's happened to you?

What did I do wrong to make you hate so?

You don't get it, Mama, do you?

You still don't get it.

Don't get what?

It's a war, Mama. It's us against them.

And they ain't gonna get me!

Albert!

-[dramatic music playing] -[groaning]

I told you, Mama, you keep your hands off me!

[door shuts]

Mama! Mama!

[Julius] Mr. Smith!

[panting]

Mr. Smith, come quick!

-Julius, what's wrong? -My mama's hurt!

All right. Let's go.

[pop music playing]

Good afternoon. May I help you?

No, we're just looking.

Hey, this a grocery store, not a jewelry mart.

Look quick.

[suspenseful music playing]

[woman on radio] I've got a 211 in progress at 1876 San Pablo Avenue.

Repeat, a 211 in progress at 1876 San Pablo.

Unit 43 responding.

-That's Wong's market. -Let's go.

[Wong] Okay, boys.

The party's over.

Police on the way.

Maybe, next time, you'll dry somebody else's neighborhood.

We got to make tracks, man.

Homeboy just called the police.

He didn't call nobody!

Hey, man, I'm getting out of here.

You leave now, man, you get nothing!

Look, man, if I stay, I got less than nothing.

That's right! Run home to your mamas!

[door opens]

I'll take the back. You go around front.

[door opening]

[Mark] Hold it, hotshot.

All right, you hold real still.

Why, if it isn't the Cadillac man.

I had a feeling we'd meet again.

Wong is in the back on the floor. He's hurt pretty bad.

I'll take the boy to the car and call an ambulance.

You stay with Wong.

[indistinct radio chatter]

All right, over the hood.

[grunts]

What are you doing?

Taking off your cuffs.

For what, man?

I'm being a nice guy. I'm giving you a break.

Take off.

No.

-I said take off. -So, you can shoot me?

No way!

Suit yourself.

[dramatic music playing]

[grunting] No!

[gunshot]

He went for my gun, partner.

You saw it. He went for my gun.

I cuffed him, Frank.

Where are the cuffs?

You saw what he did to Wong.

That black scum could have killed him.

It was self-defense! You saw it!

You saw it,

and that's the way I'm gonna report it.

I only have eight months to go till my pension.

I'm not gonna loose my pension over that black piece of trash.

Remember, Mark.

I'm the one who saved your life.

Yeah, Frank, I remember.

I'm going to call the ambulance.

[upbeat music playing]

[sniffs]

According to the preliminary medical examiner's report,

the suspect...

the victim was pretty badly beaten up.

I tried to cuff him, he attacked me.

I hit him with my stick.

He got it away from me. I had to shoot him.

Do you have anything else to say?

It's all in the report, sir.

How about you, Gordon?

Yes, sir?

Do you have anything to add?

[sighs]

When I arrested the suspect...

I cuffed him.

Next thing I saw...

The next time I saw him...

Frank had shot him.

The cuffs were off.

What are you talking about?

I'm talking about the truth, Frank.

You can't do this to me.

That kid was scum.

-He didn't deserve to live! -Frank, stop it.

I saved your life!

Frank, stop it!

He was worthless!

He didn't deserve to live.

[somber music playing]

[sighs]

Put him in the holding cell until I can get IAD up here.

[door shuts]

[somber music continues]

[Indistinct chatter] [telephone ringing]

I'm sorry.

I'm so terribly, terribly sorry.

We both knew it would happen.

Kevin, your...

Your father was the best partner I ever had.

Believe me.

Is that why you turned him in?

Kevin...

Kevin, I just told the truth.

I didn't make up what happened.

You ruined my dad.

You ruined his life for some... nigger!

I won't let hate destroy your life

the way it destroyed your father's.

No one in this world...

loves Frank Lawler more than I do,

but if his life is ruined,

if his career is ruined,

it's ruined because he's a racist.

It wasn't Mark who killed that boy.

It wasn't Captain Friend. It was your father.

It was his hatred.

[crying] And now that hatred has got to stop.

[somber music continues]

[Kevin sighs]

[somber music continues]

[seagulls cawing]

Julius?

He's here.

Changed my mind. I don't want to speak to him.

Julius, listen to me.

You've lost a brother, and that boy's lost a father.

Two people who hated each other, without even knowing each other.

Does that make sense to you, son?

No.

Then talk to him.

Give him a chance to know you.

Give yourself a chance to know him.

It's the only way the hatred's going to stop.

[slow operatic music playing]

[slow operatic music continues]

I'm Kevin.

I'm Julius.

[upbeat piano music playing]

[theme music playing]