[Ghost] Previously on Power...
Rashad Tate, councilman in Queens.
James St. Patrick, from Queens.
-Come on. Come here! -[grunting]
What kind of man would murder over a business dispute?
You ain't got no idea who the fuck I am.
I think I do.
I'm letting you go.
I get to decide who represents me
-on a community level... -Wait a minute--
And that person is Andre.
My advice is that you distance yourself from Andre.
If you don't, you won't win the election.
Both of our careers are on the line.
-Rashad-- -Listen, I know how this goes!
Rashad, listen to me. Everything's under control.
Ladies and gentlemen, Governor Tate for New York State.
[applause]
Team Tate, I spoke with the DNC chairman,
and he's sending an additional support package our way.
You need a win, and you'll need my people to do it.
[both moaning softly]
[Ramona] How could you be so reckless?
And you pick a married woman who works for you.
You think that I want to go public.
That's not what I want at all.
You want to run next year. You want the DNC to back you.
You and me, we can go all the way to the state house.
Your idea presumes
that I don't already have feelings for somebody else.
There is no Queens Child Project.
It's over, James.
You fuck me, I return the favor.
Lorette Walsh is planning to announce James St. Patrick
as her running mate to be the next lieutenant governor
of New York.
Local entrepreneur James St. Patrick
will soon be announced
as Tate rival Lorette Walsh's running mate.
The QCP. Uh, ladies, it seems as though I've lost the site.
If you can't make that happen, James,
I may have to drop you from the ticket.
If we can't move forward with James,
I'll need to consider my other options.
Rashad Tate is at the top of that list.
She wouldn't go back to Rashad Tate.
She could make it work.
You now have a friend in Albany.
No, that has nothing to do with my decision to help you.
-You are? -Steven Ott.
James St. Patrick is property of the Democratic Party now.
Nothing can stop me from winning.
And some people can never win. That's you.
No matter what you put your mind to-- well, it never works out.
[uneasy music]
-It's $100,000. -What I gotta do?
Kill James St. Patrick.
♪♪
[gunshot]
♪♪
[Joe] ♪ They say this is a big, rich town ♪
♪ I just come from the poorest part ♪
♪ Bright lights, city life ♪
♪ I gotta make it, this is where it goes down ♪
♪ I just happen to come up hard ♪
♪ Legal or illegal, baby, I gotta make it ♪
[50 Cent] ♪ I never took a straight path nowhere ♪
♪ Life's full of twists and turns, bumps and bruises ♪
♪ I live, I learn ♪
♪ I'm from that city full of yellow cabs and skyscrapers ♪
♪ It's hard to get a start in these parts without paper ♪
♪ Homey, I grew up in hell, a block away from heaven ♪
♪ That corner every 15 minutes, they moving seven ♪
♪ Pure snow, bag it, then watch it go ♪
♪ Occupational options, get some blow or some hos ♪
♪ Shoot the ball or the strap, learn to rap or to jack ♪
♪ Fuck it, man, in the meantime ♪
♪ Go head and pump a pack ♪
♪ This my regal, royal flow, my James Bond bounce ♪
♪ That 007, that's 62 on my count ♪
♪ I'm an undercover liar, I lie under the covers ♪
♪ Look a bitch in the eyes and tell her, baby, I love ya ♪
♪ You're my inspiration, you're my motivation ♪
♪ You're the reason that I'm moving with no hesitation ♪
[Joe] ♪ They say this is a big, rich town ♪
♪ Yeah, I just come from the poorest part ♪
♪ Bright lights, city life ♪
♪ I gotta make it, this is where it goes down ♪
♪ Oh, yeah, yeah ♪
♪ I just happen to come up hard ♪
♪ Legal or illegal, baby, I gotta make it ♪
♪♪
[mellow reggae music]
♪♪
[line trills]
-[Croop] Hello. -Croop?
Yeah, this is Croop.
-It's me. -Hey.
I got a mess I need cleaned up.
-When? -Today.
Today? I'm all the way down in D.C.
Nigga, I don't give a fuck where you at.
Bring your country ass up to New York
and do this damn job.
All right.
A'ight. [chuckles]
You know, I'm thinking, after I finish this drink,
why don't we swing by my place?
I'm good, Rashad, all right?
And I doubt you can handle me in the state you're in, anyway.
-In the state that I'm in? -The state you're in.
Come here.
Listen here. Rashad motherfucking Tate
ain't never left a woman unsatisfied
in his life,
and tonight will not be my first time.
[line trills]
-[Kamaal] Hello. -Your fucking brother's here.
Damn. Is he drunk again?
I think you need to come get him.
-Okay. -Woman... [clears throat]
I'm gonna do some things to you
you ain't never, ever s...
[music slows, distorts]
♪♪
[dark music]
♪♪
[birds tweeting]
[dog barking]
[distant voices echoing]
Shit.
[Elijah] Maybe we should stop.
[Simone] No, but I'm just getting started.
[Kamaal] Me too, man. I'm in it. Let's go.
You guys are really bad at this.
-Whoa. -Oh, ho, ho!
-Babe, you hear him? -Uh-uh.
Boy, ain't no trash-talking at this breakfast table.
Just give us another one.
Okay, um...
Tennessee.
Mm, that's easy. Nashville.
-Yes, mm. -Mm.
What about Michigan?
Oh, we call that D-Town,
but for you, Detroit.
-[mimics buzzer] Wrong. -What?
[Simone] Don't worry about that, babe. Mm-mm. Don't worry about it.
[Simone] Everybody gets that wrong.
Grand Rapids. Right?
Are you asking me or telling me?
-Oh. -You see? You see?
Hey, come on. Father like son.
He gets it from you. No, he does exactly what you do.
[Tate] Capital of Michigan is Lansing.
Fifth-largest city in the state.
Population is about 115,000, give or take,
and it's inside their eighth congressional district.
-Well, there you have it. -[Simone] All right, now.
Uncle Rashad!
[Tate] There he is. My man.
[laughs] Give me some.
Mm, mm, mm.
-[Kamaal laughs] -Hey, Elijah, I'm sorry
I had to steal your bed last night, big guy.
It's okay.
Mm, welcome back among the living, Rashad.
-Thank you, sis. -I know you're hungry.
Ah, it smells amazing, but I'm actually okay.
Uh, I could use some coffee, though.
Want to talk about it?
Tate for Governor is over.
What?
I'm out of the governor's race.
Man, what you talking about?
Are you serious? What happened?
James St. Patrick happened.
[chuckles] He killed my campaign last night.
I swear to God, if I see his face one more time--
Uh, bad news, Uncle Rashad.
[Errol Louis] ...primary season,
local entrepreneur James St. Patrick
has left the Tate campaign.
In a stunning turn of events,
sources say that St. Patrick will soon be announced
as Tate rival Lorette Walsh's running mate.
-Motherfucker! -Rashad.
I'm sorry, E. You didn't hear that, okay, buddy?
Except I totally did.
-It's okay. -[Errol Louis] ...for New York State Governor.
Walsh is vulnerable with urban
and minority constituents,
and St. Patrick's presence on the ticket,
especially after his exoneration on murder charges
in the death of FBI Agent Gregory Knox,
will erase doubts from those communities
about Walsh's commitment to their interests.
That is enough politics for one morning.
-Yes. -Mm-hmm?
Okay, um, I still have to get Elijah ready for school.
Maybe your brother can use some fresh air.
-[Kamaal] It's a good idea. -[Simone] Yeah. Come on, Elijah.
♪♪
Peace, Uncle Rashad.
Come on. Let me get you some clothes.
♪♪
-[Frankie] No. No more. -[Conway Twitty's "That's My Job" playing]
No more. Let me go, please.
Let me go. No more.
No, no.
Y'all hear that whoop? That's my shit right there.
[Conway] ♪ I woke up crying late at night... ♪
[Frankie] Croop, please.
Whatever they're paying you,
I'll double it. I swear.
Frankie!
This ain't about no money.
Hit him again.
♪♪
[Frankie] No more.
No more!
Stop!
Whoa, whoa, whoa, son.
You fucking up. Remember what I told you.
Stay away from the inner thigh.
That's right, 'cause you hit that femoral artery, and then what?
He gonna bleed out, and we don't want that.
What do we want?
-Pain. -[Croop] Pain.
[screaming]
[Conway] ♪ I got half ♪
♪ Will you loan me the rest ♪
♪ And I said ♪
♪ Daddy, I'm so afraid... ♪
The fuck you do?
Nothing. He just passed out.
I-I...
[sighs] It's a damn shame.
About to miss the best damn part.
-Dad? Dad? -[Croop] Hold on.
There's a bop right here.
You gotta wait for it. Wait for it.
Okay, okay.
♪ And he said that's my job ♪
Dad, we, um--we really...
♪ That's what I do ♪
Okay, Dad?
♪ Everything I do is because of you ♪
Dad, we don't have time for this, okay?
We gotta get to New York, remember?
Yeah, yeah. You're right.
[sighs]
Frankie.
Frankie, you gonna touch little girls again?
No. No, no, no.
♪♪
You're goddamn right you're not.
[gunshot]
[Conway] ♪ Light as bright... ♪
Oh, damn.
♪♪
-[gunshots] -[Conway] ♪ That's my job ♪
♪♪
Ain't bad for a retiree.
I'm just trying to keep up with you, big bro.
Oh, is that right, huh?
Look, 'Shad, now that you out of politics, man,
maybe you should think about rejoining the force.
I could put in a good word with the captain.
Who said I was out of politics?
-You did. -No, no.
I said Tate for Governor was over.
I'm still in this shit, all right?
-Oh, okay. -No, no, no.
You think I'ma let James St. Patrick
run me out of my own fucking game?
I ain't taking no losses. Fuck that shit.
Bro, I said okay.
Damn. I get it.
[gunshots]
[mechanical whirring]
-Nice. -Yeah. Thanks.
Look, 'Maal, there's nothing wrong with me wanting to win.
Not if you really in it to help the people,
but if you just looking to clap back at St. Patrick,
that's just about your bruised ego.
[melancholy music]
-Can we get out of here? -Yeah.
What you trying to do? Go home?
Not yet. I need you to take me somewhere first.
So tomorrow, the full court press begins.
Now, I've drafted a plan
that will allow you and James to split up,
do a series of whistle stops in those parts of the state
where each of you is polling the weakest.
Well, don't you mean the other way around?
Why not send us where we're strong?
Because it's time to reach beyond your respective bases.
We need to hit back against the narrative
that picking James as your running mate
is just a cynical ploy to grab the black vote.
Steven, I need a moment.
Uh, I'm a little busy right now, Councilman.
What can I do for you?
You can reconsider backing the Walsh/St. Patrick ticket.
Rashad, it's not happening.
The Democratic Party would prefer that you play nice,
sit this race out,
and when the timing looks right for you again, we'll--we'll talk.
Democrats told Obama the same thing.
-Rashad, this is not-- -You know I'm right.
Young state senator from Illinois
with presidential aspirations.
You told him to wait his turn.
He becomes U.S. senator,
and you caution him against moving too far too fast.
Then he kills it at the 2004 convention,
and the party, in all of its wisdom, says that the timing
still isn't right for a run at the White House,
and you're about to make the same mistake again.
Please, just give me another chance, okay?
I'll turn this all around. I swear.
Okay, you know what? How about I call security, Rashad?
You can swear at them all you want.
[Lorette] Let's not do that.
Last thing I need is my name connected with the NYPD
and...another black man in a hoodie.
Rashad, you played your best hand, and you lost.
Al Gore has a better chance
of winning New York than you do,
so just bow out gracefully
while you still have a shred of dignity.
[dramatic music]
♪♪
Fuck all y'all.
[dishes clatter]
♪♪
[Macedon] Saw the news.
Had a feeling I'd get a visit from you today.
I just needed a quiet place to think.
You don't need to think, Rashad.
You need to get out there and do.
Do what?
St. Patrick's got the entire Democratic Party on his side.
They're writing him a ticket straight to Albany.
And whose fault is that? Who let him outplay you?
You don't understand how this works, okay?
[Macedon] No, you don't understand.
You made a lot of promises to our community,
and, more importantly, you made a lot of promises to me.
[melancholy music]
Are you a man of your word or not?
♪♪
Certain things, even I can't pull off.
Political comeback for me right now is impossible.
No. That's where you're wrong.
♪♪
Book of Luke says
what's impossible with man
is possible with God.
♪♪
Then tell the good Lord to get off His ass
and send me a miracle.
♪♪
[man over the radio] ...weather today,
we'll see periods of sporadic rain
as a band of low pressure reaches the region.
-Councilman Tate? -What can I do for you, Chris?
Sorry if this is a bad time, uh,
but I was wondering if I could get a letter of recommendation.
Ah, that won't be necessary.
This campaign isn't over. You have my word.
Oh, okay. Uh, um, that's great.
Why'd you go to the office this morning? Warner is furious.
He's this close to shutting the whole thing down.
If he finds out I'm letting you participate--
[Chris] It looks like I'm gonna be out of a job any minute now.
Is Ramona hiring?
Damn. Tate must be hot. Can't imagine anyone
more motivated to help us nail St. Patrick.
Councilman Tate, can we speak with you for a minute?
-No interviews, please. -Oh, no, we're not press.
We're with a special FBI-DOJ task force
investigating James St. Patrick.
How'd you like to help us put him behind bars?
[dramatic ethereal music]
♪♪
How may I help?
My brothers. Country boys in the city.
I want to thank y'all both for coming all this way
on such short notice, and I got some good news.
Turns out, I won't be needing your services after all.
How is that good news for me?
'Cause you ain't gotta kill nobody.
You can just go on back home, like nothing ever happened,
because nothing did happen.
So what about my goddamn money?
Come on, now, Croop.
You know I can't pay you for a job you didn't do.
But seeing as though we go way back,
I'm gonna arrange something special for your troubles, okay?
Dad, it sounds like he trying to say he hired somebody else.
No. No, no, no.
I-I didn't say that, Carter.
Fuck. Oh, sh...
You know what? I think you right.
Rashad, you the same shady motherfucker you was
back when you was a cop.
I mean, be real with me.
Who are you paying to take this nigga out?
Yeah, because whoever it is,
we can do it faster and cheaper.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Not cheaper.
But we will get the job done. Now, who's the mark?
Fellas, please, listen to me, okay?
Croop, there is no mark.
No, you listen to me.
Now, you done had us drive all the way up here to New York
just to kill this motherfucker.
Now, if his ass turns up dead,
ain't nothing stopping you from implicating us.
So take your pick.
Either we killing this nigga, or we killing you.
Ticktock, nigga.
[Glen Campbell] ♪ Singing the same old song ♪
♪ I know every crack in these dirty sidewalks... ♪
Finally. I didn't think New York had no shit like this.
Dad, can I ask you a question?
Um, why can't we listen to black music,
like normal black people?
-This is black people music. -No, no, no, no.
This is "lynch black people" music.
Boy, let me tell you something.
Country, bluegrass, Southern rock--
all that derives straight from the blues.
You know where the banjo come from?
West goddamn Africa.
And line dancing-- that ain't nothing but the Electric Slide,
so when I tell you this is our culture,
that's what the hell it is.
Don't let nobody tell you different.
Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
♪♪
Hey, Dad, look.
[Glen] ♪ On a horse in a star-spangled rodeo ♪
Bye-bye. You look good.
[Ramona] Thanks. So do you.
♪♪
Let's follow his ass.
[Glen Campbell] ♪ From people I don't even know... ♪
[Croop] And what do we do now?
I know, Dad.
Learn the target's schedule.
♪♪
I can't believe you actually passed their background check.
And yet I did,
and there's not a goddamn thing you can do about it.
Yeah, I saw your little broadcast.
Is there a word stronger than "smug"?
What, you can't celebrate another brother's good fortune?
Well, not when it's at my expense,
but I'm not here for that, okay?
Listen, I need to warn you about something.
-You want to warn me? -Yes.
What, about how cutthroat the political game is?
Come on, Rashad. You don't think I figured that shit out?
That's how I beat you. That's how I stole your fucking dream.
Please, just listen. It's very important.
I fucked up, man, and I made a huge mistake.
You're goddamn right you made a huge mistake.
You tried to take me on,
and you knew you couldn't fucking beat me,
but I'ma forgive you for that, my nigga,
or at least I will,
as soon as you get rid of that bitter bullshit
and just simply admit that I'm better at this
than you could ever be.
[dark music]
There's a whole lot that can be said about me, James,
but a sore loser ain't it.
♪♪
I know when I'm beat.
Congratulations.
♪♪
Well, losing is a skill.
I'm glad you've become such an expert at it, Rashad.
So what's your next move?
Well, I'm throwing a big party here tonight
to celebrate my nomination.
I will add you to the guest list.
I don't want the Democratic leadership to forget about your name.
Hmm.
-I thank you for the invitation. -[cell phone buzzes]
And thank you for coming to kiss the ring.
It's the least I can do.
Listen, I gotta rock, okay?
My son is on the way. I'll see you tonight.
♪♪
His son. Fuck.
Damn it, James.
Listen, there's some really, really bad--
Your bitch ass just don't know
when to motherfucking quit, do you?
Here I am, trying to help you save face,
and you just keep fucking pushing your luck.
You keep doing that shit, and I'ma change my mind, okay?
Get the fuck out of my club.
♪♪
Large black coffee to go, please.
Got it. One large--
Oh, my God.
You're Rashad Tate.
-[man] What'd she say? -[chuckles]
Yeah. Hi. Uh, can I also have a--
Hey, Brenda.
Look who's here!
[phone camera clicks]
Oh, I can't believe this. I can't believe this.
I've been telling-- I've been telling everybody
that you are gonna be the best governor that we ever had.
-Is that right? -Yep.
Even got my whole neighborhood hyped to vote for you too.
[laughs] Nice. Nice.
[laughs] Do you mind if I livestream this?
Uh, if you think it's necessary.
Uh, sorry, Councilman, do you mind if I get a picture?
My wife will kill me if I don't.
-Oh, of course. -Here we go.
-[man] That's him! -Thank you.
[woman] He's taking selfies with everyone.
-Come on! -Oh, another one.
[man] Hey, yo, Mr. Tate, can I get one?
Excuse me. Sorry.
I know it's lame, but can I get your autograph?
My class is, like, literally studying
your prison reform proposals right now.
Is that right? Okay.
Yo, guess who just walked in.
I'm sure it's him. I'm looking at him right now.
You know what, girl? Tate better not drop out.
He's the only one I'd vote for.
-That'll be $2.59. -Don't listen to her.
It's on the house. Is there anything else I can get you?
WO[man] Wow, I can't believe he just walked in here.
Why don't we, uh, take a group photo?
-Oh! -[woman] Yeah!
Get in here.
On the count of three, "Team Tate." One. Two. Three.
[all] Team Tate!
How'd you get in here?
Rule number one, Rashad.
When you fire a subordinate after banging her brains out,
change the locks.
You weren't fired, Cassandra.
You scammed your way into a congressional seat.
That's one way of putting it.
At any rate, I wanted to tell you how sorry I was
to hear about your campaign.
Ramona really did you dirty, huh?
Doesn't matter. Turns out,
people in this city still got a lot of love for me.
Yeah, I saw your little coffee shop stunt online.
It was clever...
and a potential headache for the Democratic Party.
How so?
You're giving voters false hope
that you might get back into the race,
and we both know that that is never gonna happen.
You want me to concede.
The party wants you to concede.
We need to close ranks around our nominee.
And they sent you.
It's possible Ramona may have suggested
that I could be of service,
remind you how much you have to lose
without the party's support.
[somber music]
Lorette doesn't officially have the nomination yet,
and until she does, fuck her.
♪♪
And fuck you too.
Rashad, I--
Leave my goddamn keys on the table on your way out.
[scoffs]
[suspenseful music]
♪♪
[car alarm beeps]
♪♪
[laughs]
Yes, sir.
Stay focused, boy. Don't get cocky.
Aw, come on, Dad. I'm not. It's just one guy.
One guy is all it takes
for us not to make it home tonight,
so you keep your guard up until this motherfucker
ain't breathing no more, you hear me?
-Yes, sir. -You hear me?
Yes, sir. I hear you. I hear you.
All right. You take the right. I'ma take the left.
All we gotta do is get him in the crossfire
and light his ass up.
♪♪
Yo, slow down.
♪♪
[softly] Shit.
That was your choice, Tommy, not mine.
Say good night, motherfucker.
-[gunshot] -What the fuck?
Shit.
♪♪
[gunshot]
[gunshots]
-[gun clicks] -[gunshot]
Fuck! It's jammed!
Fuck.
Go, go. Get out of here! Go!
♪♪
[gunfire]
Go! I got this!
-[gunshot] -Agh!
Shit, shit, shit.
[Ghost] Tommy!
♪♪
Oh, shit. You ain't Italian.
♪♪
[gunshots]
Who's there?
Councilman Tate. Hey.
Chris, what are you doing back here?
Just came back for this.
Forgot I stored all my contacts on it.
Technically, that's property of the campaign,
including everything that's on it.
Right. I know.
That's why I'm gonna just download everything
and-and put it back.
I mean, you don't have any use for it anymore, right?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Either way, um, you've done some really great work for me,
and you do deserve a nice parting gift, so...
[dramatic music]
Thank you, Councilman. I really appreciate
you understanding everything that I--
Get your bitch ass out of here!
-Hey, what the hell, man? -What, you want another one?
Huh? 'Cause I won't miss.
Go right now.
What do you want, Andre?
-I'm just here to help, bro. -As you can see,
I'm doing really, really great. Thank you.
Look, I got some valuable information
on the St. Patricks.
What you know about Tariq?
♪♪
[cell phone rings]
-Rashad Tate. -[Carter] You motherfucker.
You never said there was gonna be two of 'em.
Who is this?
You know who the fuck this is, man.
My father is dead because of you.
That nigga that you sent us after,
he was not by himself, like you said he would be.
♪♪
S-sorry. Uh, you're-you're breaking up.
-I can't quite hear you. -No, I'm not fucking breaking up.
I know you can fucking hear me!
Wrong number. Please don't call this number again.
Shit. Shit!
[bell chimes]
Hey, good sister Tasha.
I know you wanted to see me in person, and I'm glad,
because there's some information that's come my way
I think might be of interest to you.
-Rashad-- -James is planning
to throw Tariq under the bus.
What are you talking about?
Does the name Raymond Jones ring a bell?
[disquieting music]
Even if it did, h-how would you know anything about him?
-James told me. -Yeah, right.
James wouldn't just volunteer information like that
from the goodness of his heart.
He doesn't even have a heart.
I heard it with my own ears.
He's gotta distance himself from Tariq's actions
in order to walk into Albany with a clean slate,
and he'll do just that unless you stop him, Tasha.
♪♪
You know, starting to sound like you and James
are up to something,
and now you're trying to use me to double-cross him.
No, it's not even like that. I swear.
Tasha, you gotta go to the police.
You gotta tell 'em everything you know about James.
Blow him the fuck up.
But you gotta do it right now, okay?
Because by the time he's elected,
he's gonna be unstoppable.
Don't you get it, Rashad?
He's already unstoppable.
There's nothing I can do about that.
Not even to save your own son?
♪♪
[Elijah] I got an A on my class project.
[Tate] An A? You're supposed to get an A-plus.
Come on, give me the trash.
Come on, give it to me. I got it. Go back inside.
We're gonna talk about bringing that up to an A-plus.
[Elijah] All right. -[door clicks shut]
[Carter] Yeah, I knew your ass was gonna come out there
sooner or later, nigga.
♪♪
Carter, what you doing here?
Your boy St. Patrick running around
with a fucking white dude. We ran slam into a trap!
That sound like a beef between you and them, not me.
I'm the one who tried to call the whole thing off, remember?
I told y'all to go home,
but you-you and Croop just wouldn't listen.
You keep my father's name out your fucking mouth.
I had to leave him back there, or I would have been dead too.
Hey, look, Carter.
I'm really sorry about what happened to your pops, okay?
♪♪
Fuck. He didn't have my number on him, did he?
I said shut the fuck up!
-[gun cocking] -[Tate coughs]
You wanted blood? Hmm?
Now I want blood, so this is what we gonna do.
We gonna walk inside,
and you gonna sit down,
and you gonna watch me kill your brother, your nephew,
your whole fucking family.
♪♪
We ain't going in that house.
♪♪
My family ain't got shit to do with this.
♪♪
-[gunshot] -Agh!
[mournful music]
[Tate] Oh, shit.
You all right?
Yeah. I'm good. How did you know that he--
[Kamaal] I heard yelling, looked out back,
saw this guy waving a gun in your face.
What the fuck happened?
♪♪
[Tate] So then after that, I was like,
"Just take my wallet, good brother.
I'd rather you rob me than to be out here
terrorizing the good people
that live in this neighborhood."
He could have come up in here.
Yeah, I know. I know. He didn't, babe.
It's okay.
So you saying it's just a mugging?
I wouldn't say "just" a mugging, Kamaal.
Something was going on with this dude.
I could see it in his eyes.
He definitely was hopped up on something.
So you saying it was a crackhead mugging?
Why you gotta say it like that?
Because, Rashad,
ain't that many crackhead muggers around here.
In fact, the neighborhood has gotten a lot safer
in the last few years.
If you come around here more often, man, maybe you know.
Rashad, he could have killed you.
[melancholy music]
Maybe it wasn't my time.
♪♪
Thanks, 'Maal.
It's okay, 'Shad.
♪♪
-[cell phone buzzes] -Uh, sorry, I...
Oh, damn. Um...
there's an emergency over at my headquarters. I gotta go.
You gotta leave now?
It's an emergency.
♪♪
This is the big emergency?
Y'all couldn't wait till tomorrow morning to do this?
Democratic Party property. They wanted it back tonight.
-[Tate] The cart belong to them too? -Sorry.
-We need to talk. -Sergeant Rodriguez, listen.
I'm glad that you're here.
I have some thoughts about my testimony I'll be giving, so--
Thank you for your cooperation,
but I'm afraid we won't need your testimony after all.
[desolate music]
What do you mean?
Judge Tapper won't give us an arrest warrant
for St. Patrick.
He shut us down.
Well, maybe you just need some more time,
you know, to build a case.
It's over.
James St. Patrick is gonna walk
all the way to Albany.
♪♪
Success or failure lies beyond our control.
We are the playthings in the hands of the gods.
Thank you, Simon,
but I'm really not in the mood for Shakespeare
or Walt Whitman or whoever the hell.
That was a traditional African war chant.
Loosely translated, of course,
but I assumed you'd recognize it.
-What do you want? -It's not what I want, Rashad.
It's what we want.
Hello.
It's after hours. Make a goddamn appointment.
Well, I would, but it looks
like you don't have an office staff anymore.
What Lorette means is that we're here
to make a humble request.
You can ask whatever you want,
but I'm pretty sure the answer is no.
Of course. That's why we came here tonight,
to give you ample time to consider the big picture.
Hear us out. Sleep on it.
Maybe you'll feel differently in the morning.
Feel differently about what?
About giving the Walsh/St. Patrick ticket
your formal endorsement.
♪♪
Did I say that, uh, my answer would be no?
Uh, my bad.
I mean hell fucking no! Why would I do that?
Rashad, there's no way that you can win.
You are literally a one-man band at this point.
Then why do you need my endorsement so badly?
Optics. Party unity.
Call it what you want,
but an endorsement
will be good for me in the short run
and better for you in the long run.
Even if you manage to reanimate
your dead political career someday,
people are not going to vote
for a man that they remember as a sore loser.
I'll always be remembered as a man
who stood by his principles, Lorette.
You, on the other hand--
well, you'll always be a white woman
with double-digit unfavorables among black and brown voters.
That's why you're here.
You've been pandering for the black vote
so damn long, you don't know how to stop.
You know, you're right.
But now I've got James St. Patrick for that.
Good-bye, Rashad.
[dark music]
♪♪
-[Dre] Yo. -Dre, it's Tate.
-What up? -I'm ready to meet.
I'm on my way.
♪♪
After tonight, I'm the only one who's gonna know your new name.
You want to stay off the radar, then you stand by your word.
If you don't, well, everybody's gonna be looking for...
Eric Anthony Davidson.
[scoffs]
I got the plate number and everything.
♪♪
Andre, if you don't do it,
you're gonna be running from James for the rest of your life.
Man, you ain't got shit to worry about,
'cause you just payin' me to do something I'd do for free.
♪♪
Now, don't forget.
♪♪
You only get one shot at this.
All I need is one shot. Don't worry about this shit.
Ghost is dying tonight,
and this conversation never happened.
Need a gun?
I'm good. I got my own, man.
[cell phone buzzing]
♪♪
'Maal, hey.
[Kamaal] How much longer you gonna be at the office?
I'm-I'm just finishing up here. Why, what's good?
Sit tight. I'ma be there in a minute.
Yeah, sure.
[Kamaal] I had to call in that shooting,
so, uh, we're gonna need an official statement from you.
What for? Y'all shoot people all the time.
You can take care of this without me.
I'ma need you to run it down for me again.
I've already told you everything.
I know. Tell me again.
You know, 'Maal, if I didn't know better,
I'd think that you were looking for, uh, holes in my story.
Nah, I'm just trying to make it make sense,
'cause something in my gut is telling me
you leaving something out.
Like what?
Like, was that really some random robbery,
or was dude gunning for you for a reason?
-Wasn't nobody gunning for me. -[scoffs]
Shit, it ain't my fault that you never moved out the hood.
Nigga can't even take out the trash
without ending up in the sequel to fucking New Jack City.
-Okay, here we go. -Yeah, yeah. Here we go.
It ain't about where I choose to live, 'Shad,
'cause last time I checked, wasn't no bloodshed
on my block till your ass popped up.
Oh, wow. Okay, you know what?
You've been wearing that uniform
a little too long, big bro.
NYPD got your head all fucked up.
-What's that supposed to mean? -It means that every black man
-you see is a suspect. -What?
Guilty until proven innocent.
Okay, I get you. See, that's that shit you be pulling down there
with them white motherfuckers at city hall, but that ain't working with me.
All I'm saying is, unlike you, I got people who depend on me,
so I'm sorry if I ask a few questions
that hurt your motherfucking feelings.
Just know I'ma do what I gotta do to protect my family.
I'm your family too, 'Maal.
[engine revs]
Okay, I think we're good here.
Yeah. No reason to drag this thing out.
[Claremont] Anything else you want to tell us
before we wrap this up?
I don't think so.
I mean, other than the fact that I'm...
really sorry all this shit happened in the first place, man.
Don't lose any sleep over it.
We ran the kid's prints. From D.C.
Couple of priors. Mostly minor stuff.
Nice work, Tate. Probably stopped him
-from growing up to be a master criminal. -[detectives laugh]
[Kamaal] A man is dead, fellas.
The least we could do is show a little respect.
What's your problem, man? You're the one who killed him.
And stopped him from possibly killing your brother,
so quit acting like this ain't a clean shoot.
I just don't think we need to be talking like this
in front of a witness.
[Claremont] A witness? Come on, now.
Rashad's an ex-cop.
As far as I'm concerned, he's still one of us.
Damn right. Once a cop, always a cop.
[Kamaal] All right, man. Let me get you out of here.
[Claremont] Whoa, not so fast, Kamaal.
Officer-involved shooting means you're gonna have to surrender your gun.
Claremont, are you fucking kidding me?
[Simonson] Hey, you know it's just a formality.
Restrictive duty until we finish up the paperwork.
-[knock at door] -[door bangs]
Jesus, Terry. What the fuck?
Sorry, guys, but we got shots fired
at Truth nightclub in the Meatpacking District.
Holy shit. That's James St. Patrick's place.
[Terry] Yeah. Captain says he wants all hands on deck.
If you're in the building, you're on this goddamn case.
Those were his exact words.
Was anybody hurt?
Um, I'm just curious.
I've had some dealings with St. Patrick.
I'm hearing one fatality. That's all I know.
Shit. Looks like you dodged a bullet, Kamaal.
Fuck restrictive duty. You want to come with, Rashad?
No. Claremont, come on, man. He's a civilian.
Fuck that. Your brother's no civilian.
What's he gonna do, fuck up a crime scene?
Come on. Let's roll.
Come on!
[officer] Roll out! Roll out!
[siren wailing]
Why do I feel like this shooting is connected
to the shit you've gotten yourself into?
Oh, my God. What kind of shit have I gotten myself into, 'Maal?
That's what I'm trying to figure out.
Do you even hear what you're saying?
How am I involved in a shooting that literally happened
when I was sitting in a police station with you?
Rashad, I'm a New York City cop and a parent.
You know how many times a day people try to run bullshit past me?
I'm telling you now, I cannot help you
if I don't know the whole story.
♪♪
All right, listen--
I knew it. I fucking knew it, man.
Would you just chill the fuck out and let me get it out?
There's this dude named Andre Coleman
who might have killed James St. Patrick tonight.
How you know?
Hey, let me just finish saying what I gotta say.
If Andre did what he think he did,
he might try to implicate me in the crime.
How, man? You ain't shoot nobody.
Like you said, you was with the police.
He might say that I paid him to do it.
Did you?
-No. -Don't lie to me, man.
I swear, okay? Now, I could have it all wrong.
It could be the other way around.
Maybe James St. Patrick is the one who killed Andre.
Maybe you don't know, but if I was a betting man,
I'd put my money on whatever outcome lets you land on your feet,
'cause you the luckiest nigga on the fucking planet.
-How am I lucky? -My whole life, man,
all I seen you do is win.
Even if it was the slightest chance
that shit will work in your favor, it will.
You don't know what you're talking about.
I do know what I'm talking about,
'cause I'm the one who had to work hard
-for the little shit I have. -You know what?
You are the one who gets all the good shit.
You got the family. You got the amazing son.
You got a beautiful wife.
You got a taxpayer-funded job,
taxpayer-funded pension in a few years,
and on top of all that, you bought a house
that you're living in with a government loan.
If anybody hit the lick, it's not me. It's you.
Just tell me if I'ma have to arrest you after all this is over.
No. My hands are clean.
Of course they are.
You better stay lucky.
[siren wailing]
♪♪
Uh-uh. You staying in the car.
-I'm not gonna touch nothing. -I know you won't,
'cause you staying your ass in the car.
I'm dead-ass, Rashad. I'll be back.
[desolate music]
♪♪
[gun cocking]
♪♪
Councilman Tate! I thought that was you.
Mind if we get a quick reaction?
Oh, hi, Jeannie. Good to see you again.
Well, not exactly
under the best circumstances, though, right?
Uh, no. Uh, you're right.
Uh, listen, if you don't mind, uh,
I'd like to let the police do their jobs tonight.
Uh, my office will have a statement for you tomorrow morning,
once we figure out everything.
We're actually live right now, sir.
Oh. [clears throat] Of course.
Uh, like I was saying,
now is not the time for anyone to rush to conclusions.
We need to give our brave first responders
an opportunity to assess
exactly what went on here tonight,
and then we can chart a path forward.
And has anyone from the Democratic Party
reached out to you yet?
What are their thoughts on how the death of James St. Patrick
will impact the gubernatorial race?
♪♪
James St. Patrick's story is America's story.
Both born in turmoil.
Both blessed with a unique set of gifts.
Both carried limitless potential.
Sadly, Mr. St. Patrick
was unable to rise above his personal struggles.
Which is why I'm urging every New Yorker
within the sound of my voice
to join me in a moment of silent prayer,
because in these troubled times,
the only thing that we can rely on is our higher power.
Even though we're all fighting our private battles
and sometimes victory seems impossible,
just remember what the good book says.
"What's impossible with man is possible with God."
♪♪
Are we clear?
How was that?
That...was amazing.
-[laughs] -Wow.
♪♪
What now, 'Maal?
I'm just wondering how you come up with all that bullshit so fast.
♪♪
Practice, my brother.
You got it, bro?
-You winning, man. -Is it straight?
-You look good. -Uh, if by "good," you mean awful.
-[both] His fault. -Jinx. [laughs]
-Y'all should be embarrassed. -Get me right, sis.
I got you.
[car doors slam]
They're here.
-Simone, go answer the door.
-[doorbell rings] -You ready?
-I was born ready. -That you were.
[Simone] Hi.
Hi. You must be Mrs. Tate.
Call me Simone. Come on in.
Thank you, Simone. Please.
Good morning, Rashad.
Steven Ott. Lorette Walsh.
Please meet my family: my brother, Kamaal...
-How are you? -My nephew, Elijah,
and you've already met my sister-in-law, Simone.
Yes. Hey, Elijah.
Oh, let's give you guys some privacy.
-Yeah, we should. Welcome to our home. -Thank you so much.
[Tate] Please, come on in.
Okay, so look. I, uh...
I know everyone's in a bit of shock, but this is politics,
and unfortunately, things have to move quickly.
I understand. Of course.
Lorette, is there something you'd like to say?
Rashad, what happened to James last night
was horrible,
but, as Steven said, time is of the essence.
Are you ready to accept our offer?
I'm gonna need to hear the offer again.
There's no need to twist the knife, Rashad.
We all know why we're here.
Oh. You know, the last few hours have been pretty hectic.
I've been fielding phone calls all night,
and all those conversations tend to blend together
in my head, so yeah.
Whatever you're planning on offering,
I'm just gonna need to hear it one more time.
Rashad Tate, I'm here to formally ask you
to be my candidate for lieutenant governor of New York.
Run with me.
Please.
I am happy to run, Lorette.
-Just not as your lieutenant. -What?
It's governor or nothing. Take it or leave it.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. That is not what we negotiated
on the phone, and you know that.
Well, I've had some time to think about it.
You've hitched your wagon to a man whose body
is laying in the county morgue right now.
Mm-hmm? Your brand is fucked.
The way I see it, the Democratic Party
needs me more than I need you.
[Lorette] God damn you, Tate.
If you think that we're gonna stand here
and let you turn this tragedy into some kind of opportunity--
[Steven] Lorette,
why don't you go wait in the car?
Excuse me?
Are you out of your mind?
You're not seriously considering this.
I'm afraid Rashad's got a point.
Well, fuck his point!
I certainly didn't drag myself all the way here
to watch the two of you screw me over.
Lorette, there's a child in the house,
so I'm gonna ask you to lower your voice, please.
Don't even think about this, Steven.
Oh, I will end you.
Let me remind you that I call the shots here, Lorette, not you,
so you can either go wait in the car
or call yourself a cab.
It's up to you.
[suspenseful music]
♪♪
[door slams]
♪♪
[applause]
-God is good. -[all] All the time.
That's right. God is good.
[all] All the time!
I'm here today because
the great state of New York
stands at a crossroad.
-[woman] Yeah. -[man] All right.
No matter what color you are,
your religious beliefs,
or your social status,
this upcoming election
offers each and every one of us a choice.
-[woman] Yes, it does. -[Tate] And the whole country is waiting to see
which path we choose,
because New York leads the way.
[cheers and applause]
To the little black boy from Queens
who fought for a quality education,
to the worker from Cooperstown
who is worthy of a livable wage...
[cheers and applause]
To the immigrant that became a citizen
who needs to know that her voice is heard
all the way in Albany,
I say to you again
that New York leads the way!
I don't think they hear me.
-They don't hear me. -[laughs] Tell them.
I said, I said,
New York leads the way. Let me hear you.
[all] New York leads the way! New York leads the way!
Say it like you mean it!
[all] New York leads the way!
New York leads the way!
So if you believe like I do,
if you dream like I do,
if you have faith like I do,
then join me in leading the way.
[cheers and applause]
Because together--
together, there's no limit to what we can achieve.
We can make the impossible possible.
[rousing music]
And that is why it is with my deepest gratitude
that I accept the Democratic nomination
for the governor of New York.
Thank you, and God bless you.
And may God bless New York. New York leads the way.
[all] New York leads the way!
[Tate] New York leads the way!
[all] New York leads the way!
New York leads the way! New York leads the way!
-[Steven] We're on our way. -[Tate] Indeed. Absolutely.
Congratulations, Rashad.
[desolate music]
You pulled off quite the reversal of fortune.
You should have never bet against me, boo.
♪♪
-[reporters clamoring] -[camera shutters clicking]
[man] Oh, man, great speech.
-[Tate] How'd I do? -[Kamaal] You killed it.
I mean, all I saw up there was the scrawny kid
who had sold my brand-new bike to Big Ronnie when I was eight,
but they seemed to be into your speech.
Can I go one week without hearing about that damn bike, 'Maal?
I'm just saying, it was brand-new.
I ain't even get to ride it once.
I'll buy you a new one, all right?
Besides, you could use the cardio. Listen, I gotta go.
Yeah. I need to tell you something, man.
Andre Coleman is dead.
[disquieting music]
He is? How?
Killed in prison.
Somebody set him on fire in his cell.
Listen, we should talk about this another time.
No, no, we don't got to talk about it.
I just figured I'll let you know, just in case
you felt like buying some lottery tickets
on your way home.
'Cause I'm always so lucky.
Yeah. Things have a way of working out in your favor.
-I'm out. -All right.
-Love. -Love.
Let's take another photo.
Hey! Peace!
[Kamaal] Say good-bye to your uncle.
-Mwah. -That was amazing.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[man] You were amazing, man!
Councilman Tate, just one quick question.
Do you think the fact that you once considered
James St. Patrick as your lieutenant governor
reflects poorly on your judgment?
You should probably talk to Ramona Garrity about poor judgment.
She's the one who introduced Mr. St. Patrick to my campaign.
[inaudible speaking]
In hindsight, I do regret that I didn't find out sooner
that she was engaged in an adulterous affair
with Mr. St. Patrick.
I'm sorry, what? Could you repeat that?
I have no issue with what two consenting adults
choose to do behind closed doors,
but if he had no respect for his own wife and children,
I can see why Ms. Garrity didn't either.
Okay, I gotta go. Thank you.
-Hey, all right. -[man] Over here!
Thank you so much. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you. New York leads the way!
[all] New York leads the way!
Oh.
-Here you go. -Thank you.
This is for you.
Wow.
I think you'll find that check will keep you swimming
in bottled water for quite some time.
Yes, it will. Thank you, Simon.
Uh, one word of advice, though, Rashad.
No more fishing off the company pier.
Hire a professional if you must,
but I'm investing in a scandal-free governor.
-Are we clear? -Crystal.
Wouldn't have it any other way.
You'll need to play the game at a much higher level now.
A lot more eyes will be on you.
-I know what I'm doing. -I trust that you do.
I'll be in touch.
Simon?
[somber music]
Aren't you forgetting something?
Can't imagine what that might be.
♪♪
An admission
that you made a mistake backing Lorette Walsh
when you should have been backing me.
Oh, Rashad.
I see you still have a lot to learn.
You see, backing Walsh was both politically
and financially expedient for me at the time.
In other words, you didn't have a prayer.
And now you do, so here we are.
No hard feelings, I hope?
No, not at all.
We both know what they say.
Politics makes strange bedfellows.
Indeed they do.
[dramatic music]
Cheers.
♪♪
[exhales heavily]
[Rotimi's "I Can't Blame You"]
[Rotimi] ♪ Hol' up ♪
-♪ I got issues ♪ -[moaning softly]
[Rotimi] ♪ Case you ain't know ♪
♪ Why you restin' alone ♪
♪ When you the best thing for sure ♪
♪ That's my issue ♪
♪ Act like I don't know ♪
♪ I be out on the go ♪
♪ While you stressin' at home... ♪
[moans]
Fuck. [laughs]
[Rotimi] ♪ But I still stay the same, oh ♪
♪ Hopin' that it ain't too late ♪
I see you still got it.
[laughs]
I never lost it.
[doorbell rings]
[laughs] You expecting somebody?
No.
I didn't order room service, but I'll check it out.
-I never lost it. -[doorbell ringing insistently]
Ah. [laughs]
[knock at door]
What the fuck, Rashad?
I mean, seriously, what the actual fuck?
Hi, Ramona.
-Come on in. -Fuck you!
You told a reporter that I was sleeping with James?
-Well, weren't you? -No.
And if you didn't know that,
then you should have kept your goddamn mouth shut!
You know, I wish I could tell you
that the truth will set you free, Ramona,
but we both know that it won't.
Everywhere you go, every job interview you take,
you're gonna be asked about fucking a murdered drug dealer
for the rest of your career.
As a matter of fact,
I say your future in politics
is deader than James St. Patrick.
[Cassandra] Ramona.
[laughs] Hi.
Jesus.
I thought I heard your voice down there.
I should have known.
Yeah. You should've.
Cassandra stopped by to reacquaint herself
with my polling.
-Mm. -[scoffs]
[Tate chuckles]
You two fucking deserve each other.
[giggles]
I can't lie. That got me a little excited.
You ready for round two?
You know, uh, if you hurry,
you could split an Uber with Ramona.
[laughs] What?
You didn't think this was, like, a thing again, did you?
Rashad, I--
I'm just blowing off some steam, okay?
I just needed to clear my head
before my big campaign kicks off.
Are you seriously gonna let me leave like this?
Is that what kind of man you are?
Mm!
You know what? I almost forgot.
Thank you kindly for paying for this wonderful room.
Nice taste.
You know, fuck you, Rashad. Don't call me again.
We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming
to bring you this breaking news report.
The murderer of local entrepreneur
and aspiring lieutenant governor candidate
James St. Patrick has just been arrested.
Our team is just arriving on the scene of the arrest.
Please stay tuned for more details.
And we are live. Wait.
[dramatic music]
I'm being told we are about
to get our first look at the suspect.
♪♪
Holy shit.
[mournful orchestral music]
♪♪