Dre: It may sound shocking because of how young I look,
but I've been at Stevens & Lido
for almost two decades.
When I started here,
there was no such thing as Facebook.
Tom Brady had never won a Super Bowl.
Eddie Griffin was a movie star.
Yep.
This place has been my home
for my entire advertising career.
I was comfortable.
But sometimes, it's hard to avoid the feeling
you're stuck in a rut.
[ Button clicking ]
What?
[ Button clicking ]
I don't think you're pushing hard enough.
What?
[ Button clicking ]
Maybe you've already gone as high as you can go here.
What do you mean?
You heard me.
[ Echoing ] You can't go any higher here.
I gotta get the hell up out of here.
[ Ominous music plays ]
[ Laughter ]
♪
[ Laughter continues ]
♪
I can't do this anymore!
I quit!
Aaaaah!
[ Both scream ]
What's happening?
[ Sighing ] Oh.
I just had the craziest dream that I quit my job.
Oh, it's okay.
It's okay, sweetheart. It's a nightmare.
It was.
[ Sighing ] Oh, my God.
But also...
I quit my job.
What?
So, how did I end up an unemployed Black man
with five kids and an angry baby mama?
Josh: Check this out.
I've been bingeing Black Twitter.
I-I'm not caught up, but something called AKA --
very excited about Kamala Harris.
Oh, "B Twit" is where I get all my news,
from dragging racist fashion magazines
to bringing down -racist food magazines. -Mm-hmm.
And did you know Dionne Warwick had jokes?
What? Oh, yeah.
I love me some Black Twitter.
[ Chuckles ] The language is so colorful.
Hey, guys, new client --
SoFi.
I'm finna hear some pitches.
Hey-o. [ Laughs ]
-What do you got, Charlie? -So, what about this?
"SoFi -- the only app with a stadium in Inglewood."
Okay, SoFi is way more than just an app.
Dre, come on. What do you got, hmm?
You got something?
Well... SoFi members can
save, spend, earn, borrow, and invest
in an easy-to-use
financial app.
So, what we're really selling here
is the ability to do everything with your money
in one place. Mm. Mm.
So, here's my pitch.
A man is walking in the world,
his money buzzing around him.
He's not in control.
But luckily for him, -he has the SoFi app. -Mm-hmm.
He opens it, and then his money
flies into his phone neatly, right?
Giving him instant access to all of it. Mm. Mm.
He know continues to walk through the world,
confident that he is in control now.
And then, all of a sudden,
you hear the reassuring voice
of Harrison Ford say,
"SoFi. Get Your Money Right."
-Mm. -Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Swap out J.B. Smoove for Harrison Ford,
and I'm all in.
-What? -Josh: Agreed. Yeah, Dre.
He doesn't really say "Urban."
He's Indiana Jones, man.
He's Han Solo. It doesn't get any bigger.
Come on, guys. Think outside of the box.
Or we could think inside of the box,
because we know that works. Yeah.
We get a handsome chocolate brother
to jump out of a Cadillac... Mm-hmm.
...and then the chorus to "Motownphilly" drops in,
and we sell a gang of toilet paper.
-[ Chuckling ] Oh, love it. -But aren't you tired of doing the same old thing?
I said chocolate.
We should be expanding
what Urban is.
[ Clears throat ]
We should try to get into business
with Radiohead or the Foo Fighters
or any one of those
other White groups that come on the radio
whenever I let Junior drive my car. [ Chuckles ]
It doesn't always have to be Boyz II Men.
[ Clears throat ] Hello?
Hey. Uh, I'm sorry, boys -- or men -- however you identify.
Uh, you shouldn't have heard that,
but, uh, you are a half-hour early for your pitch.
And why is Nate on a screen?
Somebody didn't want to cut their vacation short.
The flight had stupid change fees.
I told you, our credit card comes
with travel insurance, bro.
Guys, um, we got a bunch more work to do here,
and -- and frankly, I should hear the rest
of Dre's very [Chuckling] valid critique,
but do you mind giving us some of those
"Cooleyhighharmonies" instead, huh? What?
I do not.
What?
I'm gonna do this whole falsetto thing,
so you guys just try to keep up, alright?
Dre: While Stevens and the rest of the team
were content with the way things were,
I had a growing feeling that I needed more.
-Rainbow? -Rainbow: Uh-huh?
Uh... I found a random pill on the floor,
and I may have taken it.
-Why would you do that? -I don't know.
I'm retired. [ Sighs ] Earl.
You try filling a whole day.
Well, what color was it?
Uh, red, blue, uh -- I can't remember.
Well, um, in the next 30 minutes,
you will either have an erection or a heart attack.
Well, either way, I'll be there for you, baby.
Thank you, baby. [ Chuckles ]
[ Door closes ] Ah.
Well, I think my job is going to kill me.
Did Stevens claim to be
the Blackest person in the office
because he went to jail?
No.
[ Sighing ] I gotta get out of that place.
You know what, baby?
It's time for a good slip and fall.
-Thank you, Mama. -Mm-hmm.
But I think I'm just gonna get a different job.
You know, I have an interview with Summit Wave Creative
to be their new Senior Vice President
in their General Market division.
Ooh. Pops: General Market?
I thought you make the Black people ads?
You know, like
the Louis Gossett Jr. burger commercial
after "Queen Sugar"?
I do.
But I'm not just -a Black adman, Pops. -Mm.
I'm an adman. Oh.
Mm. You know, I get pigeonholed
all the time at the hospital. Mm.
They see me either as a Black doctor
or a female doctor or a gorgeous doctor,
but the truth is, I'm all three.
Well, I'm proud of you for trying, son,
but you're never going to make as much money as she does,
and so, I'm gonna always be a little disappointed.
I know I shouldn't be, but I'm a man of my time.
And you just have to unders--
Uh...say.
Mm.
The pill is working.
Oh.
We have movement. Movement!
[ Chuckling ] Come on, baby!
Come on. -You want to go upstairs? -Come on.
Yeah! Mm!
While Pops and Mama were about to get their freak on,
Junior and Olivia were enjoying a quiet night in.
I don't know what Grandma's talking about.
This doesn't look sinful.
[ Door closes ] What are you guys doing here?
Oh, we thought we'd swing by and see
how our big brother was living without us.
Well, I told her to text first, but, you know,
Diane prefers situations where she can catch people off guard.
Okay. Um...
Guys, Junior and I were just about to sit down for dinner --
Oh, we already ate before we got here.
Yeah. We didn't want to be rude.
Mm-hmm. Mm.
Okay. Cool.
Hey, guys, uh, just give us a sec.
[ Chuckles ] Ah. Okay.
Hey, I'm sorry about all this.
The other day, I told them to feel free to pop in...
whenever.
Well, they're here,
and I guess there's nothing we can do about it now.
See?
-We're having fun already. -Mm.
Alright. You two can stay.
Ah, that's what I'm talking about.
Oh, oh, we're actually...
[chuckles] a shoes-off kind of household.
Oh. Okay.
I mean, it is day three in these socks,
but your rules.
[ Clears throat ]
Alright.
With 20 years in the game,
I'd hustled from the bottom to the top.
Now I was ready for thetop top.
It was an open and shut case.
The verdict?
The job was mine.
And with your client roster and my expertise,
the ad industry won't know what hit them.
Yeah.
Dre, you've got an incredibly impressive résumé.
Thank you.
In Urban Marketing.
But you may need a little more experience
for our General team.
I don't think you're the right fit.
Not enough experience?
I've been making ads since "I'm Lovin' It"
was just a twinkle in Justin Timberlake's eye.
Hey, Dre.
Boyz II Men are gonna teach us -how to sing harmony. -Yeah.
We just asked where the bathroom is.
Now you're showing off!
Okay, we get it -- y'all can sing.
You know how hard it is to sing harmony on a video chat?
K-Ci & JoJo can't do that.
So, this is my life for the rest of time.
Putting R&B singers in ads.
Reaching for nothing bigger than that.
It's hard for us to reach with so many Grammys in our arms. Right.
Hey-o. [ Laughs ]
Dre. Mm-hmm. Hm?
You are embarrassing us in front of Boyz II Men.
Yeah, what's, uh -- what's gotten into you, Dre?
What's gotten into me is that...
I'm much bigger than all of this. Ah.
This place doesn't allow me to show what I'm capable of.
Man, I-I could win awards.
I could change the game.
Alright? I could be the GOAT.
But I will never be any of those things
if I stay here in Urban.
I get it, Dre. I hear what you're saying.
You're cranky 'cause you're hungry.
Can someone get him a granola bar, please?
I'm not hungry!
Alright? I'm just done.
I'm done. I can't do this anymore.
I deserve better.
[ Cup thumps lightly ]
I quit.
[ Clears throat ]
Mm.
[ Telephones ringing in distance ]
Well... Hm?
I call dibs on Dre's office.
You do not. I get that office!
That was offered to me!
[ Door closes ]
Hey.
Haven't heard from you all day. How'd it go?
How was I going to tell Bow
that I didn't just fail the interview,
but I also quit my job
and blew up my career?
The answer was...
I wasn't.
Great. Oh, good.
Mm-hmm.
When you're lying about something important
to someone you love,
you have to make absolutely sure
you're not going to get caught.
Alright, babe. I'm heading to work.
I'll see you later.
Okay, yeah.
Work!
Yeah, that's exactly where I'm going
as soon as you leave, babe.
[ Door opens ] Hey, you look beautiful!
Thank you!
[ Door closes ]
[ Sighs ]
Oh, my God.
[ Gasps ]
You lost your job.
What?
Why would you say that?
Come on, Dre.
I pretended to be employed throughout the '70s.
I know what it looks like when you ain't got nowhere to be.
Did they fire you, or did you quit?
Or did they fire you,
and you gonna tell everybody you quit?
I quit.
Yeah, but Bow can't find out, Pops.
Okay. Alright?
Yeah, I know it sounds crazy, but...
I had to do this.
You know who Josh Gibson is?
The Negro League ballplayer
or my buddy up in Oakland with the missing thumb?
The ballplayer.
He was the only man
to hit a home run out of Yankee Stadium.
And still, they called him the "Black Babe Ruth"...
Mnh-mnh-mnh.
...because he never got a chance
to play in the majors to show the people
that Babe Ruth was actually the "White Josh Gibson."
Summit Wave didn't think I had the experience
to get the big jobs, Pops,
and staying at Stevens & Lido...
I'll never get that experience.
So... I had to step out on my own.
When you put it like that,
it almost makes your lying sound noble, son.
Oh, Pops, it's not lying.
It's just delaying telling Bow
the exciting next chapter in my life,
the chapter where I start my own ad agency,
and I get the SoFi account...[ Breathes deeply ]
...so she knows that I can do this.
That is classic Day One pretending-to-have-a-job
-confidence talking, son. -What?
You come find me when you run out of cash
and you're hiding in the crawlspace
with the newspaper.
I knew that wasn't going to happen.
I was starting my own agency,
and it was going to work.
Hey, Olivia.
I'm home.[ Video game beeping]
[ Imitates static crackling ] This is hanky to panky.
Come in, panky. Over. [ Chuckles ]
[ Imitates static crackling ] Your cutesy talk is nauseating.
[ Imitates static crackling ] Over.
Oh.
[ Door opens ] You guys are here, huh?
Oh. Hey, you're home.
Yes, I am. And sorry about them.
Oh. I can tell they're bothering you.
I can ask them to leave.
Oh, no, no, no, no, no. We're -- We're good. We're good.
I pretended to cry
so that Jack would let me be Yoshi.
And I've been dominating him ever since.
[ Chuckles ] He's so gullible.
Alright. O-Olivia, are you -- are you sure?
-I-I bought us some steaks. -Oh.
Yeah, I figured I'd do something nice
since you've been so cool
about my family being over here all the time.
Aww, that's so sweet.[ Both chuckle ]
Guys, Junior bought steaks.
-Ooh, I like mine medium. -And I like mine so rare
it's inside a cow that's still alive.
[ Chuckles ] Still vegan.
Hey, hey, babe, are -- are you sure?
I mean, they've kind of overstayed their welcome.
I mean...
I guess they have been over here a lot,
but one more night won't kill us.
Come on. Loosen up. Alright?
Okay, um...
I guess I'll...
start on dinner, then.
Is that a spider?
Unh-unh. I don't blame them games, girl.
[ Laughs ]
With 20 years
of advertising experience,
I knew I just put the final touches
on a killer pitch for SoFi.
Land that account, and I'll be set.
Bow will be none the wiser.
[ Sighs ]
[ Breathes deeply ]
Aaaaah!
Oh, my gosh.
I just had the craziest dream that I quit my job.
That's 'cause you didn't tell your wife
you quit your job.
Aaaaah!
[ Screaming ] Rainbow: [ Screaming ]
What the -- Is everything okay?
I just had the craziest dream.
What? That I quit my job.
Oh.
That's okay, sweetheart.
It's just -- It's just a nightmare.
Oh, my God.
-Oh, it was. -It was just a nightmare.
Oh.
But also... What?
[ Breathing heavily ]
...I quit my job.
What the [bleep]?!
Dre, you ruined "Set It Off" for me five minutes in,
and somehow, you hid the fact that you quit your job?
I'm sorry. I messed up.
I -- We don't make decisions like that
without talking to each other. Look, I know.
I don't know why I didn't tell you I quit.
[ Sighs ]
Or why I didn't tell you
I haven't gone into Stevens & Lido all week
because I've started my own agency.
Wh--
You started your own agency?
Yeah.
Okay.
What did you call it?
The Dregency.
Oh, Dre.
I know.
I thought I had it figured out, but I didn't.
Mm.
And I'm scared.
I have the biggest pitch of my life tomorrow,
and if I don't nail it...
I've ruined both of our lives.
Listen to me, Dre.
Tomorrow, you are gonna walk into that pitch,
and they are gonna buy whatever you're selling.
Mm.
Because you are the best adman in the business,
and those clients are going to be begging --
begging to work with you... Mm-hmm.
...by the time you walk out that door.
Well...
it's a video conference, but... Oh.
...I like what you're saying.
Before you push "end."Yeah.
They're back in.[ Chuckles ]
Okay, babe. You know what?
And I'm sorry
for not letting you know about it.
It's okay. Alright.
Okay.
[ Clears throat ] You know, now when, uh...
when I quit my job,
I won't have to tell you first.
What? [ Laughs ]
Alright, don't play, Bow,
because the house is in your name.
Oh, we know. Okay. That means it's your debt.
Yeah, 'cause it's all my money!
What does it say about me
that all my Instagram ads are in Russian?[ Door closes ]
Well, well, well.
Looks like the gang is all here again.
You seem tense. What's up, buddy?
What's up?
My brother and sister
are constantly invading my space.
But you know what?
If you want to hang out here,
I am gonna set some ground rules.
Rule number one -- text before you come over.
Number two -- Wi-Fi is now $5 a week, each.
You can keep your Wi-Fi. -I got 5G, playboy. -Mm. Mm.
Number three -- whatever you deplenish,
you must also replenish,
and I'm not just talking fridge items.
Salt. Pepper.
My peach hand soap that costs $20 a bottle.
You paid for that?
Man, I assumed Grandma gave that to you.
Okay. Let's just go easy on them.
Unh-unh-unh. There are rules for you, too.
You are a part -of the problem. -Oh.
Number one -- do not feed them,
clothe them, or provide them alibis.
Okay. Okay, okay.
I know that they have been over here a lot.
[ Scoffs ] But the thing is,
I really like having a full house, okay?
I grew up an only child,
and I never even considered myself
as someone who would want kids.
But I think by spending time with the Johnsons,
I'm starting to see myself
as someone who would want a family.
Really?
Yeah.
Maybe because your family feels like my family now.
You feel a part of our family, too.
Oh. [ Chuckles ]
For the record, I'm not there yet.
Okay. Yeah. Well, um...
I guess you guys are welcome here anytime
because I want Olivia to feel like a part of our family.
Mm.
Also, I'd love if you called my mom "Mom".
For the record, I'm not there yet.
Okay. That's understandable.
Mm-hmm. It's just...
Bow was just the hype-man I needed.
I was Jordan during the flu game.
I was Prince at the Super Bowl.
I was Black Panther...
uh...
in the movie "Black Panther."
And that's when you hear
the iconic voice of Harrison Ford say,
"SoFi. Get your money right."
♪
-Woman: Impressive. -Thank you.
Man: Well done.
♪
How'd it go?
Honestly? Yeah.
I killed it.
Ooh! So exciting! [ Chuckles ]
-Oh, I knew you would. -Mm-hmm.
Alright. So what's next?
Well, they tell me
I should just wait for a phone call.
[ Cellphone ringing, vibrating ] Alright.
[ Gasps ] Oh, my God. Is that them? Is that them?
No.
Why is he calling?
Thank you.
So... [ Sighs ]
Word on the street is that the, uh, folks up at SoFi
were incredibly impressed with your pitch.
Mm-hmm.
It's just kind of a shame almost
that, uh...
they liked the pitch from our General Market better.
Well, I was outmanned and outnumbered... Mm-hmm.
...but I nearly beat out
every other big firm in the city for SoFi.
This is just the beginning. Mm-hmm.
Look, Dre, here's the thing.
I think you could make life miserable
for Stevens & Lido,
so I have an idea.
What if I bought your company outright,
and you joined us?
What?
I never liked the idea
of losing you in the first place.
This way... we get you back.
I'm out... of the Urban game.
Oh, I know that, Dre.
You'd be upstairs, in General Market.
What if I made a handsome offer for Dregency?
I'd have to really think about it, but...
Mm.
...it'll cost you.
Well, still be cheaper than my last divorce.
So...
let's get to negotiating, Dre.
♪
I'd spent my entire advertising career
at Stevens & Lido,
and at least for a little while,
it was going to stay that way.
Good luck, son.
Oh.
If you start thinking you're better than the rest of us,
we will bring you back down to earth again.
[ Laughs ] This I know.
Go get it. -Go get it, son. -Alright. Wish me luck!
Good luck. -Alright, baby! -Oh, good luck, my darling!
Yeah! Dre!
[ Laughs ]
What's that about?
I do not know.
Maybe Dad's gonna try to eat that giant pizza again.
Ah. I'm glad a man his age still has dreams.
Ah.
So, I'll carry my family with me on this new journey.
[ Chuckles softly ]
Gotta say, I was excited.
[ Sighs ]
The end of an era.
Ah, the truth is,
I've been lucky to be able to go on this ride
as long as I have with you two.
You know, when I'm gone,
I'm gonna miss every crazy Charlie story
and every one of Josh's "Chappelle's Show" references.
[ Voice breaking ] Is Wayne Brady gonna
have to choke a bitch?
[ Chuckles ]
♪ How do I say goodbye
♪ To what we had?
♪ But forever's gone away
♪ It's so hard to say goodbye
♪ To yesterday
♪ And I'll take with me the memories ♪
I'll be upstairs.
♪ To be my sunshine after the rain ♪
♪ It's so hard to say goodbye
♪ To yesterday, day ♪ Day
♪ And I'll take with me the memories ♪
When I started at Stevens & Lido,
Beyoncé had just gone solo,
Pluto was a planet,
and there weren't a lot of opportunities
for a guy who looked like me
to be seen as anything other than Urban.
[ Elevator bell dings ]
♪ It's so hard to say goodbye... ♪
But things change.
You can make them change.
♪ ...to yesterday
Oh, my goodness, man.
-Are you kidding me, man? -Listen, fellas.
It's obvious this whole Nate thing
-isn't working out, alright? -No.
How about we add some man to these boys?
Uh, no.
W-What does Nate have that I don't have, huh?
I mean, y'all can sing,
but y'all ain't got no sex appeal.
Y'all need sex appeal in the group.
Wow.
Just when you think you know a person.
Unbelievable.[ Scoffs]
Hey, Nate. Really.
We'll start our own band.
You know, I sang a cappella at Harvard.
Come on. Let's go.
Nah, I'm good. I -- Don't push me.
Wait. Wait. Hold on. I'm not trying to leave.
You -- Don't -- Hold it.
Help me! Save me!