I can't believe this!
I've been shortlisted for the national book award!
- It's official. - Is it the right decision?
Candidate Bordelon, I'm with you all the way.
Today I realized that Jimmy Dale coming back
stirred up a lot of stuff in me.
What is it they say? For better or for worse.
What I did to ever deserve you I will never know.
I can't remember the last time
a man added to my life without taking from it.
Thank you.
- Welcome to lineages. - Thank you.
Miss Bordelon, I'm Janice.
I'm your producer today
and meeting you is a true pleasure.
I'm so excited to be here.
We are thrilled to have you as our guest.
All right, right this way.
Actually, I feel like the lucky one.
So many of us are disconnected from our histories,
our families.
To be reconnected with it is really a privilege.
I'm so glad to hear you feel that way
'cause to tell you the truth,
not everyone's happy with what they find
lurking in their family trees.
Something I need to know?
Well, our genealogist recently found
new information about your family.
It seems your roots are more complicated than we thought
and with your permission,
we would love to include it in the show today.
No. Absolutely not.
We agreed the matrilineal side of my family
would be our main focus, not this.
- But... - there's no way
I'm allowing this into the show.
We need to strike segment four.
Miss Bordelon does not consent to its use.
Synced & corrected by -robtor- www.addic7ed.com.
"Blessing and Blood," a stunning piece of work.
Thank you for that.
It includes a harrowing story,
a bit of family folklore about the Bordelons
and their fight to retain their family's land.
You're referring to the lynching
of four of my ancestors by land thieves and murderers.
Crime committed, allegedly, by ancestors of.
Louisiana's Landry and Boudreaux families.
It's not folklore.
It can't be proven through traditional sources.
But not all truths can,
especially on these matters.
I do, however, have proof that a different family lore
that you write about may not be as true as you think.
You write that your mother Trudy's matrilineal bloodline
ends with you, should you decide not to have children.
I am the last living female related to my mother,
tru Bordelon.
Except it turns out you're not.
This,
this is Martha lebossier.
She is your mother's first cousin.
Is? She's alive?
She is.
Lives a bit off the grid in one of the remote bayous
outside of New Orleans.
But we managed to make contact.
What did she say?
She's not gonna be coming on our show today,
but she did confirm what our records show.
She's Trudy's cousin
and at one time they were quite close.
Almost like sisters.
Now, what are you thinking right now?
That I've never been so glad to be proven wrong.
I wasn't sure you would take my calls.
I wasn't sure either.
As the only woman on the St. Thomas city council,
I've learned to speak plain.
I don't see us working with you to stop the highway.
Your mind's already made up?
How did a highway that St. Thomas did want
mysteriously end up in St. Joe,
where you claim most people don't want it?
Because the Landrys want it. That's all I know right now.
A few months ago, you were the Landrys.
Owning their shares, profiting from their disgusting greed.
But being duplicitous isn't new for you, is it?
I've read your sister's book.
That's all in the past.
I divested my shares.
Maybe.
But I'd rather be betrayed by one of them
than one of my own.
Look, our town is dying
and that highway was jobs, new businesses, a lifeline.
Joyce, if we get it out of St. Joe,
we can fight to get it back to St. Thomas.
But the parishes, we have to work together
or we'll all lose.
Find the real reason the highway was moved
in the first place.
Then maybe we can talk.
Get off me!
What the hell's all this?
Now, look, I ain't do nothing,
swear afore God I ain't do nothing.
What happened?
I didn't do nothing!
- Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on. - That's enough.
I found 20 bags in your worker's car over there.
Now, this looks like intent to sell meth to me.
Yeah, it looks like some bullshit to me.
He was drivin' round, what, decided to search his car?
Nah, we got an anonymous tip.
Yeah? Been a lot of those going around.
Well, this is a known gathering place
for a buncha ex-cons.
It's called a re-entry program
and it got my Daddy's name on it.
Saw your little sign over there.
- Yeah. - That's nice.
I don't give a damn what you call it.
If you keep talking to me like that,
you're gonna end up in the car, boy.
So you forgot I got cameras all around this place?
- Yeah, the cameras. - Yeah.
You been checking those cameras?
Making sure they're working?
All day, everyday?
This is settled, Ralph Angel.
You know I wouldn't do this.
I know, Benny.
We're gonna work it out.
Man, take it easy!
Damn!
Nova?
Calvin.
Calvin, what are you doing in Philly?
Sir, I'll meet you inside.
I'm working.
I'm here for a couple of days and then back to Baton Rouge.
You live in Baton Rouge now?
Yeah, I moved there after the divorce.
I see.
I'm sorry to hear.
Don't be.
I'm not.
Well, I'm here just for a couple days, too.
For your book?
You know about it?
'Course I know about it, I read it.
You did?
Congratulations.
It's really fantastic, it's brave.
Thank you.
No, thank you.
It's not every day the love of a man's life
writes a book and tells the world
that he's the love of hers.
I said you may have been
the love of my life.
Okay.
You should get in there.
Yes, I should.
Do you have time for lunch tomorrow?
Yeah, I'll make time.
Same number?
Sometimes you really don't know what you got
until it's gone.
Is Mr. Hollywood still at his mom's?
He went to see about Willa Mae.
She's starting to feel her years.
And I do wish that he was here
to handle all this foolishness
that I don't feel like being bothered with.
Come on. I'll drop you off.
All right.
So which one did it to you this morning?
My baby boy.
Keeps me...
My God.
- Baby, call 911. - Yes, ma'am.
Yeah, hello? We have an emergency.
We're at Vi's Prized Pies and Diner
and um, somebody broke in. We need the police.
Miss Violet.
Maybe you should call Hollywood.
No.
He's with his mama.
And this is not the first wall of shit I didn't run into.
- She sees it. - She's looking at it.
Shh, be quiet.
That's perfect. That's perfect.
Good morning.
- Hi. - Hi.
Morning.
This is Ralph Angel. Can't get to my phone right now.
Leave a message.
Let's see.
Yes, Miss Bordelon, I see your reservation.
- Just give me a minute. - Thank you. I'm meeting someone.
He should be here shortly.
- Am I late? - No, you're not.
Just making sure.
You're juggling this, I know.
Your boss didn't look too happy yesterday.
Not my boss, my client.
I'd heard you left the force,
but I didn't know what you were doing.
I have a small private security company now.
So, like "bodyguard"?
Something like that.
That's really impressive, Calvin.
I didn't even know you were into having a business
and all of that.
I didn't either.
I didn't know a lot about myself.
Last year was a real roller coaster,
but all in all it was a great ride.
Shall we?
Here you go.
I'm fine.
Really, I'm fine.
- Hey. - Hey, baby.
Anything I can do to help?
Well, actually, you could grab some of those
big trash bags and start filling 'em up.
Okay.
Ralph Angel will be here as soon as he can.
Is Hollywood on his way?
I'm... look, I'm good, you know? I'm fine.
I'm just happy wasn't nobody here when it happened.
And nobody get hurt.
The police have a suspect yet?
They came in, took a lot of pictures,
but I don't see them breaking no sweat
because I didn't have any video cameras.
I've never thought I needed 'em.
Aunt Vi, I promise you,
this will not stand.
We will get to the bottom of this, okay?
Thank you, baby.
My Charley.
What the hell happened in here?
Well, good to see you, too, Cordell.
And, I'm fine, thank you for asking.
I'm sorry, Miss Vi.
I'm sorry, Vi.
Who would do this?
I don't know.
Good news is it's just stuff
and I got good insurance, so we'll be all right.
This ain't the first time we've seen this kinda thing, right?
But I tell you what we're not gonna do
is look at this mess one second longer than we need to.
- Thank you, hon. - Grab a broom, a mop.
Some more trash bags, anything you find to clean up with.
First Charley's office.
Now Benny and aunt Vi!
You're right.
This all feels intentional, personal.
Hysterical.
It's bullshit.
And the reason I became a lawyer.
But the good news is we were able to get you out.
And it's gonna take more than that cop
to get your parole revoked.
I understand if you don't wanna talk,
but you haven't eaten anything either.
When I was growing up,
I used to think if I kept my head down,
didn't bother nobody, nobody would bother me.
Now I know that's not how it is.
Yeah, it ain't right this happening to you,
but you can't give up.
I ain't giving up.
Just don't know where I'd be without y'all.
It'll be aight.
I have to say, aunt Vi, you are handling this very well.
Well, crawling into the fetal position
ain't gonna help none.
Besides, I've been through this before.
The diner's been vandalized before?
Nope. My house.
A parting gift from Jimmy Dale.
I got through that.
I'm gonna get through this.
What's Hollywood say?
I ain't talked to him.
Are y'all okay?
We're fine.
I'm the one with the problem.
Since Jimmy Dale showed up,
can't stand to be touched by the man I love
because of the man I hate.
Doctor thinks I have PTSD.
Promised Hollywood I was gonna get right with myself
before he comes home and...
This foolishness happening today ain't gonna change that.
I'm okay.
I am still strong.
Come on.
Hey, baby.
Anything you need, aunt Vi.
I got you.
Sorry.
Yeah, thank you, baby.
- Good, Charley? - Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, I will be.
Um...
Ra, can I see you for a second?
Something just came up.
I'm good.
- I love you. - I love you more.
Thank you for returning my call.
I'm glad you reached out.
I'm just sick over what happened to Violet.
But I have
what I think you might need.
My pharmacy has three hidden security cameras.
Great.
But which one faces my aunt's diner?
This goes back a couple of weeks.
Stop.
This man with the camera.
He looks like Hank Miller.
Who's Hank Miller?
Jacob Boudreaux's new business consultant.
He's a creepy guy, he's always lurking around.
Wait, go back.
There he is again.
Taking pictures of aunt Vi's diner on two different days.
So he's watching us.
Why?
Got him.
Here's your guy.
Red-handed, too.
Holding a baseball bat and running from the shop.
Hey.
- That's Joaquin. - Ignacio's son?
Yeah, Joaquin, Ignacio's son.
I know we gotta handle it,
but he going through a lot right now, Charley.
Something's off about this.
I mean, his brother and his Daddy probably gonna get deported.
We can't put this on him. His mama?
We can't take away another kid from her.
I know someone who can help us.
Just when I thought you couldn't get any stronger
or braver, you do.
I don't know that I feel brave.
Things are hard right now.
My family's not speaking to me.
Including your aunt Violet?
Even aunt Vi.
So you're on the road all alone?
Going through the whole spotlight stuff solo?
Yeah.
I keep saying that it'll smooth out,
that it takes time and the wounds will heal,
but as the weeks are turning into months
and no one's returning my calls,
I feel like...
I may have lost my family.
I don't think that's possible.
There's too much love there
and love just doesn't disappear because we want it to.
Calvin, I said some things in my book
about you, about us,
and about how I felt then.
How do you feel now?
I don't know.
Do you?
I don't know either.
I thought I had it all figured out,
that I had to put us behind me.
But when I saw you yesterday,
that went right out that window.
And my world was spinning round.
Me, too.
So this is your spot?
Where you relax?
Works for me.
I'm trying.
You did more than try it.
Like this, right?
Sort of.
Right.
That's your fault. I'm better than that.
- That's what they all say. - All?
So I'm not the first woman that you brought here?
It's like that?
No, no, no, it's definitely not like that.
I spend a lot of time by myself these days.
Thinking of the one I let get away.
Amongst other things.
So what's next?
This is the best day I've had in a long time.
Thank you.
Thought you was coming back later.
About to pick up Blue, gotta roll.
I wanted to talk to you first.
What's up?
I'm hearing from some colleagues
at public safety and corrections that.
Benny's arrest is giving them cause for concern.
Your re-entry program is gonna go under review.
- And soon. - They gonna shut me down?
They're gonna try.
But we're not gonna let that happen,
not without a fight.
Then how do we stop it?
Get witnesses on the day of the arrest.
They'll go over records and protocols
for how you're running the program.
If you have surveillance tapes...
yeah, I did.
Till guidry messed with 'em.
Then we'll prove he tampered with them.
But if I lose...
They could revoke your grant funding and kill it.
But first thing's, first.
We clear Benny's name.
We will hit them with everything we can.
If they're gonna take this from you,
they're gonna have to work for it.
It means a lot.
For real.
Appreciate you.
You mean a lot.
Let's get Blue.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention
instead of the police.
I didn't wanna do it.
Then this man offered me $500.
I said no.
Then he said he'd do to my mom what they did to my dad
unless I threw that brick through your window
and messed up the diner.
I'm very sorry.
Is this the man who threatened you?
He works for the Landrys.
No. I know this man.
I've seen him before. Not the Landrys.
He works for Old World Energy.
The gas company?
He was hanging out at my church a while ago,
trying to get my parishioners to sell their land to him.
At low-ball prices, too.
Old World Energy just drills all over the place
for natural gas, so,
it's probably...
For fracking.
In St. Joe?
Why would somebody from a fracking company
be hanging around my aunt's diner?
Excuse me.
Joaquin did the damage to the diner.
He threw that brick through my window.
But somebody else put that brick in his hand.
And that's who I want.
It's not a poisoned chalice, Jacob.
Last time we spoke, I was rude.
And wrong.
You tried to warn me, but I didn't listen.
I apologize.
I should be held accountable.
You were trying to help
and I push back really hard.
So hard it got me thinking.
What am I really afraid of here?
I'm not laughing.
We're running against each other.
People make all kinds of arrangements to get what they want.
Or need.
We both know that.
What's the catch?
So, Old World Energy is coming to St. Joe.
Tell me about your deal with Old World Energy,
about Hank Miller.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Drilling for natural gas, fracking?
I'm talking about the plan to turn St. Joe
into another toxic ghost town.
What's the highway for? To get equipment in and out?
A new highway makes new industry possible.
They always do.
It'll also bring jobs, money...
that's what you all said about the prison.
Was that just a ruse?
When we surveyed for the prison,
we found gas deposits in St. Joe.
My mother teamed up with Old World Energy
to lock down the land.
Between the new tariffs and the trade wars,
sugar don't pay what it used to.
And so you diversified, at the cost of an entire town!
This ain't about black and white, Charley.
This is winners and losers.
Big energy won this fight a long time ago.
You just gotta pick a side.
We did.
Eventually you will as well.
I won't just let you make a fool of me.
You know that, don't you?
I think it's a little late for that.
Get out.
Everyone is laughing at me.
You can't think like that.
You don't believe me.
- I heard what they were saying. - I believe you.
It ain't about that.
I just want you to think of something else, good things.
I was doing fine.
I am fine.
There's too many steps.
Hey, you're doing great.
Most of us go through this,
our past being dug up in...
her book is a national bestseller.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it's not a big deal.
It is.
But we can't go back.
Not even in our minds.
You need to call Marlene.
I called you.
And now I think you need to talk to your sponsor.
- You've come too far. - I'm not weak, Leo.
I'm just upset.
Anyways,
thanks for coming.
I'll call you later?
I know you don't want to hear this.
He's here.
The boy who did this?
I know you're upset.
- Charley. - I know, aunt Vi.
But please, just hear him out.
Ms. Bordelon?
What I did, it wasn't me.
I mean, it isn't me.
I only did it to protect my mother.
Okay, be quiet.
Say nothing else.
I will not change my mind.
This is how we gonna handle this, old school style.
You're gonna come here three afternoons a week,
and on weekends to work this off, we clear?
Yes, ma'am.
Thank you.
All right, then, let's get started, come on.
What is this?
This is...
St. Joe doing what it does,
coming together for one of their own.
For you.
This warms my heart.
- This is something else. - It is.
And I'm starting to think it's time for everyone
to see what we're about.
- Well, that was nice. - Yeah, it was.
So?
So yeah, um...
I don't know what else to say.
Me neither.
So I'm just gonna say how I feel.
I Miss you.
Writing the book made me face my part
in everything I've done,
and I wanted to apologize to you.
For all the ways I held back,
for all the things I resented,
for all the ways I punished you
when really I was trying to punish myself.
I'm sorry.
Sorry I couldn't be your ideal.
I'm truly sorry.
Hey.
Keep in touch, okay?
I will.
It's a quiet, but momentous morning
at St. Josephine and St. Thomas.
Residents from both communities have gathered together
for a moment of silent protest
in a show of solidarity and resistance.
Wearing both the colors and the motto
of the Louisiana state flag, union, justice, and confidence,
this morning's action is a pushback
against the rumors of a plan
to use a new highway extension to help Old World Energy
begin drilling for natural gas or fracking,
on farmlands throughout St. Joe.
It's a move that Charley Bordelon,
a candidate for city council says
would destroy homes
and upend cane farming in St. Joe
and damage the fragile economy of St. Thomas.
The time has come for justice,
and to end corporate greed,
and the exploitation of small vulnerable communities.
We're here today to say we're united.
Defeating us won't be easy.
We won't let you walk over us,
take away our farms and homes, destroy our livelihoods.
We will keep fighting and we're confident we will win.
Hi.
Hey.
I was hoping to catch you before you left.
I'm on the red eye, come in.
Our goodbye didn't feel right,
so I thought we should do it again,
or not do it at all.
Maybe we shouldn't say goodbye.
We've changed.
I keep thinking
could these new versions of us
do better together than we did before?
To be honest,
I wondered the same thing.
I keep coming to the same place.
I'm scared of us, together.
For real,
out in the world.
What that really means.
Last time, it nearly broke me.
Last time did break me.
I was broken, all the way in every way,
but I would feel that pain again if maybe this time
we could do it right.
You and me, we always go all out.
100% passion, physical.
Less of our minds, our spirits.
That was a big part of the problem, I think.
Yeah.
I guess you're right.
Would you be willing to explore with me
to see if we're on the same wavelength,
that we want the same things?
Talk through the things we couldn't work out before,
get to know the new versions of us
before anything else,
I'd be willing to.
I want to.
I'm willing.
You should see these.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
What you got?
That's what you did.
Wow.
Look at you.
Should use some of 'em for your campaign.
I don't know, I don't want people thinking
that's the only reason we made a stand today.
Come on, you killed it today.
I mean, you're sure to get the newspaper endorsements now.
When do they drop?
I'm supposed to be hearing within the week,
but I meant what I said.
What we did today, it isn't just about my campaign.
I know.
But still, my mom's a badass.
Hey, language.
Not that it isn't true.
No one ever calls our landline.
Hi, prosper...
wait, slow down.
What?
- Ma, what is it? - No, no no no!
Mom!
The mill's on fire.