- ♪ I be big in Cambridge ♪
♪ I be going insane, bitch ♪
♪ Best stay in your lane, bitch ♪
♪ You don't speak my language ♪
♪ All my niggas dangerous ♪
- I spent the first half of my bid pissed off,
so I knew how to recognize it in someone else.
- ♪ Best stay in your lane, bitch ♪
♪ I be going insane, bitch ♪
♪ You don't speak my language ♪
♪ All my niggas dangerous ♪
♪ And you don't speak my language ♪
- Yo, what the fuck are you doing?
- Don't you turn this 3 into a 25.
You understand me? Go ahead, boi boy.
♪ ♪
Do the time, man. Don't let the time do you.
You could be so much more than this place.
- That's how you make it in here?
- [sighs] Let me tell you something, man.
Get out of prison in your mind.
Get out and get that education.
[soft R&B music]
♪ ♪
Book man, book man!
Reading is fundamental!
- Yo, Tray, let me get that one.
- I like that. I like that, man.
This law book is so thick, by the time
you finish reading it, your bid gonna be over.
Enjoy. Book man, book man!
Reading is fundamental!
♪ ♪
[grunting] - Oh, shit.
My bad, Tray. I'ma just--
- Hey, nah, come back.
Remember what I told you. [grunts]
Education is key. [grunts]
I don't wanna see your ass back here.
- You know it.
- A'ight. - A'ight.
♪ ♪
- [grunts] [water splashes]
- ♪ Oh, yeah ♪
- I realized that being kind to someone else
quickly replaced my anger with joy.
- ♪ Oh, yeah, baby, baby, baby ♪
♪ ♪
- So you still not gonna tell me where we going?
- I would if I could, but I can't, so I won't.
- Wavy, don't use no line on me
you be using on chicks to try to smash, man.
What got you so shook, you don't wanna talk?
- Man, it's that chick I'm tryna smash.
[chuckles]
Look, trust me, bro.
We got some friends in high places.
[soft dramatic music]
♪ ♪
- Divine?
This is the name you couldn't tell me?
♪ ♪
- No, I'm the name he couldn't tell you.
- Bricks.
♪ ♪
- I wouldn't do that if I were you.
♪ ♪
[thunder booming]
Gentlemen, thank you for coming
at such short notice.
Evidently, we had a misunderstanding,
so I called this meeting to clear the air.
Divine, Tray Barker is family,
which means he is to go untouched.
I understand his cousin Bobby lost some merchandise,
some money of yours?
That should cover the guns and the money,
and he didn't snitch, 'cause if he did,
your ass would be in jail right now,
so we're good.
- We're good.
- I'll throw in an extra bag if you agree to skip town.
- Look, I know who you are, Bricks,
and I know whatchu can do.
But ain't nobody gonna tell me
what part of the jungle I can hunt.
- Respect.
- Man...
you the only nigga I know with a guardian angel.
- How you know Bricks? - I don't know.
- What do you mean you don't know?
How you gon-- - So, gentlemen...
- Hey, why you do something like this for me?
- Education is key.
[jazz music]
♪ ♪
My nephew says hello.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, your nephew?
Andre is your nephew? - My big brother's kid, yeah.
When Dre was just seven, his pop laid down his bike
on the BQE, never got up. - He told me.
I lost my pops when I was young, too,
know what I'm saying?
so I recognized the anger in the boy.
- Oh, that anger gave him a three-year bid.
It woulda been 20 if you hadn't have looked out for him.
That's why I came to do you this solid.
- Much appreciated.
- You already know.
But this is just a one-time thing, though.
- Oh, for sure.
You know, it was a misunderstanding.
You know, I'm for the community now.
- Well, then you wanna tell me why I just had to give
three keys of coke so this guy wouldn't kill you?
[chuckles]
Enjoy your new lease on life, Tray Barker.
- Thank you.
- And I hope you do something great with it like Andre did.
♪ ♪
- Damn. - Whoo!
- Yeah. - Any word on Bobby yet?
- Nah, I put some calls out,
and, uh, I ain't hear nothing yet.
- Might take a while.
Bobby's good at playing hide-and-seek.
He hid so long one time, we had to find pictures of him
to put on a milk carton.
[upbeat R&B music]
♪ ♪
- Jasmine needs to hurry up.
Look, Grandma's blood sugar is getting low,
and she's getting snappy. - Who you calling snappy?
Is she coming or not? - Mommy, one minute.
- [sighs]
- Dad. - What?
I have low blood sugar, too.
[cell phone buzzing] - What?
- Oh, that's her. Excuse me.
Hey, you're downstairs looking for a parking spot?
Well, I got Shahzad downstairs holding you a space.
- Hey! [yelling in Farsi]
- Look, you're not getting it. That's just what it is.
[car horn blares]
- Uh, actually, I don't think I can make it.
I worked all night. - Oh.
Well, so you're not coming?
I made your favorite, lemon tilapia.
Why don't I just wrap it up and bring it over to you?
And you can put that trench coat on
and show me what's under it or what's not under it.
[chuckles] - No, I don't think so.
- Okay, well, you know, I miss you.
Call me when you feeling better.
Okay, bye.
Well, Jasmine is not coming.
Could you go outside and get your brother?
- Want a roll? - No.
- Back up! - Shahzad!
She's not coming.
- Oh, okay.
♪ ♪
There you go. My fault.
- Father God, I wanna thank You
for this time we have together,
for me being shot being a misunderstanding,
and now there's a new understanding,
and we don't have to worry about ever being shot again.
Amen. Let's eat. - Wait, wait, wait, wait, what?
- That was a weird prayer.
- All that matters is that my kids are safe
and my family's together enjoying each other
the way we should be,
and I promise I won't get shot again.
Let's eat.
- Can you answer one question for me?
- Ma, come on, now.
That's a waste of time because I spent
15 years in prison 'cause I don't snitch.
Let's eat. - Do you want a roll?
- Sorry Jasmine couldn't make it.
She missed out on some delicious tilapia.
It's a good fish. - But it's a made-up fish.
Nobody ever said, "I went fishing
and caught a tilapia." Nobody.
It was made on a farm somewhere--
I think in Connecticut.
[sighs]
- You guys doing okay?
- Worried she's pulling away.
I mean, she came through the other night,
we did our thing, but it was far from magic.
And it was not my fault.
I was all hopped up on them painkillers, man.
I guess that's why they call it a opioid crisis.
- That's not what that means.
- Well, it was a crisis to me.
- Hell, no.
Shahzad, Amira, come here now!
both: Yes, Grandma?
- I thought you said that you cleaned the kitchen.
Why are there dishes everywhere?
- I couldn't fit all the dishes in the dishwasher.
- Oh, because you loaded it up all wrong.
The dishes are crammed in here any which way.
There's stuff on the--
there's still food on the dishes!
- Don't look at me. I did the trash.
- Oh, you mean the trash that's piled up in the corner?
Shahzad, trash is not done until you take it to the curb.
- I'll get it.
- What are they teaching you all in home ec these days?
- Home ec? What's that?
- It's a class that teaches you
how to clean so you don't end up nasty.
- If it's not on the standardized tests,
they're not gonna teach it.
- So y'all don't know how to do anything, huh?
Laundry, iron, how to write a check,
does any of this ring a bell?
- That's what Google's for.
- Okay, well, since Shay's not here,
I'm gonna make it my job to ensure that you two
know how to take care of yourselves, okay?
So I'll be at your house tomorrow at 8:00 a.m.
- Grandma, we don't need that.
Look, I'ma get this trash,
and we'll be out of your hair.
[trash clatters]
8:00 a.m.?
[upbeat Latin jazz music]
♪ ♪
[bell dings] - Raul, my man.
- Hey, Tray, how's it going?
Hey, one spicy special, right?
- Yeah, but this time, put it on wheat,
and I got these flowers from your man outside.
- Got you, got you. - Oh, you got the big bunch!
[laughs] Yeah, she must be real special.
- She is, Miss Yvette, and because you said that,
I think these flowers might work.
- Are you blind or just stupid?
Tray Leviticus Barker, I know you see us all
standing here in this line. - Your name's Leviticus?
- Yeah, little mama, that's my middle name.
You know what I mean? Um, I'm a regular here.
My bad. This'll be real quick.
- I eat here every day. We all regulars.
Raul, cancel his order and tell him
to get his behind in the back of the line.
- Shaveese, there you go,
trying to tell people how to run they business again.
Miss Yvette, I see you from head to toe,
so fresh and so clean.
- Thank you. [laughs]
Yes, you know what? Go ahead, go ahead.
He shouldn't have to wait in his condition.
- Miss Yvette, what's his condition?
Please tell me, 'cause y'all killing me.
Y'all acting like he's a Wounded Warrior.
- That's rude, okay? All this, that's kind of rude.
- Yeah, Miss Veesy, he's Leviticus.
- Yes, but he cut the line, Sonae.
That's not right.
- But he's Leviticus. - Ugh.
- What kind of cheese are we doing today?
- Give me feta. - Uh-uh, no, no, no, no, no.
No cheese ordering. Are you kidding me?
There's no substitutions. Raul, stop making his sandwich.
Come on, y'all.
You're acting like we not all standing in this line
and this man came in here and cut us off.
- Well, I am running a little late
for my dialysis appointment. - Your poor kidney.
- But it's Tray. - It's Tray.
- Go get what you need. - Here you go, Tray.
There you go. - Nah, do your thing.
- My man.
- And he don't even have to pay either, Raul?
Just gonna give stuff for free, so I get it for free, too?
- I told you they know me.
both: We know him.
- I know him.
- You make me sick, Tray.
- Raul, do me a solid. - What's up?
- Give this woman right here a Snicker 'cause she's cranky.
And give little mama whatever she want in the store.
Put it on my tab, okay? - All right, sounds good.
- See you later, baby. - See you later, Tray!
- All right, Ra!
[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
- Okay, let's see how you did on your first attempt
at washing your own clothes.
Ooh.
- My sweater! - It's a bib now.
♪ ♪
- Oh, dry clean only.
Always read the labels.
- [grunts]
- Litterbug. - No.
No, I would never litter. My form was just off.
I was just about to pick it up, Veesy.
- I gotchu. - My man.
- No, leave it.
- Take it easy, lady. It's just a piece of trash.
- No, it's not just a piece of trash.
It's a symbol of everything
that's wrong with our community.
People need to take responsibility
for their own messes.
It's his trash. Let him pick that shit up.
- My man, could you give that to me?
Tray gets it. He goes for the win.
He shoots.
Knicks win! Knicks win! Randolph!
What, you like the Nets? - Shut up.
- [laughing]
Did you see that? Oh!
- How's that bathroom's coming?
That's more like it.
- Grandma, I'm dizzy.
- [laughs]
It's so soft.
Grandma, when did we get a pet cat?
- Oh, my children are high.
Uh, listen, when you're cleaning with chemicals,
you always open a window.
♪ ♪
- [laughs]
- Five. - Three.
- Wait, Roberta, are you sure you can do five books?
'Cause the last time you bid five,
you only did one book. - [laughs]
- I think you better worry about your own cards.
- By the way, I don't mean to criticize,
but I need a new glass. This one's a little cloudy.
- Oh, I had my grandkids do the dishes last night.
You know these kids can't do nothing?
- Ain't that the truth?
My grandson went to microwave a burrito...
- Uh-huh. - Left the foil on.
- Oh, Lord. - Nearly burned down the house.
[laughter] [door closes]
- Hey, Ma. - Hey!
- Hi. - Hey.
- Miss Gloria, Miss Miller. Martha, what's up?
What's going on here?
I thought y'all was supposed to be playing cards
at Miss Miller house tonight. - Oh.
They're fumigating her building.
- Again? - Yes, honey.
Until they get rid of that hoarder in 3C,
there's nothing we can do.
- I only got a hour to get everything ready
before Jasmine come over.
- Oh, well, you won't even know that we are here.
Shh! [laughter]
- Wait a minute. Y'all staying here?
- Yeah. - Mm-hmm.
- Well, listen, you can have your little party
in the kitchen. - What's the problem?
- Uh-huh. - Close the door.
- Judging by all those oysters, I think he thinks
he's gonna have sex on the dining room table!
- Oh, no. Now, stop that.
- That is disgusting.
- Well, in that case, you better keep the door open!
- Oh, Lord.
- We don't have that kind of stuff around here.
My son don't know whatchu talking about.
- J to the O-S-H, again, I wanna thank you
for allowing me to use your crib, son.
- No problem. What's on the menu tonight?
- Appeteasers to start.
I'm having macaroni and cheese critters,
some stuffed collard greens.
I also made fried bologna with welfare cheese goulet.
No, I'm just joking, I got some oysters.
- Smart, that's an aphrodisiac. - Nah, I'ma fry them.
Black people don't use oysters as a aphrodisiac.
We go to the store and get a 40.
You get naughty with the 40. That's gonna be me and Jasmine.
Closer. [laughs]
- All right, you're all set, then.
Just text me when you head out to Jasmine's place.
Okay, if things escalate quickly,
do not go in my bedroom or on the couch,
on the Ping-Pong table or any table.
Just take it to the hallway.
- Freaky-deaky? - Yeah, but easy on the deaky.
- Look at this, see? All right.
Yes, you know, when I was a teenager,
I made a lot of my clothes.
- That's because they didn't have stores back then.
- Oh. - [chuckles]
- Okay, don't let me sew up your mouth now.
Gonna have a "Handmaid's Tale" in here.
Okay? [chuckles]
- Grandma, I'm not trying to make my own clothes.
- I know, but everybody should know how to sew.
How you think your mother became such a good designer?
Now, the first thing you have to learn
is how to thread a needle.
Let's try, okay? - Okay.
- And it takes control and a good eye.
- Ow! Grandma, this is impossible.
- I did it. - Gracious.
[laughs] Yes.
- Yeah, it's easier for him.
Look, the hole in his needle is bigger than mine.
I need a bandage.
- [laughs] - Lord, please.
Would you like to learn how to use a sewing machine?
- Yeah, can you teach me how to use it, please?
- Okay, well, you come over here.
So you can put your foot on this pedal.
- Okay. - Okay.
- All right. - Come on, get a little closer.
- Okay. - Okay.
Let's use this little cloth.
And just go on, make a good line.
- Okay. - Okay.
All right, we gonna put this down.
And now slowly go. - Okay.
- Oh, my baby got it. - [chuckles]
- Okay.
[knock at door, door opens]
- Come on in, little lady.
[R&B music playing softly]
Oh, we doing the trench coat thing tonight, huh?
Can't wait to see what's underneath.
- Yeah, in a minute. - Of course.
Why rush?
We got the trench coat, the strawberries,
and we got the oysters.
- Look, Tray, we really need to talk.
- Ooh, talk. Like, talk dirty?
This is gonna be the greatest night ever.
- Tray, I'm talking about this.
- Oh, we gonna do the "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" sex.
- [sighs]
Look, Tray...
The reason I've been avoiding you
and why I'm wearing the bulletproof vest
from my job practically everywhere I go
is because...
I've just been so scared to be around you.
- [sighs]
Can I ask you a question, Jasmine?
Are you scared of me?
- No.
I'm scared of the people who shot you.
The police haven't made an arrest,
and I'm just--I can't feel safe
knowing that they're all just still out there.
- Baby, how long you been feeling like this?
- Since you got out of the hospital.
I mean, what if you had come to my house that night
when they got you? - They wasn't even after me.
They was after my cousin Bobby. - Well, how you know that?
- I talked to some people,
and trust me, you have nothing to worry about.
We are completely safe.
Now, can we please just enjoy this wonderful evening?
- You talked to what people?
Criminals?
If you really left that life behind you,
you would tell the police who shot you,
but instead you wanna protect them?
I care about you, Tray,
but I don't wanna be with someone
who wants to protect criminals.
- Jasmine, don't do this to me.
♪ ♪
[sighs]
- I need you to pick a side.
- Pick a side? I'm from the streets.
You know I can't do that.
Don't do this.
- Just pick a side. - Don't do this.
I can't do that. - Pick a side.
- I can't do that!
- [sighs]
Well, I can.
Goodbye, Tray.
Good luck.
[door opens, closes]
- [screams]
[sewing machine whirring]
[whirring continues]
[punchy music]
♪ ♪
- Guess who caught the fashion bug
and dug out the old sewing machine.
I guess he gets it from his mama.
Love you.
[text message swooshes]