[man] Last season on Step Up: High Water...
Hey! Welcome to Atlanta!
My nephew Tal. My niece Janelle.
You ever see that man in that car in your vicinity,
change your vicinity.
-Big Al. -What's up, Dondre.
-Hey. -Come tonight. Got a party business.
-Oh, this must be the sister. -Nice to meet you.
Why don't you come on over to High Water, and see why
-we are better than you. -Ooh...
I'm sorry, did you just say High Water?
The sole purpose of High Water
is to do everything in our power
to prepare you for your professional life as an artist.
-I'm Janelle. -Davis.
Hi. Odalie.
[Sage] Back row, you just made it into High Water.
[students cheering]
I am $53 million in debt.
We all know you're just using us to get your money right.
Just like you used my dad
back in the day to keep your shoes clean.
You're not only done tonight, you're done at High Water.
I'm not gonna let anyone disrespect my son.
I said, get your goddamn hands off me!
Getting kicked out of High Water was the biggest mistake of my life.
Mic, motherfuckin' check, one, two.
Damn, you got it soundin' like Velvet City up in here, homie.
Yeah, you're the first to hear it, too.
I push my product at all your parties, nigga.
That includes tonight.
[East-O] You got your side hustle,
and you ain't tell your boy?
-[grunts in pain] -Huh?
-Ashley, it's me, Rich. -Look, I don't know you.
You are not some hood rat from the ghetto.
You're a rich bitch from Buckhead.
Odalie, what the fuck?
So you've been lying to me, everyone here,
and also your parents?
-Thank you, but I can't take this from you-- -No.
You're going to give it to Ohio to claim your in-state tuition.
-I'm going to college. -Well, yes, you are.
I'll be starting a brand new tour for the summer.
Students that show me that they can be professional
will be treated, not to mention compensated.
[Sage] Davis Jimenez, welcome to the pro squad.
Poppy Martinez, welcome to the pro squad.
They said I can't go on tour and have Justin.
I'm gonna have to give up my spot on Sage's Squad.
[Sage on phone] Greyhound, Davis is out, you're in.
[East-O] What, you think you're Mr. High and mighty now,
'cause you got Collette? I had her first.
Hey. oh, I'm sorry, are you with CPS?
[Reggie] Last time I seen 'em, they was in diapers.
Now, I mean, shit, I want them back.
You can't come back like that.
You and East-O can't be
in the same fucking vicinity.
We goin' for a ride, motherfucker.
Al didn't have nothin' to do with it!
[buzzer]
[Collette] Do you want to destroy Rigo, too?
Are you really that stupid?
Don't disrespect me!
[gunshot]
[East-O groans in pain]
[fast paced R&B music playing over speakers]
♪ Oh hell if they don't like it I might turn up by myself ♪
♪ I don't need opinion... ♪
[music stops]
Ladies and gents,
we got nine weeks
to make this shit look amazing.
Nobody is coming to Madison Square Garden
to watch civilians.
They are coming to look at superheroes.
I am a motherfuckin' superhero.
And nobody touches my stage
except other superheroes.
-Do you understand me? -[all] Yes.
[Sage] You got nine weeks for your superpowers to wake up
or you will go the fuck home.
Five, six, seven, eight!
[fast paced R&B music playing over speakers]
[school bell rings]
[Sage in distance] Five, six, seven, eight!
[fast paced R&B music playing over speakers in distance]
[Sage yelling indistinctly in distance]
-[Sage] Do you understand? -[dancers] Yes!
Five, six, seven, and boom!
Big arms, come on!
Energy!
Tal, you are aware that dumb luck
-is what go you here, right? -[Tal] Yes, sir.
You know what, that shit just ran out.
So sit down. Have a drink or something.
What am I lookin' at?
Dondre, boy, you better be glad you're pretty,
'cause you dance like a cat that got thrown in a hot tub.
What are y'all doin'?
What'd y'all think, the hard work is done
'cause you made the squad?
No! Hard work starts now!
Stop! Everybody stop. Everybody stop.
Damn. Zo gets it.
Zo understands.
Zo been on tour with me at least two times.
He might be captain this time,
that is, unless one of y'all steps up.
But right now, it's lookin' like Zo's gonna be captain.
Zo, can you please assess this bullshit for me.
[Zo groans]
Man, this one, heh,
chop his arms off, he might make the step.
And that's a might. Fix your face.
[Zo sighs]
All style, no technique.
This ain't your world, bro, it's Sage's.
[Sage] You know what, that was genius right now.
Can you say that again?
This ain't your world.
It's Sage's world.
Sage's world, meaning,
do it Sage's way,
or take your ass back to your world.
You know what, y'all sit down.
Ladies, you're up. Come on, hustle up.
Let's go, let's go, let's go!
Please don't waste my time.
Please don't waste my goddamn time.
Five, six, seven, and boom! Come on!
We have no room for mistakes!
You, sit your ass down.
Pretty in pink, more like sloppy in pink.
Sit down, please.
An entire eight count late.
Sit down, thank you.
Come on, y'all.
How did you get here?
Go sit down, please. Thank you. Bye.
Movin' slow, breathin' heavy. You tired?
How about you go have a seat.
Matter of fact, how about you lay down.
As opposed to sittin' down. Thank you.
What the fuck am I lookin' at?
This shit is not comin' on tour with Sage Odom.
I'll do this shit myself
before I let y'all get up there and embarrass me.
Straighten the fuck up.
We gonna have two captains-- one guy, one girl.
One guy, one girl.
Two candidates.
Look like we're gonna have to see
which one of y'all is better.
[♪♪♪♪♪]
Now, real, you know,
I guess I always thought something crazy
was gonna happen to you, you know.
But just in my head.
Not my heart.
[sobbing]
Pops, what am I supposed to do now?
What am I supposed to do?
You was everything, Pop.
[Marquise] Pink is soft.
-It's a damn flower. -Not today.
Everything has meaning.
It's his final message.
-Yo, what the--? -[door opens]
I'm sorry, which one of you is Mr. Octavio's son?
I am.
I'm so sorry for your loss.
I should give you this then.
It's your father's personal items--
jewelry, watch, wallet--
you may want to keep them.
Yeah, sure.
This is a lot, dawg.
I got family talkin' to me all crazy.
Everybody thinks he's running all kinds of--
There goes East-Low.
What the fuck did you say to me?
-What?! -What's up, homie?
Bro, what the fuck is wrong with you?
You need to man the fuck up right here, right now.
What you want me to do, nigga, he had a gun.
Nigga, we all strapped.
Nigga, what the fuck are you talkin' about?
You can't keep walkin' these streets
actin' like a bitch, lettin' people think
your crown is for the takin', Rigo.
You just can't.
East left that shit for you.
You gotta hold onto it, man.
Nigga, my dad just died.
A'ight, can you give me a fuckin' minute?
We don't have a fuckin' minute, Rigo.
Look at these motherfuckers.
Every single one of 'em are thinking the same exact thing.
East-O is dead.
So who's the new East-O?
Is it me?
I mean, yo, it could be.
Yeah, you know what, it could be me,
and all it takes is for one of them motherfuckers
to make a move, and where the fuck does that leave us, Rigo?
Huh? Two broke-ass niggas on the corner.
Look at me, bro.
You are the heir to the throne.
You better start acting like it.
You just don't get it, dawg.
See, maybe because you never had a father,
you just don't understand what the fuck I'm going through, alright?
[scoffs]
I ain't no orphan. I'm a man.
-[hip hop music playing in car] -What the fuck are you?
Nephew, been lookin' for you.
Hey, what up, Uncle Matty.
Come on, let's go for a ride.
It's a hard day.
All right, hold on.
Uh-uh, your dad never fucked with that dude.
He's always been shady. Come on.
[Matty] Come on, Rigo, let's go.
Yo, man, it's my uncle.
I can't just flake on him like that.
Chill out, all right?
Man, I'll call you.
Family needs to be together at times like this.
Take a deep breath, boy.
You got this.
All right?
Ladies and gentlemen, anybody can get the axe
at any given moment.
Your salaries will start at the absolute minimum
until you prove yourself Sage Odom worthy.
That means perfect.
Y'all think you got it hard?
Yeah?
I got music to write,
I got a whole goddamn tour to put together,
I got a thousand different kinds of bullshit
that I got to deal with,
and all y'all got to do is dance.
But that is all that you will be doing.
Any other precious distractions that you have in life,
I need you to burn them shits right away.
There will be no throwing parties,
walkin' around, being the life of said party.
Yeah, all that shit is over.
Girlfriends, boyfriends,
husbands, wives,
fuck buddies, Tinder pets,
whatever you wanna call it, it is done.
For the next nine weeks, ladies and gentlemen,
you belong to me.
[cell phone message chiming]
Oh, and then there's this.
Excuse me. Hello. [whistles]
Hey. Hello.
Schedule.
Excuse me?
See, that's what I'm talkin' about.
That's exactly what I'm talkin' about.
I need everybody in the building
100% focused.
That is not 100% focus.
You call that focus?
Okay. Good work, everyone. Break time.
Yeah, go, go ahead.
On point when you come back, please, thank you.
What was that?
What that was about was the fact
that you are off your game.
What, I was distracted for like a second.
-It's really not a big deal. -Ah, fantastic, fantastic.
You're supposed to be helping me with
the biggest tour of my career,
the tour that I've been sweating over for five years,
the tour that's supposed to put me back where I'm supposed to be,
back on top, but too bad, Sage,
because Collette was distracted.
Great. That's great.
Okay, listen, I know what this is about.
I know how you always get worked up before a new project.
Let me make you some tea,
and I'll make a list,
and we can tackle this together, okay?
[Collette clears her throat]
Okay, so what is this really about then?
What's goin' on is that we open in Madison Square Garden
in what, two months, and where the fuck are we?
Where are we?
Why did I even hire these High Water dancers?
And where are the artists for the duets that I wrote?
-What's going on there? -I've been reaching out to them.
I need to work with everybody in the industry
that's doin' something dope
and interesting and fresh right now.
And I need Sophie, Amber Mark. I need Young Boy.
The need the homie, you know who I'm talkin' about,
-at the top of the list. -Yes. Yes, I know.
Ah, everyone's schedule's sort of crazy,
so it's not that easy, Sage.
Yeah,
because you're distracted.
[scoffs]
[♪♪♪♪♪]
[sniffs]
-[school bell rings] -[Dondre] That dude Zo,
he's a real asshole, yo.
Like, what does it mean to be captain?
Well, I think it means he's in charge for the whole tour.
Well, that shit's not happenin'.
Yeah, we got to make sure to have each other's backs
if we want to keep that asshole in check, all right?
Okay, for sure.
Okay, that's gonna be work. The man can dance.
Well, I don't think there's a lot of man left in that one.
I mean, he a little extra, you know.
Right.
Chilled, please.
So how's Janelle?
-She's killin' it, as usual. -Mm-hmm.
Surprised she isn't running the whole damn school by now.
Give her time.
-You miss her? -Ah, you have no idea. Thank you.
It's like, it's the first time we've been apart, so...
-Shit, for real? -Yeah.
But you know, it's time.
And we talk almost every day, so it's fine.
What about you? You talk to her?
Yeah. No. Heh.
I don't do the long distance thing.
-You know how it is. -[Tal chuckles]
But on the flip side, it gives me more time to hang out with my crew.
That means you, Ohio.
[♪♪♪♪♪]
-Heh. I'm the crew. -Yeah, you are.
-What's this? -It's cafe au.
[Dondre] What?
♪ Bounce that, clap that Shake that money ♪
♪ Toss that, po trick Make that money ♪
♪ Bounce that, clap that Shake that monkey ♪
[sighs]
Damn.
Heh, really, man?
This shit feels weird, dawg.
Take a hit of this, dawg.
[grunts]
So what that fool Matty want?
I don't know, he just said he was gonna look into things, you know.
Kinda take shit up where my pops left it.
What? Yo, man, that's that shit I was talkin' about.
Everybody gonna want a piece of what you got, man.
-You can't just let 'em step-- -No, you're not hearing me.
Look, he said he was just gonna run it all, you know what I'm sayin'?
-[Marquise] Mmm. -Just kick shit down to us,
we could just lay low, stay in the crib.
Be cool, man, it's all right.
-Kick shit down, huh? -Yeah.
You don't know what the fuck you're talkin' about.
Come here.
Come on.
What the fuck is this? Hmm?
[buttons beeping]
What the fuck?
This is hella money, dawg. What the fuck is this, yo?
That is your dad's street sales.
Over a hundred racks.
Look, we don't need no fucking Uncle Matty.
So what are you sayin', dawg?
What, me and you just take over everything, huh?
-Run it all? -Hell no.
I run it.
With my knowledge, my connections,
and this money right here.
-Come on, man. -[Rigo sighs]
I mean, yo, you want to be a star, right?
[scoffs]
Am I right?
Ain't that what your dad always wanted?
Look, I really love...
Mad respect for your pops.
I want to do what he would want to do.
Look, you let me run the business,
and then the business take care of you.
You know what I'm sayin'?
Except you gonna be way bigger than Sage.
Believe that.
[knocks on door]
[male officer] Sean Octavio,
it's Atlanta PD,
could we have a moment of your time?
Officers, can I help you?
-We need to come inside. -Man, what y'all want?
Shouldn't y'all be lookin' for perpetrators and shit?
We're gonna take a look around. We have reason to believe
there's illegal substances inside.
Now, open the door or we bust it down.
[laughs]
No, I don't think so, Officer.
Oh, you're selling insurance now.
[mocking laugh] Forget to read?
I'll spot you the first letter. That's a A.
ACLU, huh?
Constitution, bitch.
[Marquise] Y'all don't got no right to question us.
You don't have a right to come inside,
and you damn sure don't have a right
to be on this porch without permission.
[train horn blaring in distance]
-This your house? -[Rigo] No, it's my house.
Now, why don't y'all get the fuck up out of here?
-Hey, man, look-- -Hey--
It's all right. It's all right.
All right.
I knew your dad.
He was a piece of shit.
Now, I don't know you,
but one look tells me you're a piece of shit in training.
So you better watch your step.
Because our eyes are on you.
And we don't blink.
[Sage claps hands] All right, so,
it looks like you two are gonna be my front runners.
And show ponies get extra attention.
You're welcome. Let's get it.
Five, six, seven, and...
[whoops and vocalizes]
Wait, wait, wait. Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop.
Okay, that was good. That was actually really dope.
I want to change something. When we get here...
[vocalizes]
...give me one of these.
After that, okay. Not the spin.
Into that big arm.
Yeah? Not the spin.
-Cool? -[Odalie] Yes.
-Got it? -[both] Yep.
Five, six, seven, and...
[whoops and vocalizes]
Big arm. Nah, ah, nah! No. No.
Remember, I just changed it. I just changed it.
You good? You...
-Somewhere else you wanna be? -No, no, I'm good.
Remember a second ago, when I changed it?
It still applies. You good?
-I'm good. -That's what I like to hear.
Ready? Let's get it.
Five, six, seven, and...
[whoops and vocalizes]
Big-- Ah! Poppy, what the fuck, man?
Come on, we've been here a long time, man.
What--? You actin' you not here. What's the problem?
Well, actually, she shouldn't be here.
I-I mean, she has a funeral she has to get to.
Oh...
Oh, okay, well...
Well, shit, go for it.
Yeah, go ahead, you good.
You're good. Yeah, go for it.
Thank you, Sage.
Ah, I said she could go.
See, she got a funeral, right?
Babe, we got work to do.
Ready? Let's go.
Five, six, seven, and...
[whoops and vocalizes]
And then he's like, we're not even getting paid
until he makes us official. What does that even mean?
[Johnny-One] Well, it sounds like Sage.
He just wants to keep you all hungry.
Can you stop with the tie? It's so painful.
[exasperated sigh]
You follow the directions silently
while I read them aloud, okay?
All right, so you take the fat part and you put it--
I just, you know what, I just feel like
I'm in a bubble, and the only reason I got this job
was because Davis couldn't do it.
You deserve it, Tal.
No, no, the other way.
[grunts in frustration]
[sighs] I just, I'm lost,
and I miss you.
And I miss Janelle, and I haven't talked to her
in two days and I'm already a mess.
And I miss you too.
Just, I don't think I'm gonna make it to this tour.
Stop talking like that.
You deserve to be there because you are there.
[Uncle Al] Can I help you?
Is that Uncle Al?
Lookin' good.
[effeminate voice] Hey!
Can you help me please?
How could you be so fashion dyslexic?
-Shut up. -Yo. Huh? [grunts]
No, no, no, no, no. Tal, don't put that on.
Clip on ties always work.
Ugh.
Bam!
Ooh-whee!
Does this suit make me look fat?
Absolutely not.
Johnny, baby!
Ally, baby!
They're meeting. Let's go!
What's up, King?
Good to see you, man.
What's up, sir, you all right?
Where the hell's Poppy at, man?
I don't know, but it's time to go, man.
We got to go.
I'm not leaving without Poppy, dawg.
She ain't been here all morning
and she's still not here.
Look, I'm not leaving here
without Poppy, a'ight?
-Damn. What the f--? -All right, homie.
Baby, I am so, so, so, so sorry.
Sage had me holed up. He took my phone.
[hip-hop music playing within limo over speakers]
Man, this limo's crazy.
[Marquise] Oof. So this is how the big ballers live, huh?
Won't be long till that's gonna be us.
Every single day. You know what I'm talkin' about?
Oh yeah, it like a club in here.
Mmm. Damn.
Oh, wait. Slick!
I ain't never been in a limo before.
Have you? 'Cause I ain't never been in a limo before.
I can't believe this.
We're here for the wrong reasons, but I'm sayin'--
Yo...
-[taps cushion] -Yo!
Wipe this shit off your face, dawg.
Don't talk to him like that.
-[Rigo sniffs] -[Poppy] Baby, it's okay.
Everybody gonna be clockin' your every move.
All right? You can't be in here cryin' like a baby.
If East saw you like that, he'd smack the shit out of you.
Who the fuck are you, Marquise?
It's his father's funeral. Cut him a fucking break.
I think both of y'all need to shut the fuck up.
[♪♪♪♪♪]
Why do we have to be here again?
For the same reason the whole neighborhood is here.
Half the church can't believe East-O is dead,
the other half want to make sure it's so.
-[church bell ringing] -Either way,
that's what we do, we turn up.
Plus, there gonna be some good fried chicken
after this.
Hey Miss Erstine.
[church organ playing light music]
[Uncle Al] Everybody is here.
I even see white people.
Damn, this is fancy.
Seems like the one day they spend money on you,
you can't even see it.
[Uncle Al] Excuse me, sorry.
Is that-- Is that Dondre's dad?
Yeah. It's his parish.
He about play this crowd like a two-dollar banjo.
We are grateful for everything you've done for the community.
The building up, High Water. All that.
Pastor Hall, listen, I cannot hold a candle
to the amazing things you've done for this community over the years.
-Oh, praise Jesus. -[chuckles]
Now, on a personal note,
I'd like to thank you for giving Dondre a shot.
-Hmm. -You know, that party business
that he was into was just childish nonsense.
And I'm glad that he's done with all that.
I can't believe that he actually wakes up before noon now.
[laughs] We will make a man of him yet.
-[both chuckle] -[phone ringing with funk music]
Oh, Pastor, if you'll excuse me for one second.
Of course.
You got Sage.
Ah, just the woman I was waiting on.
How we doin'?
Fantastic.
[man over P.A.] Ladies and gentleman,
please take your seats
as we welcome
the Alpha and Omega Praise dancers.
[Yolanda Adams' "The Battle" playing over speakers]
[woman] ♪ There is no pain ♪
♪ Jesus can't feel ♪
♪ No hurt ♪
♪ He cannot heal ♪
♪ All the things work ♪
♪ According to His perfect will ♪
♪ Whoa, no matter what ♪
♪ You're going through ♪
♪ Remember God is using you ♪
♪ For the battle ♪
♪ Is not yours ♪
♪ It's the Lord's ♪
♪ Hold your head up high ♪
♪ Don't cry ♪
♪ It's the Lord's ♪
♪ Yes, it's the Lord's ♪
♪ No matter what ♪
♪ You're going through ♪
♪ Remember that God ♪
♪ Only wants to use you ♪
♪ No matter what ♪
♪ You happen to go through Right now ♪
♪ Remember that In the midst of it ♪
♪ God only wants to use you ♪
♪ No matter what it is That you're going through ♪
♪ Hold your head up ♪
♪ Stick your chest out ♪
♪ And remember He's using you ♪
♪ For this battle Is not yours alone ♪
♪ This battle Is not yours, no ♪
♪ You cannot handle it all By yourself ♪
♪ No, no, no, no, no, no ♪
♪ The battle is not yours ♪
♪ It's the Lord's ♪
[audience cheering]
[fast paced pop dance music playing over speakers]
♪ Finding my zone Finding my zone ♪
♪ I be finding my zone ♪
♪ Tonight I'ma go Life on the road ♪
♪ The lightin' is cold 'Cause I be finding my zone ♪
♪ Finding my zone I be finding my zone ♪
♪ I put on my Zeus ties So scoop by ♪
[music fades]
[gentle piano music plays]
Odalie!
Chill out, bro, she's practicing.
She's practicing.
[speaks Spanish]
Don't act like last time.
Hey, guys!
So how'd the interview go? Did you get the job?
Hey, hey...
Don't sweat it.
I mean, who wants to sell cell phones anyway?
Me. [scoffs]
What you think I'm dressed like this for?
Heh. Well, you'll find something better soon.
You know, I didn't think you could get any better, huh.
-You were amazing just now. -Really?
I mean, Sage picks one male dancer
and one female dancer to top line the tour.
Getting that spot would change everything.
It's higher visibility,
it's time with Sage, it's more money.
Yeah, well, I'm sorry.
This is probably hard for you.
No. No, no, no, not at all.
Look, you're gonna get that spot, okay?
It's already got your name written all over it.
And besides, social worker said
I have to stay in Atlanta with a regular job
if I'm gonna take care of this one, so...
we're both right where we're supposed to be.
How about a smoothie?
Come on, my treat.
It's always your treat.
He's got bad manners. He meant yes.
-That's what he was saying. -Okay...
-Come on. -[Odalie laughs]
[kisses]
[Pastor Hall] When I think of Earnest...
I think about the story of Samson.
In his final moments,
he prayed to the Lord,
who blessed him with the power to pull down the pillars
of the Philistine temple
and help save his people.
And just like Samson,
it is only in death
that we come to understand
Earnest's lasting legacy
for our neighborhood.
His contributions to the pride of our neighborhood,
High Water.
His sponsorship of youth basketball teams
and support of some local businesses.
This was how Earnest showed his love,
for many of us who are sittin' here today.
-Say amen, somebody! -[all] Amen!
[light applause]
Now, perhaps his greatest love
was for his only son,
a love that he demonstrated every day.
Now, Rigo,
I'm gonna ask you to come up
and share a few words about your father.
Why are you not with me?
You can leave Sage and be with me.
[Colette] I can't.
-[Collette gasps for life] -Don't disrespect me!
[Colette] Stop!
[gunshot]
I'm going to miss the regular stuff with my dad.
Eating barbecue.
[sobbing] Playing pool in the living room.
Watching football on Sunday.
Playing cards.
My dad liked to play cards.
[sobbing]
This is the second time
I had to go through this.
My mom passed away
when I was a little kid.
I think that
all of us can relate
to how Rigo is feeling right now.
We can't even begin to express
our sorrow for what you're going through.
♪ Ama... ♪
♪ ...zing Grace ♪
♪ How sweet the sound ♪
♪ That saved ♪
♪ A wretch ♪
♪ Like me ♪
-[light organ music playing] -He had a wonderful service today.
Something that had to be done.
Sure was a nice service.
Your dad would've liked it.
Yeah, I guess.
So you, uh, thought about
what we talked about?
Yeah, it's just...
Like, I got a lot on my mind, all right?
I just need some time to think, that's all.
Well, let me help you. Cops come to your house yet?
Yeah, how'd you know?
'Cause I know what fucking time it is, Rigo.
Let me drop a little knowledge on you.
The next time they come, they will have a warrant.
And trust me when I say they gonna crawl up your ass.
Things gonna change for you now, boy.
A lot of people gonna come at you,
sayin' a lot of things.
Your daddy ain't around no more.
If you don't watch out, you either gonna get robbed,
beat down, or even worse,
someone gonna roll up on you and bust a cap in your ass.
You're all alone now.
That's some dangerous shit.
Yeah, well, I'm not all alone, all right.
Shit, nigga, please!
Who you talkin' about, Marquise over there?
-Yeah, so what? -Marquise don't know shit.
Buddy gonna get you killed, that's all he gonna do.
Look, you ain't cut out for this, Rigo.
You know it. And I know it.
And your father knew it too.
Without me, you won't last
a fuckin' week on these streets.
Maybe you're right.
I'm more than right.
I'm family.
And blood's truly thicker than water, right?
Right?
Yeah.
[under breath] A'ight.
So we're good?
We got a deal?
Yeah, we good, Uncle Matty.
That's a good answer.
Smart decision.
And remember, I got nothin' but love for you.
-[Rigo chuckles] -I'm gonna look out for you.
Heh, all right.
But Marquise gotta go.
Ooh. Ahh.
[knocks on door]
[door opens]
[door closes]
[Reggie] Hey, It's Reggie.
Is there anything else I can help you with?
Mmm. I'm good.
Really?
So when are you leaving town?
No need now, East-O's dead.
We're all free.
Now I can come back.
Say what? W-w-what?
I said now I can come back
to Atlanta, permanently.
And I was thinkin' we should tell the twins who I am.
Absolutely not.
I can finally be the father I should've been.
Absolutely fucking not.
Look, these kids have been through their share of shit, okay.
Janelle's off to college.
I've gotten Tal straightened out.
It's working.
We have our life here,
you have your life in Tallahassee.
Okay, and why can't I be a part of that?
I should be a part of it.
You should've been a part of sending Janelle to college.
Oh, that? Oh yeah, I sent her to college.
It's working!
You understand that, it's working.
Why can't you see I changed, Al? Hmm?
-Oh, you've changed? -Yeah.
Yeah, you've changed shoes.
You've changed hats.
You've changed fuckin' shirts!
Oh, that's right, you've been sober for two years.
Three. Three goddamn years, Al, three!
Oh, three years? Oh!
Oh, it's the jobs that keep fuckin' changing.
-Whatever. I got this, okay? -No, no, no.
No, I got this.
You just want to come in when I do all the work.
They're my kids, Al.
They're mine.
Eggs. Flour.
Wow, this looks, uh...
I'm pretty sure "delicious" is the word you're looking for.
You guys wanna see me juggle?
When did you learn how to juggle?
I watched a video on the computer.
-Justin! -Heh. Baby, it's fine.
-Well, not the whole video. -[Davis] Oh my God.
[knocks on door]
[Nate] Hello? Hello...
-Ashley? -Hi!
Oh, honey, um, I didn't realize you were here
with company.
Dad, this is Davis.
From Emory. We just pulled an all-nighter.
We both have an organic chem midterm this afternoon.
Davis is pre-med, which is great for me.
Makes him an awesome study buddy.
Well, it's a pleasure to meet you.
I'm Nate, Ashley's father.
-And who do we have here? -Justin.
That's my little brother.
His parents are in Sanibel for vacation this week.
It's, uh, it's their anniversary, yeah.
I said I would look after Justin so they can enjoy themselves.
Well, they couldn't have picked a better time for it.
Hey, you know, um, I'm sorry
for breakin' up the party. I, um...
You're an adult now, and I shoulda known better.
Dad, heh, really, it's fine.
I mean, do you want to stay for breakfast?
No. I'll let you get back to your studies.
Ah, why don't you bring Davis
by the house for dinner this week?
You know, Mom was just saying
we haven't met any of your new friends from Emory.
And I am sure she would love to meet Davis.
[Davis chuckles nervously]
How about Wednesday?
Heh. We'd love to.
That work for you?
Yeah, of course.
Great.
Wednesday it is.
-[mouthing words] -[door opens]
[door closes]
Hey, can I come?
[♪♪♪♪♪]
[Sage] Yeah, so 'Lette reached out and he said something
-about being busy. -Uh-uh.
-Yeah. -Busy doesn't work for me.
That's not my vocabulary.
-He's already un-busy. -That's what I'm talkin' about.
Nine. Hi.
I didn't know that you were in town.
-[scoffs] -Yeah, she's here for me.
But how so?
Well, I spoke to the label, told 'em
how we was havin' a little bit of trouble
gettin' a hold of the artists that I wanted,
so they sent over somebody dedicated solely
to preppin' the tour.
You know, to make sure
there's no distractions.
And Sage is so important to the label,
and when they wanted to assign someone
to him full time, heh,
well, I mowed down the damn field to get the gig.
And I'm glad you did.
[Nine chuckles]
[scoffs] Collette, I am so happy
to be back at High Water.
It's beautiful. You did a great job.
Really. I mean, I haven't been back
since ground breaking.
Thank you, I'm...
incredibly proud of what we've built here.
I'm glad you found your way.
Administration clearly suits you.
-[cell phone ringing] -Ah, here it is.
Is that who I think it is?
[scoffs] I'm like the mailman, baby.
I always deliver.
Mmm, I like it.
[Nine] Rick Ross, how's it goin'?
What's up, baby?
Hustlin' as usual.
Otherwise, chillin' like a boss
[Nine] Heh, well, whatever you're doing, it's working.
But I know who you really want to talk to, so...
Yo! What's goin' on?
Gettin' to the money, baby. We gettin' to the money.
Ha ha! Listen, when I put this thing together,
it had to be real talk.
Now, are you sure you ready for this?
This is a little different than what you normally...
I was born ready. Fo' sho, baby.
You know I'm locked down.
I'm sayin', I mean, I know you got hits on your own,
but Sage Odom here with something a little different.
Thang that'll take you around the world
a couple times, you know what I mean?
That sound good to me.
[Sage] So sorry, so let me run it down...
[♪♪♪♪♪]
♪ Yeah, go in the hot shit I make that for real ♪
♪ Come hide on my... [indistinct] ♪
Use the stairs, like they're designed.
Ladies, excuse me, where's the trash, huh?
Oh, look, right there.
Pick it up.
♪ Damn, no Damn, no ♪
♪ Shit buddy, dang, no ♪
♪ Yeah, go in the hot shit I make that for real ♪
♪ Come hide on my... [indistinct] ♪
[music slows and distorts] ♪ I fucking go kill... ♪
-[gunshot] -[Collette groaning]
We gotta get out of here.
-Wait, wait, who are you?! -I'll handle this.
A friend.
Go.
[♪♪♪♪♪]
♪ Damn, no Damn, no, Damn, no ♪
♪ Damn, no Shit buddy, dang, no ♪
[Collette] What are you doing here? How did you find me?
I didn't, all right? I was here lookin' for someone else.
Wait, you work here?
This is my school, okay?
And you shouldn't be here, and we shouldn't be together.
We shouldn't be seen together. Fuck!
What you have to know about that night...
is that it was self-defense, okay?
Look, you ain't gotta explain shit to me, all right?
-You saved my life. -No...
No, what I did is fucking kill someone, okay?
I keep checking the news to see if there's any leads on it,
and there aren't.
But if they find out that it was me,
and I have to go to jail, this whole fucking place
-is gonna fall apart. -I think it's okay.
I think it's gonna be okay, 'cause I cleaned it up.
-[scoffs] -Besides, I'm guilty too.
Maybe even more guilty than you.
I really don't think so.
I owed him money, all right?
I stole from him back in the day.
One thing I know about ol' East-O
he doesn't forget and he damn sure doesn't forgive,
so trust me when I say your secret is safe with me.
Okay.
Thank you. What, what was your name?
Reggie.
I'm Collette.
Have a seat.
[pop music playing over speakers]
Hey...
About yesterday, I was only trying
to help you get to the funeral.
Girl, don't even worry about it.
Listen, we both know how Sage is.
He's gonna pit us all against each other.
I'm not gonna let him divide us.
You finished?
Y-yeah...
Good, because for the record,
we're already divided, Ashley.
Ever since you came up in here,
lied to us, and got my ass thrown in jail.
So how about you just stay in your lane,
and I'll stay in mine?
We'll see where each other ends up.
[school bell rings]
[Collette] I've been a mess.
[scoffs] I don't fucking know.
Yeah, he was just so mad, you know.
He was mad about me and mad about Sage,
and he tried to kill me.
You know, he tried to fucking kill me.
Yeah, so I guess we're both lucky to be alive.
And look, no one has to know.
So how about we just never speak of this again?
You really think they're not gonna find out?
I mean, how could they?
Look, the man had real enemies,
bigger than the school principal
and whatever the hell I am.
[sighs]
Sometimes the world puts us in spots,
spots we don't expect.
Makes us do things that we couldn't know.
But that doesn't mean that's who we are, right?
So the thing that happened, it's ten minutes
of our life, that's it.
It doesn't have to be everything.
Yeah.
Did you say you were looking for someone?
Yes.
Tal Baker.
How do you know Tal?
I'm his father.
Only he doesn't know it yet.
Look, Collette, is it?
I got one shot. One.
One shot to tell my kids the truth,
and I got to do this right.
So I need you to help me with this.
-I-I mean, I-- -[knocks on window door]
You are missin' out on the magic.
Do you have any interest in checkin' out
-what's going on in the studio? -Yeah, mm-hmm, of course.
No. Yes. I will be right there.
-Are you comin'? -Yeah. Two seconds.
Listen, um, Tal,
it's been a very rough time for him,
so, you know, I will help you because I owe you,
but just give me a minute to figure out how to do it.
Yeah, yeah, of course.
All right. All right, there you go.
Um, I have to go back to Tallahassee, right.
So about a month or two, but...
I'm movin' back here.
It's gonna be okay.
I think it is.
Right...
[playing over speakers] ♪ Headed for a hundred million I'ma need a bigger safe ♪
♪ Out of state In a state with a lake ♪
♪ Cuban lit medallion Bigger than a dinner plate ♪
Can you bring that up a bit?
Yeah, that shit bumpin'.
Tell 'em to turn the vocals up just a little bit more.
Just a little more.
♪ O'Reilly fire red... ♪
That's what I'm talkin' about, Sage.
That's it, baby.
Huh, tell me you fuck with it.
-Tell me you fuck with it! -That rich forever shit.
Ah, you fuck with it! That's what I'm talkin' about.
Listen, they're not gonna see this shit comin'.
Trust me. 'Lette, what do you think?
I think it sounds amazing.
♪ Buy it outright Got a long boat ♪
-Way to make it happen, Nine. -Well, that's the job, right?
[Rick Ross] Yo, homie, they not ready for this.
It's that next level shit. Shit gonna be crazy.
Um, all right. So let's do that one one more time.
King, can you brighten the hook?
All right. Otherwise, we're on point.
Yo, I'm gonna lay this down. Tell me what you think.
[door opens, closes]
♪ Eight give thanks Sayin' grace ♪
♪ Got the black chinchilla ♪
♪ When I'm in the black race ♪
[Tal] Yo, I was thinkin' maybe, like,
we come up with something for Sage.
Get back in his good graces, you know.
I don't know, maybe,
like that last thing, we just slide through,
and then just... [vocalizes].
-You know? [vocalizes] -Tal, come on, man.
-We're using the work. -Don't you ever quit?
-I'm tired, Tal. -Come on, man.
Or I got this move like...
[vocalizes]
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Where'd you get that move from?
-Hmm? -Hmm?
-That's my shit. -Aw, seriously?
You guys should get you a room.
You know what, fuck him.
-All right? -Yeah.
You can't be shopliftin' my loves like that, dawg.
-You feel me? -Sorry.
Yeah. You gotta come up with your own, Ohio.
[fast paced R&B music playing over speakers]
[echoing] ♪ Yo ♪
[echoing] ♪ All right ♪
♪ Look, tonight I'm alone ♪
♪ The timing his own I mind my own ♪
♪ Because I be finding my zone ♪
♪ Finding my zone I be finding my zone ♪
♪ Tonight I'ma go Life on the road ♪
♪ The lightin' is cold Because I be finding my zone ♪
♪ Finding my zone I be finding my zone ♪
♪ I put on my Zeus ties So scoop by ♪
♪ More episodes Than Luke Sky ♪
-[distant train horn blaring] -Yeah, but for that,
I'm gonna need studio time, bro.
Hell, no. We're gonna build a studio
-right here in the crib. -Hell, yeah,
Stick that shit in the dining room.
What does anybody use the dining room for anyways?
[laughter]
[♪♪♪♪♪]
What is it?
It's a warrant, bro.
[Marquise] Fuck!
[Rigo and Marquise groan]
[Marquise] Fuck.
No, no, no, no, no! No, no, no.
No. No, no, no, no.
Shit, man!
It's all gone, man.
Fuck!
-[phone buttons beeping] -What are you doin'?
I'm callin' Uncle Matty.
[phone beeps, dialing out]
Fuck, man.
My gosh. No, Rigo? It means you're dancing with me.
Oh.
Ladies and gentleman, Zo versus Tal.
Whoa!
-You was right. -About what?
Matty, we can't trust him, dawg.
I'm in the frickin' suburbs.
-Ashley... -Mom.
We just have such different realities.
Maybe that's where it should stay.
[man] Made in Georgia.
-[blows] -[wind chimes]
♪ Dat da dup da dup dat ♪