♪
Okay, y'all.
How we feelin' about this dress?
I love it!
Adorable!
Definitely your power color.
Well, looks like we have a winner.
This is the perfect dress for church tomorrow.
‐Church? ‐Tomorrow?
Well, that's the only Lord's day I know.
Y'all's Baptist Church better get ready,
'cause there's a new, cute kid in town.
Lexi thinks we're all goin' to church tomorrow.
Pretty sure she thinks we go every Sunday.
The only thing I do every Sunday is...
nothing.
I can't even remember the last time we went to church.
Well, Lexi's living with us now and...
it seems really important to her.
Then it's settled.
Looks like the Reynolds family is goin' to church!
So, what do y'all think about this dress?
I thought you decided on the other one.
Yeah, but something about this one felt more blessed and highly favored.
♪ Do, do, do, do
(theme music playing)
♪ Like father, like daughter, we don't always agree ♪
♪ But looking at you is like looking at me ♪
♪ The more things change, the more they stay the same ♪
♪ Like father, like daughter, from different times ♪
♪ Taking all the best from your decade and mine ♪
♪ The more things change
♪ The more they stay the same
♪ Do, do, do‐do, do, do
♪ Do, do
♪ The more they stay the same
♪
By the way Lexi, I...
should've mentioned this before, but
this is the first time in a long time
that I've been to church.
Oh, girl, I knew that the second I saw there
was no church section in your closet.
Even Koko's closet has a church section.
Yeah, well Koko also has a dream house,
so I've got a lotta catching up to do.
Good Morning, Mount Bethel!
All: Good morning, Pastor Moore.
I said,
"Good Morning, Mount Bethel!"
All: (louder) Good morning, Pastor Moore.
Now that's what I'm talkin' about.
It is so nice to see many
of our regulars out there.
As well as those of you who, uh,
(clears throat)
haven't been here in a while.
(indistinct chatter)
Now let's welcome any newcomers
to our congregation.
Newcomers, please stand.
Should we stand?
‐We're fine. ‐Let's just keep a low profile.
We're new, Pastor Moore!
Don't be shy,
let the folks see you.
Hey, y'all.
I'm Lexi Rae Parker.
And this is my Cousin Sydney,
Grandma Judy, and Uncle Max.
Well, hello.
And what church are you joining us from today?
Back home in Savannah,
I attended the first
Black Baptist church in America.
And... well, we're kinda between churches.
But that's just because I own a bike shop,
and Sundays are our busiest day.
Actually, it's probably Saturday.
Oh no, did I just lie in church?
Okay. What he meant to say is, we're very happy to be here.
And we're happy to have you.
Here at Mount Bethel, everyone is welcome.
No one judges.
And if you do,
you may want to meet with me after service.
I know that's right!
♪
Hey, Alisha.
Hey, Max. Hey, Leo.
These are the girls I was telling you about;
the ones I've been singing with.
Hi, I'm Tia.
And I'm Nia.
We're twins, but we're not identical.
And we don't dress alike, or speak in unison.
‐You don't? ‐Both: No way.
‐Tia! ‐Nia!
So, how's the whole girl group thing goin'?
We just came from rehearsing. Take a listen.
(clicks boombox)
(track plays)
♪ Side by side
♪ We're girls for life
♪ Yeah let's ride
♪ We can do anything
♪ Hands up
♪ All my girls if you're with me ♪
♪ We gon' set the roof on fire ♪
♪ With this energy
Alisha, you were amazing!
I mean, you were all amazing.
Yeah. You three can really sing.
Thanks, guys.
When can we see you perform?
Don't know. We don't have any shows scheduled.
Hey, that place that Leo and I did our poetry slam
has an open mic once a month.
We were totally crushin' it.
While we were up there bustin' it.
(echoes) Bustin', bustin', bustin'!
You should totally sign up for it.
That's a great idea. Thanks, Max.
What do you think, girls?
Both: I'm down.
Both: Stop it!
‐Guess we're down. ‐Sweet!
Come on. I'll show you where the free tokens are.
Did you just say, "free?"
You're the best, cuz‐‐ Gotta go!
Those free plays come out of my paycheck, you know!
‐No, they don't. ‐She doesn't know that.
♪ This little light of mine
♪ I'm gonna let it shine
♪ Ooh, this little light of mine ♪
♪ I'm gonna let it shine
♪ This little light of mine
♪ I'm gonna let it shine
♪ Let it shine, let it shine
♪ Let it shine
♪ Oh‐ooh, this little light of mine ♪
♪ I'm gonna let it shine
♪ Ooh, this little light of mine ♪
♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪
♪ This little light of mine
♪ I'm gonna let it shine
♪ Let it shine, let it shine
♪ Let it shine
‐(cheering) ‐(applauding)
All right now.
You better sing!
I've never heard anyone sing like that woman.
She's incredible.
I feel like she woke something up in me
I didn't even know was asleep.
Amen!
Oh, was that not the right time?
Come on, Syd. Let's go meet the pastor!
Well, maybe now's not the‐‐
Pastor Moore! Pastor Moore!
Hello, sweet girls.
I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Lexi.
Well, you're kinda hard to forget, honey.
Thanks for blessing my church today
with your wonderful spirit.
Your sermon was beautiful, Pastor Moore.
And that singer?
Wow.
Oh yes, it is a very special treat
when Sister Dominique sings.
She's like Aretha meets Yolanda, with a dash of Cece.
Which I am not mad at.
Seriously.
She was filled with so much power and soul,
joy.
And believe me, Syd would know.
She's got the most amazing voice.
‐Oh, I wouldn't go that far. ‐You know,
next week is Youth Sunday,
we're actually still looking for a teen soloist.
Any interest, Sydney?
What?
‐Me? ‐She'd love to!
Wonderful!
I'll tell the choir director.
Thank you, Sydney.
You're welcome?
Isn't that great, Syd?
Won't He do it!
♪
Oh, hey, Olive.
So, how was church with Lexi?
Incredible!
Everyone was so welcoming,
and there was this singer, Dominique,
who was fantastic.
Lexi even brought her own tambourine.
I love tambourines!
I'm not allowed to bring mine to temple anymore.
Apparently, the rabbi finds it distracting.
Which feels like more of a him problem than a me problem.
Oh, and after the service,
Pastor Moore asked me to sing "Amazing Grace" next week,
and I said yes!
Well, technically Lexi volunteered me, and I didn't say no.
I love "Amazing Grace."
I bet you sound awesome singing it.
I don't know. I was just about to start practicing.
Oh, can I listen?
And I promise not to move my lips along with yours.
Sure. But if I'm gonna be able to hit
the high notes like Dominique,
I gotta warm up first.
Okay. Ahem.
Mah! Mah!
Buh‐buh‐buh‐buh‐buhhh.
(lip trill)
Woo! Even your warm ups kill it.
Okay, here goes.
(riffing) ♪ A‐ma
♪ Zing
♪ Grace
No, no. Um, how 'bout this?
♪ A ‐ ma
♪ Zing
♪ Grace
♪ How sweet
♪ The sound
I'm just not getting this.
Come on. You just started.
I know, but...
Dominique has this amazing, soulful, powerful voice.
And I don't sound like her at all.
Well, keep practicing. You'll get it.
Just like the time I finally did that pull‐up.
Olive, you've never done a pull‐up.
Sh! Don't let my arms hear you.
They're very sensitive.
Hey, Alisha. What's up?
Tia and Nia have chicken pox.
Twins. They have to do everything together.
I know I've already had chicken pox,
but just hearin' those words makes me itchy all over.
Anyway, since the girls are sick,
we can't sing at the open mic on Saturday.
That stinks.
Why don't you sign up again when the girls are better?
The open mic's only once a month, and they're both so busy.
Alisha, you have a great voice.
Why don't you just sing on your own?
Sing on stage by myself?
I haven't even sung on stage with them.
I hate to see you miss this opportunity, cuz.
Could someone get this spot on my back?
Ooh, I know!
Instead of Tia and Nia,
take Leo and me‐o!
You guys actually wanna sing Tia and Nia's parts?
Totally.
What do you think, Leo?
Great idea.
As long as I have full control over
lighting, wardrobe and choreo, I'm in.
‐You don't. ‐I'll give you some time to mull it over.
Let's start rehearsing tomorrow.
I can't believe you guys would do this for me.
I would do anything for you.
I mean, we, would do anything for you.
Thanks, guys.
Can you believe Tia and Nia have chicken pox?
Aw man, why'd you have to say "chicken pox" again?
(sigh of relief)
♪
Hey, Syd. How's the song going?
Well, I've been practicing "Amazing Grace" all week,
and I'm still not getting it.
I'm gonna totally embarrass myself singing in church.
Wow. I've never seen you this nervous before.
Even when we met that Ariana Grande look‐a‐like.
Although we've never been that close
to a pretend celebrity before.
Olive, it's not about being nervous.
Gospel music is a huge part of Black culture.
I don't know if my voice has that kind of soul.
Sounds like you're putting a lotta pressure on yourself.
Well, I feel a lot of pressure.
How can I represent a church I haven't been a part of
without feeling like a phony?
Syd, guess what!
I just heard they're live streaming Sunday's services.
They do that?
Yep. I'm so proud.
Everybody and their mommas gonna hear you sing.
That's it. I can't do it.
What do you mean?
I can't get up in front of that church and sing.
I don't belong up there.
But Syd, you told the pastor you'd do it.
Besides, you can't just bail last minute.
You put in so much work.
Hey,
maybe,
I've put in too much work.
So much that I lost my voice.
But you haven't lost your voice.
(hoarse) I don't know.
Sounds like I did to me.
Oh. You're gonna pretend like you lost your voice.
(hoarse) Try to keep up.
♪
Okay. The music is ready to go.
I can't thank you guys enough for filling in for Tia and Nia.
Ooh, you guys about to start rehearsing?
You wanna watch?
Oh. No, no, no. She can't.
I've been asked to remain upstairs while you practice.
Apparently, I can be "embarrassing."
By the way,
you left your dirty underwear in the kitchen.
Okay, let's listen to the track first.
‐(clicks boombox) ‐(track plays)
♪ Side by side
♪ We're girls for life
♪ Yeah let's ride
♪ We can do anything
(clicks boombox)
Sounds good. Let's give it a try.
Okay. Our first note is...
(sings) side.
But you'll sing it in your octave.
Got it.
All: ♪ Side by side
♪ We're girls for life
Uh, you know what? It sounds kinda weird
with you singing so low, and me singing so high.
Okay. We'll just sing it up in your octave.
That way we'll sound just like Tia and Nia.
Both: (high‐pitched) ♪ Side by side
♪ We're girls for life
Forget girls for life.
We not even girls for now.
♪
All: ♪ Side by side
♪ We're girls for life
Hey, that was our best one yet.
That is a very low bar.
Look, why don't we call it a night.
Well, if we're gonna try again tomorrow,
should probably go rest
the gift.
Max, I appreciate what you're doing,
but I think we should drop out of the open mic night.
What?
You can't drop out just because of us.
You sure you don't wanna do it as a solo?
Yeah, not gonna happen.
Well, for the record,
whenever you're ready,
I know you'll crush it.
Thanks, Max.
Hey,
I know Leo's gonna be disappointed if we don't get to perform.
Mind if we take your spot at the open mic to do another poetry slam?
Sure. Spot's all yours.
Promise you'll be there?
Uh, duh. No way I'm missing that.
Good. You know how much Leo loves to perform.
Personally, I don't need the praise,
although I could rhyme for days.
Wow. You're good.
They just come to me.
♪
Hey, Mom. You takin' Winston for a walk?
Yeah, we're going to the dog park.
You're taking a horse to the dog park?
Well, do you know of a miniature horse park?
Besides, it's dark out.
I'm gonna pass him off as a Great Dane.
Hey, Syd.
Such a bummer about your voice.
I know how much you were looking forward to singing at church tomorrow.
(hoarse) I know. So disappointing.
It's weird. You know, all these years you've been singing,
and you've never once
lost your voice.
And right before your church debut.
(hoarse) Can't talk. Gotta go.
Oh. Hey, Lexi.
Syd, you poor thing.
I'm so sorry about your laryngitis.
I know. It's the worst.
Don't you worry.
I made Great Gram's cure for sore throats.
It'll cure you, like honey on a bee sting.
Okay, but don't get your hopes up.
(regular voice) Yuck! What is in this?
I mean‐‐ Hey! It worked!
Wait.
Your voice is fine.
I can't believe you were faking it.
♪
Hey, Lexi. Can I talk to you?
(hoarse) Can't. Must've caught your laryngitis.
Okay. I deserve that.
I'm sorry I lied.
But the truth is I don't belong on that stage.
What do you mean?
I'm not soulful enough to sing gospel.
Not like Dominique.
You don't have to sound like her.
Singing gospel is all about
putting your own type of soul on it.
I know.
I just don't wanna embarrass myself.
You kidding? Back home, Brother William
would sing like a rooster honkin' a car horn.
But he sang from his heart, so everyone loved it.
It's just that gospel's so sacred.
I don't wanna mess it up.
You can't mess it up.
It's meant to uplift folks, not impress them.
Sorry, Lexi. I just can't do it.
Although I feel bad there's no soloist for tomorrow.
Yes there is.
‐I'll do it. ‐You will?
I sing with the youth choir back home all the time.
Man, they must be lost without me.
Thank you, Lexi.
I can't wait to hear you rock it.
Oh, honey. I will.
But one day you'll be so moved by the Spirit,
that you won't be able to stop yourself from singin' in church.
You really think so?
Oh, yeah.
The Lord is still workin' on ya.
♪
Hey, guys.
Oh, great! You made it.
I wouldn't miss your slam. So, you two ready to rhyme?
(echoes) Rhyme, rhyme, rhyme.
‐We're ready. ‐(echoes) Ready, ready, ready.
I'll just go over there, there, there.
Hey, Alisha,
any chance you changed your mind about singing?
We'd be happy to give you back the spot.
I even brought your music.
You brought my music?
Wait, was this all a trick to get me to sing?!
Look,
no pressure.
But I really think you should do it.
I want to,
but how am I gonna get through a whole song
in front of all these people?
Because I believe in you.
And if you get really nervous, just...
look at me and pretend I'm the only person in the room.
C'mon, Alisha. You got this.
I do? You sure?
One hundred percent.
Okay.
But if I bomb, I am blaming it all on you.
(chuckles) That's cool.
I get blamed for stuff all the time.
Next up we have a special poetry selection‐‐
Actually, there's been a slight change in our program tonight.
Could you put this in for me?
Ladies and gentlemen,
we have a new singer who's so good,
she doesn't even need any backup.
Let's hear it for Alisha Webb!
(applause)
(track plays)
♪ Side by side
♪ We're girls for life
♪ Yeah let's ride
♪ We can do anything
♪ Hands up
♪ All my girls if you're with me ♪
♪ We gon' set the roof on fire with this energy ♪
♪ I know we can stand on our own feet ♪
♪ But together we're better we're makin' history ♪
♪ Side by side
♪ We're girls for life
♪ Yeah let's ride
♪ We can do anything
♪ So come on, bring it on, bring on the world ♪
(applause)
♪
I pray that you all find love,
strength‐‐
(whispers) Why you holding Koko so high?
(whispers) So she can see Lexi.
(whispers) Well, you're blocking everyone's view.
You're right. How rude of me.
How you doin', Syd?
Okay, I guess.
Just disappointed with myself
for sitting here while my little cousin is
brave enough to get up there and sing.
Hey, there's no judgment in this house.
Yeah. I've been paying attention.
Besides, I know you'll do it
when you feel more comfortable.
I just hope one day the Spirit can move me like it does Lexi.
Pastor Moore: Now,
we have an extra special soloist this week.
Introducing our newest,
and littlest choir member,
Lexi Rae Parker!
(applause)
Why thank you, Pastor Moore.
And thank you Mount Bethel for makin' this southern girl
feel so at home.
All: Amen!
And like my Pop‐Pop always says,
"When you sing, you gotta let the Spirit use you."
All: (cheers) Hallelujah, Hallelujah!
♪
♪ Amazing grace
♪ How sweet
♪ The sound
♪ That saved a wretch
♪ Like me
♪ I once was lost
♪ But now I'm found
♪ Was blind, but now
♪ I see
Both: ♪ Was grace that taught
♪ My heart to fear
♪ And grace, my fears
♪ Relieved
♪ How precious did
♪ That grace appear
♪ The hour
♪ I first
♪ Believed
(applause)
♪
Well girls, that was the greatest surprise collab ever.
I've already got the album cover worked out in my head.
Oh, by the way, you're releasing an album.
(crying) I just can't get over it. It was so beautiful.
I didn't know one body could hold so much pride.
Thanks Dad, but you've been crying since church.
And all the way through brunch.
Go ahead, Uncle Max. Let it out.
Well, I wanna thank Lexi for bringing us
into the church community.
I have a feeling we're all gonna be regulars at Mount Bethel.
And the best part is,
Pastor Moore wants Sydney and me to sing again
next week.
I'm gonna need a minute.
Go ahead, Uncle Max. Let it out.
♪
♪ Do, do, do‐do, do, do
♪ Do, do
♪ Do, do, do‐do, do, do
♪ Do, do
♪
♪ Do, do, do‐do, do, do
♪ Do, do
♪ Do, do, do‐do, do, do
♪ Do, do
Oh, yeah.