[birds chirping softly]
‐ [sighs]
[phone buzzes]
[grunts]
[phone buzzing]
What?
[Aminé's "Burden"]
No!
AMINE: ♪ Look ♪
SINGER: ♪ Oh, oh ♪
AMINE: ♪ Uh uh oh, Yeah, I like that ♪
SINGER: ♪ Oh, oh ♪ AMINE: ♪ Uh uh oh, yep ♪
♪ Bury me before I'm a burden ♪
♪ Don't bury me 'til niggas is certain ♪
‐ Amadi, what happened?
‐ I mean, I titled the piece
"The Pickets' Revisionist History."
Why did it get changed?
‐ Gabe must've changed it when we left.
‐ Oh, my God.
You know he's going crazy
with the whole click‐bait headline thing.
‐ Yeah, but I wasn't trying to, like, glamorize them.
Like, I was‐‐I don't know.
I called them out on their shit, right?
‐ Well, when the article got pitched,
I did ask whether or not it was worth doing.
Carl's Autobody and the Portland Library
have both pulled their ads.
‐ The library hates me?
That sucks.
Uh, hi. Can I get a small coffee?
‐ Annie Easton?
‐ Yes?
‐ Sorry, we don't serve racists here.
‐ Oh. ‐ Hey, I'm sorry.
It's okay. She's actually with me‐‐
‐ Okay. You don't have to‐‐
‐ Whatever you want is on the house.
‐ Really? Okay.
Uh, could we have two small coffees?
‐ Yep.
‐ Thank you.
‐ You must be feeling a lot of white guilt right now.
‐ Yes. Yes.
Heavy, heavy on my mind.
‐ What's that like?
‐ It's‐‐it's nothing compared to...
And I‐‐yeah.
‐ I feel like I would be so good on reality TV,
just wearing big necklaces
and calling other women narcissists.
‐ Yeah, 'cause you do that now.
‐ Yeah, but then I'd be getting paid.
[giggles]
‐ Hey. What are these?
‐ From my cousin's wedding.
She just sent them.
EMILY: Okay.
I'm seeing a lot of beautiful people,
a lot of cool hats.
‐ They're called geles.
And you know what they say‐‐
the cooler the hat,
the more foreign you are.
‐ Mm.
You know, I knew you were Nigerian,
but I don't think I knew you were, like, Nigerian.
‐ My parents are Nigerian.
They moved to London.
I was born.
It's really not that exciting.
‐ Except literally every part of that is exciting.
Like, why did they move?
‐ Because they wanted to.
I mean, what do you have to say about your parents?
‐ Well, Papa's Irish‐German
and mama is a covered wagon.
‐ Wow. ‐ Mm‐hmm.
Okay.
You're being weird about this.
But if you want me to drop it, I will drop it.
‐ Good.
‐ No.
No, no. Come on.
Come on, just‐‐if I kiss you‐‐
you've been hogging it.
‐ You're an addict. You're an addict
‐ You've been hogging it. ‐ [laughs]
[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
‐ Hey. Annie?
I printed out all the hate emails
The Thorn got about you. Do you want them?
‐ No.
‐ Annie, I said be friendly with the Pickets.
I didn't mean be friends.
‐ I didn't become friends with them.
‐ You ate their pie
and said that their pie tasted good.
‐ Okay, but I also said
that they're trying to start a white utopia.
‐ Don't get mad at us.
You're the one who got yourself canceled.
‐ What? I am not canceled.
‐ She's canceled. ‐ So canceled.
‐ Why did you change my headline?
‐ You know, everyone is reading what you wrote, Annie.
You're welcome. ‐ [laughs]
Well, no one is reading
my actually thoughtful article.
They're just reading your shitty headline.
‐ You know what? I'm not gonna apologize
for being a good writer, okay, Annie?
I don't have time for this, uh, eruption.
I've got a huge press day today for my book.
I'm late for a podcast,
which I didn't even know was possible.
Talk to you later.
‐ Fine. Then I'll call Sheila.
‐ Oh, little miss teacher's pet
going straight to "I'm telling!"
Hey. You know what?
You can tattle face to face
'cause she's coming here tomorrow.
How's that?
[OHMME's "Mine"]
‐ [grunts]
Shit.
♪ ♪
SINGER: ♪ Mine mine mine mine mine mine ♪
♪ It's all mine mine mine mine mine mine ♪
♪ Mine mine mine mine mine mine ♪
[lo‐fi hip‐hop music]
♪ ♪
[camera shutter snaps]
‐ Okay. This seems important,
but I need to know what you're doing.
‐ It is very important.
I'm sending a revenge selfie to a married ex.
But what's up? ‐ Okay, Ricochet.
I have a question. ‐ Uh‐huh.
‐ Say you're in a new
but very intense relationship...
‐ As I am most always am, yes.
‐ So my partner, Em, is great. RICOCHET: Uh‐huh.
‐ And we're really in love. RICOCHET: Mm.
But...
‐ Just sometimes
I feel like living here
and not being from here,
I feel like I'm already kind of on display.
And my partner is white,
started asking me all these questions about being Nigerian.
‐ Yes, yes, yes. See, to Americans,
we're like exotic birds.
It doesn't matter that my father is a dentist
and my mother, also a dentist.
‐ Yeah, it's like, I get that that stuff is exciting to them.
But, like, I just always kept my relationship
and my heritage separate.
‐ Yes, but see?
These people are from places like Idaho
and, um‐‐oh, what's the other one?
‐ I‐‐I feel like it's Wishigan.
‐ Wishigan. Wishigan, yes, yes, yes.
Their lives are football...
FRAN: Mm. ‐ And, uh, ham,
and everything they can put ham in.
And‐‐you know,
sometimes, my partners,
they ask about Chile, right? ‐ Mm.
RICOCHET: It's because they need Chile.
Their lives are such
that when they hear a little bit about Chile,
they go nuts. ‐ Yeah.
‐ So you gotta give them a little something,
you know what I mean?
‐ Yeah, that makes sense.
And I do wanna share myself with them.
‐ Then share yourself with them!
There must be something small
and inconsequential
you can just throw them, like...
FRAN: Yeah. ‐ I don't know.
Like a little wooden doll
or a‐‐or a‐‐or a rich tapestry,
something that says, "Here is a piece of me to you."
‐ I guess I could cook them something.
RICOCHET: Yes, yes, yes.
Enter the heart through the mouth, yes.
‐ Isn't this your best friend?
♪ ♪
ANNIE: [exhales]
[line trilling]
BILL: Hey, sweetheart.
‐ Hi, Dad.
BILL: Honey, Yellowstone is amazing.
We're at the most beautiful waterfall.
‐ That's cool.
Um, Dad, I'm, like,
kind of freaking out because everyone hates me.
BILL: Hold on, sweetie. I can barely hear you.
Say it again?
‐ Um, I‐‐I said that everyone's mad at me
because of the article that I wrote, and‐‐
BILL: Oh! We read that!
Really different and cool for you.
Do you wanna talk to your mom?
‐ No, I don't‐‐I‐‐ BILL: Vera!
Hey, Vera!
[laughs] No, she can't talk.
She spilled her water in her bag.
‐ Okay. Okay.
Dad, I'm gonna go, okay?
BILL: Yeah, one second, one second, Annie.
‐ Okay, bye.
[soft pop music]
[huffs]
[sighs] Today was hell.
Like, I, like, actually know what hell is now.
‐ Mm.
‐ I mean, like, my article‐‐
‐ Yeah, I saw the article.
‐ Yeah, so, I mean, Gabe changed the headline,
and it just made everything seem like
it was, like, so bad.
‐ Annie, stop. You're not the victim here.
‐ What? No.
Gabe skewed it with his headline,
but if you read the actual article‐‐
‐ Yeah, I read the whole thing.
You gave these people a platform.
You literally spent the whole day
with these racist pieces of shit,
and you shot guns with one of them.
I mean, why do these people
need to be written about at all?
‐ I was just trying
to investigate, like,
their shittiness, you know,
their, like, horrific values.
It wasn't my intention to give them a platform.
‐ How was it not your intention,
yet you wrote a feature article about them?
And intention or not, it still sucks.
‐ But‐‐it actually wasn't even my pitch.
Like, it was supposed to be Andy who wrote it.
‐ So you wrote it in protest?
‐ No.
No, I‐‐I just‐‐
I don't know‐‐ I just didn't want
to be pigeonholed into writing about body stuff.
So I was trying to, like‐‐
I don't know.
When it came up, I just kind of jumped at it.
‐ Annie, you wrote the article.
What do you think would've happened to me
if I went to that ranch?
‐ Yeah, I‐‐
I don't‐‐I‐‐I know
what you're saying.
‐ I can't help you through this.
This is your problem.
‐ "Dear Diary,
"Am I the only one
"who thinks Maureen is hot?
Probably not." [laughs]
‐ Maureen, it's not a diary, okay?
I'm‐‐I'm nervous, so I'm writing down
what I'm gonna say to Sheila and Gabe.
‐ Oh, no. Are you quitting again?
‐ No. No.
But everything is such a mess,
and so I asked for a formal meeting
with Gabe and Sheila and Amadi.
And I'm gonna fix things.
‐ Okay.
Well, I believe in you.
I believe in you,
and I believe in fairies,
and that's it.
If you need me, I'll be at my desk, making wishes,
wishes for my bitches.
You want this?
‐ No, thank you.
[sighs]
EMILY: Okay, all the ingredients are in there?
‐ Yes. I think so.
EMILY: Then we just need to puree them.
FRAN: Okay. ‐ And also if you wanted
to ask me some questions about my culture,
I'd be more than happy to answer.
‐ Wow, and what is your culture again?
‐ Like, kinda preppy.
‐ Okay, yeah, no.
I do have a lot of questions about that.
EMILY: [laughs]
[blender whirring]
‐ Is Nigerian food like Ethiopian food?
‐ They're, like, 5000 kilometers apart.
‐ Which is so many.
Was that a stupid question?
‐ Yeah. It was.
‐ And do you love me even though I'm stupid?
‐ I actually love you because you're stupid.
‐ Wow. God bless me.
[pop music playing in the background]
‐ Okay. That doesn't taste right.
My mum makes this all the time, and that's not it.
‐ Well, this is a random recipe
from recipesafrica.biz.
So maybe just call your mom.
‐ But if I call her, then we have to talk to her, so...
‐ Yep, Muy bien.
That is how calling people works.
‐ And this is a good thing
that we want to do?
‐ Just call your mom, Fran.
♪ ♪
‐ Okay, Annie, through your signature emotional acrobatics,
you've got what you wanted, our undivided attention.
‐ Okay.
Well, I've been thinking a lot about the article
that I wrote about the Pickets...
‐ Yes! It's exactly the kind
of fiery piece I want from you, Annie.
‐ Well, I‐‐ I don't agree with that.
Um... I mean,
these people are practically terrorists,
and we've given them a platform for their ideals.
And I'm not okay with that.
And I think that
we should take the article down.
‐ [laughs] I knew it.
[both chuckle]
‐ Sweetie, that's not how journalism works.
‐ Well, but people are‐‐
they're really upset, and they're hurt.
So doesn't that mean that we should listen to them?
GABE: No.
I can't believe that I'm saying this,
but Sheila and I completely agree.
Our policy is, we don't take stories down.
We bash people over the heads with them.
‐ Your article broke our quarterly traffic records.
Because of you, The Thorn lives to fight another day.
‐ But we're losing advertisers.
‐ Eh, we lost a few small‐time accounts,
but we gained national attention.
‐ Amadi, you get what I'm trying to say here, right?
‐ Uh, I don't love having these people in our paper,
but we published it.
So that means it stands.
I would appreciate, however,
if you would run headlines past me
before you call white supremacists charming.
‐ Of course. ‐ Good point.
‐ Okay, um, well, then could I‐‐
could I write an apology
and we could post it online or something?
I just feel like I should be given the chance
to explain what actually happened here.
GABE: And say what?
How it was everyone else's fault except your own?
‐ No, I'm trying to take accountability right now.
‐ If this is too much for you,
then stay in your own lane.
But if you want to evolve and go bigger,
the job comes with a few occupational hazards.
Bare minimum,
think about the ethics of what you are writing
before the story comes out.
It's great to see you.
‐ Okay.
‐ Should we get started?
‐ You forgot your notes.
‐ Oh.
‐ Next month's slates.
‐ All right.
[phone vibrates, chimes]
‐ [scoffs]
[breathing shakily]
[whimpers]
‐ Okay.
What are you waiting for?
‐ I am setting an intention
that this call will not be horribly bad.
‐ Hey. You can do this.
[line trilling]
BISI: Hello.
Frances, is that you?
‐ Hi, Mum. Sorry it's late.
BISI: I'm up. I'm always up.
FRAN: Mum, can you point the phone at your face?
I can see up your nose.
BISI: My baby, what's going on?
‐ I'm trying to make jollof rice,
and the tomato doesn't taste right.
It tastes really bland.
BISI: You are making jollof rice?
[laughs]
This brings me great joy.
Someone's in your house!
Hang up and call the police.
‐ Mum, this is‐‐
this is Em, my partner.
‐ Hi, it's really nice to meet you.
BISI: It is so nice
to meet you, too.
You know, in 29 years,
our Frances has never cooked
Nigerian food,
so you must be very special.
‐ Well, I'm nowhere near
as special as our Frances.
BISI: Tell me, what do you do for work?
‐ Mum, the jollof rice. Remember?
BISI: Yes, of course.
It will never taste as good as my jollof rice,
but we can try to get it close.
BISI: That is why Ghanaian jollof rice
is garbage rice, okay?
‐ Okay. I believe you.
‐ Okay. You need to try this.
‐ Okay. Wow.
That's the best thing I've ever had in my life.
‐ Thank you so much, Mum. It tastes just like yours.
BISI: It is my pleasure, Frances.
Okay. You two eat up.
It was so pleasant to speak to you, Em.
‐ Oh, thank you, Bisi.
It was so lovely to get to meet you.
BISI: Good night.
‐ Have a good night.
BISI: I love you, Frances.
Thank you for letting me meet Em.
‐ I love you too, Mum. Thank you.
‐ Okay, well, she's wonderful.
Can I have her number?
‐ Absolutely not. No. ‐ [laughs]
‐ But it genuinely was really nice
to see how well you two got on.
‐ Parents love me.
I have a "good at chores" energy.
‐ But no, I've just never introduced a partner
to my parents before.
‐ Why?
‐ I think I kept my dating life separate
because if one rejected the other,
it would just be too painful.
‐ Well, I love you.
And I want to be part
of everything about you.
‐ I love you too.
ANGEL OLSEN: ♪ What is it you think I need? ♪
[Angel Olsen's "Chance"]
‐ I guess it's time for you to meet my family now?
‐ I get to go to the factory where you were made.
‐ It's actually the world's largest lacrosse field.
‐ Okay. [chuckles]
ANGEL OLSEN: ♪ I don't want it all ♪
♪ ♪
‐ [sobbing]
ANGEL OLSEN: ♪ I've had enough ♪
‐ [sobbing continues]
ANGEL OLSEN: ♪ I don't want it all ♪
‐ Hey, hey. ‐ [laughs]
‐ You okay?
‐ [sobs]
‐ No.
I don't know.
Everything is just so bad.
And‐‐I don't know.
Like, everyone thinks I'm racist,
and I am so selfish.
I can't...
RYAN: Come here. Come here.
Hey.
It's okay.
ANNIE: [sobbing]
Oh, God.
I just‐‐I don't know.
I think I thought
that when we broke up,
that things would just be easier.
But it's not,
and I really feel like a worthless piece of shit.
RYAN: Hey.
Don't say that about yourself.
Like, ever.
I'm so lucky to have ever dated you.
‐ Oh, God. This is so fucked.
I should not be venting to you like this.
‐ It's okay.
I'll always be here for you, Annie.
‐ Thank you.
I'm...I'm fine.
I'm‐‐I'm okay. I...
‐ You're sure? ‐ Yeah.
You should‐‐you can go. ‐ You good?
‐ I'm sorry.
RYAN: Okay.
‐ Ryan?
[dramatic hip‐hop music]
SINGER: ♪ I'm a freak ♪
ANNIE: [sighing] RYAN: [grunting]
‐ Oh, my God. That feels so fucking good.
RYAN: Oh, God. That feels so good.
Your pussy feels so good.
‐ Oh, my God, I'm gonna come.
RYAN: [grunts] I'm gonna come, too.
[both yelp]
RYAN: That was amazing.
Like, when you talk about my cock,
it just makes me go harder.
‐ I know.
I kinda think we should just
start fucking at work again.
You know, like, fuck The Thorn.
‐ That would be so awesome.
ANNIE: Wow, what's‐‐ what's this?
‐ Oh, shit.
Fuck, I forgot.
‐ What?
‐ I kinda have a girlfriend.
I mean, I do have a girlfriend.
‐ Oh, you forgot you have a girlfriend?
What the fuck is wrong with you?
‐ Shit. This is bad.
We just got a dog together.
‐ Oh, my God, so I just helped you cheat
on your girlfriend and your dog?
You are exactly the fucking same.
‐ I'm sorry. You were just so sad,
and I wanted to make you happy.
But we can never do this again.
‐ Yes. No shit, motherfucker.
We are never doing this again. Okay.
I should have never come here,
and I should have never done this.
Listen to me.
Listen to me right now,
and I really fucking mean it.
Do not ever talk to me again.
Don't call me,
don't find me at work.
Do not ever talk to me again!
[huffs]
Oh, my God.
Fuck you.
Truly, fuck you!
[Molly Burch's "needy"]
♪ ♪
[breathes deeply]
SINGER: ♪ If you take too long to hit me back ♪
♪ I can't promise you how I'll react ♪
♪ But all I can say ♪
♪ Is at least I'll wait for you ♪
♪ Lately I've been on a roller coaster ♪
♪ Tryna get ahold of my emotions ♪
♪ But all that I know ♪
♪ Is I need you close ♪
♪ I'ma scream and shout for what I love ♪
♪ Passionate, but I don't give no fuck ♪
♪ I'll admit that I'm a lil' messed up ♪
♪ But I can hide it when I'm all dressed up ♪
♪ I'm obsessive, and I love too hard ♪
♪ Good at overthinkin' with my heart ♪
♪ How you even think I got this far? ♪
♪ ♪