♪ "Horizontal" by Alice Longyu‐Gao ♪
[heavy breathing]
‐ ♪ Oh oh oh oh ♪
♪ Take it harder, take it fast ♪
♪ Do gymnastics with your hands ♪
♪ If you're so damn bored and you wanna be a whore ♪
♪ Do the horizontal dance ♪
[knocking on door]
ISABEL: How was dinner, mijo‐‐ [gasps] [door opens]
‐ Mom, what are you‐‐ what are you‐‐ Get out! Get out!
[sighs] Ah, shit, shit, shit, shit...
‐ Victor, it's okay.
‐ Benji, just put your clothes on.
[door opens]
Mom. Mom‐‐ ‐ What were you thinking?
Your little brother is asleep in the next room.
‐ I wasn't thinking, okay?
It just‐‐ ISABEL: I am trying so hard
to wrap my head around all of this,
and you go and‐‐ ‐ I'm sorry!
It's just‐‐ ‐ It's just what?
What excuse
could you possibly have for doing that in my house?
‐ What do you mean by "that?"
‐ Benji, please.
‐ I mean having sex with Adrian in the next room.
‐ Oh, sex, or gay sex? ‐ Stop!
‐ Look, that was awkward for all of us.
But we're in a serious relationship.
She wouldn't be acting like this
if she'd caught you having sex with a girl.
‐ Why is everyone yelling?
ISABEL: It's nothing, mijo.
Victor just knows that he's not allowed to have friends over without us.
‐ He's not my friend. He's my boyfriend. ‐ Benji!
‐ Benji's your boyfriend?
‐ You need to go.
‐ Just go.
[door slams]
‐ Okay, mijo. Let's get you back to bed. We'll talk in the morning, yeah?
[exhales shakily]
[door closes]
‐ ♪ Somebody to tell me it'll be all right ♪
♪ Somebody to tell me it'll be just fine ♪
♪ If someone has been there before, say it right now ♪
♪ 'Cause I just need to hear it ♪
♪
[birds chirping]
[sighs]
[door opens]
[door closes] ARMANDO: Hey, Isa.
ISABEL: Thanks for coming over.
[sighs, then screams]
I don't have any master plan.
I just figured we could wing it. ‐ That's fine.
I mean‐‐
‐ Is this an ambush?
Because I already said I'm sorry. It won't happen again.
‐ It's not an ambush, mijo. I'm here to talk to Adrian.
Your mom and I thought I should be here for the follow‐up conversation
about you being gay.
‐ Oh. Okay.
‐ Papi's here?
‐ Hey. [laughs] Yeah. Um... ISABEL: Hey! [laughs]
‐ Well, we all wanted to talk to you about last night.
‐ Yeah. Do you know what it means to be... gay?
‐ Yeah, of course. Like Elliot Felter's two moms.
‐ Yes! Exactly.
‐ And Spongebob. Spongebob is gay.
‐ No. He's a sponge. ‐ Oh, Mom.
‐ Uh, well, do you have any questions?
‐ Yeah. Why was Mia your girlfriend if you're gay?
‐ Uh... good question.
I was still figuring some stuff out.
‐ Sometimes people don't know what they like until they try it.
Um, like when you thought blueberry pancakes were the best
until you tried your mom's French toast.
‐ Cool. Glad you found your French toast.
‐ Thanks, papa. Me, too.
♪
[birds chirping]
‐ Where am I? [sighs]
Uh... Is it morning?
‐ Yeah. I think we passed out
somewhere between the second bag of Doritos
and third hour of Family Feud.
‐ Oh. That explains the Steve Harvey nightmare.
He refused to crown me Miss Universe.
[laughs] [phone vibrates]
‐ You okay?
‐ Yeah. Yeah, no, it's, um,
um, my mom wants me to visit her
at the hospital after school today.
‐ That's good news, right? ‐ Yeah.
Yeah, no, I‐‐ I guess. It's just, um,
I don't know what I'm walking into.
‐ A few days ago your mom didn't want to see anyone,
and now she's asking you to visit.
I think that's a good sign.
‐ Hey, you know, um...
between my mom and the breakup, this week has been hell.
But last night was like,
more fun than I had in like...
forever.
‐ Yeah. Me, too. [both chuckle]
‐ Cool. Um, well,
thanks for the hang, senator.
[Pilar grunts]
HAROLD: Mia! Breakfast!
[Mia sighs]
Ah! There she is.
Good morning, my love.
I made us breakfast burritos.
Ah, ah, ah! ‐ Uh‐oh.
Did I just walk into a breakfast burrito conversation?
‐ A what?
‐ Whenever you have bad news,
you always make my favorite breakfast to soften the blow.
Well, it used to be my favorite.
Now I associate breakfast burritos with surprise and trauma.
‐ All right, actually, I do have something I want to talk to you about.
‐ Mmm, let's see.
All right, so you're already getting married next week.
And you're having a baby. What is it now?
Long lost brother? Tax fraud? Secret second family?
‐ Okay, look. The president of Stanford is retiring,
and he offered me the job.
‐ Stanford, Stanford.
Like, like all the way across the country Stanford?
‐ Yeah. That one.
But listen, the job doesn't start until next year,
so don't worry. You'll be able to finish out your semester.
Now, if I take this,
I really want to know how you feel. Okay?
Because you know me. I'm Mr. Neutral.
[Mia laughs softly]
‐ I think you should take the job.
‐ Really? I thought you'd need more time to process.
‐ What's there to process? I mean, yes, moving sucks,
but you've worked your entire career for a shot like this.
[both exhale]
‐ Okay. Um, wow.
‐ California, here we come.
Thanks. ‐ Mmm.
[chuckles]
[indistinct chatter]
‐ Hey.
‐ Uh, my parents spoke to Adrian this morning.
It went pretty well.
He said that you were my French toast.
‐ Great. Did your mom apologize?
‐ Apologize?
Benji, she walked in on us having sex,
and then you basically called her homophobic,
and then outed us to my little brother.
I want to say I'm kind of waiting for you to apologize.
‐ Seriously?
[Benji sighs]
‐ She was getting ready to tell him.
I told you, she's been doing better‐‐ ‐ Bullshit.
I saw her face when she walked in on us. She looked disgusted.
And you didn't even stand up for yourself.
‐ Because walking in on your kid having sex is disgusting!
You have no idea where she's coming from.
And I'm sorry that we can't all have totally supportive,
liberal, white parents like you do.
‐ What? What does being white have to do with anything?
‐ [sighs] You have no idea what it's like to come from my family,
and you never will.
Okay? So the last thing I need is your meaningless opinion
on how to deal with my shit.
‐ [sighs] Screw this.
‐ Benji, where are you going?
‐ I don't know.
♪ upbeat music playing ♪
[Felix chattering]
‐ [imitating Sir David Attenborough]: Here we have a female North American teenager,
peeping on her crush.
Watch as she gently swoons in the recirculated school air.
‐ Shut up! Ugh, he's so frustrating.
We fell asleep watching TV,
and this morning he said it was the most fun he's had in forever.
‐ [normal voice]: Adorable! ‐ And then he punched me in the arm and called me "senator."
‐ Less adorable.
‐ I can't tell if he "likes" likes me,
or if he thinks of me as his moody little sister.
‐ Okay, Pi. I need to tell you a hard truth.
‐ Okay. ‐ You're hot!
‐ What? Shut up. ‐ Okay, I know it doesn't go with your low‐key
serial killer vibes, but it's a fact.
Okay? And he's giving you all the straight boy signs.
He even responds to your texts in less than thirty seconds. [Felix chattering]
Okay, so... he wants you.
Grab your phone, text him, make a plan.
[Rahim chuckles softly] [tapping on phone screen]
[tapping on screen, phone bloops] FELIX: I don't know...
It's just always been kind of a dream of mine. I‐‐
[phone bloops]
RAHIM: See? What did I just tell you?
[squeals softly] [Rahim laughs]
♪ "Close to You" by Dayglow playing ♪
‐ Hey, dude, I'm freaking out, man.
I mean, I've never had a breakup before.
Do I sit with you guys and Lake,
or do I find a new lunch table?
I mean, my pulse? Skyrocketing! ‐ Okay, deep breaths.
Just because you're not together anymore doesn't mean you can't eat with us.
All right? Come on.
VICTOR: Hey.
‐ [sighs] Hey, babe‐‐
Uh, hi... you. I‐‐
Hello, Lake.
‐ Hey. How's it going?
‐ A little hypertensive, but thank you for asking.
ANDREW: Good morning. Mwah!
I know it's lunch,
but I didn't get my morning kisses.
‐ Oh, I'm sorry. ANDREW: Oh...
‐ Ew! You used to be so cool.
What happened? [laughs]
‐ Hey, is everything okay?
‐ Um, sort of.
Uh, I was going to tell you before everyone,
but I might as well just rip the band‐aid off.
[sighs] It looks like I might be moving.
‐ What? ‐ Wait, wait. Where?
Sorry. Force of habit. [Felix chuckles nervously]
‐ My dad got a job offer from Stanford.
So if he takes it, then I'll be moving to California over winter break.
‐ California...
‐ So, wait, he just straight up told you you're moving across the country?
‐ No, he pretended to have a conversation, but I know the truth.
I mean, my whole life, my dad has put his career first.
There are hardly any Black university presidents,
and so he's constantly just trying to prove himself.
And if that means missing vacations, or family dinners,
or leaving for weeks on end to visit alumni, then he does it.
And... and I understand why he has to.
I'm proud of him.
‐ Yes. Your father is a very impressive human.
But that doesn't mean he gets to blow your life up like this.
‐ Hey, Andrew, I could try and fight it, but at the end of the day,
he's going to choose his job over me.
I learned that a long time ago.
[bell rings]
[sighs]
[line ringing]
[beeps]
‐ Hey, Benji, um,
did you turn off your phone?
Mia, uh, she told us all that she's moving to California,
and I just really wanted to talk to you,
so if you could call me back, that'd be great. Bye.
Oh! Rahim...
Uh, were you standing there the whole time?
‐ Yeah. Um, you, you didn't see me.
Then you started leaving a really emotional voicemail,
so I didn't really know what to do.
‐ I didn't know anyone actually used this room.
‐ Well, I do. For yearbook.
I actually have really great shot of you on this roll.
I'll make you a print. ‐ Okay.
‐ That message you were leaving sounded pretty intense.
‐ Uh...
Benji and I got into a fight.
A bad one. ‐ Oh, shit. I'm sorry.
‐ It's okay. It's just, uh...
he skipped school and he turned off his phone,
and I'm trying not to freak out,
but I'm kind of worried about him.
‐ Worried? Why?
‐ I, I can't really talk about it.
‐ You sure? Nothing ever leaves this dark room, I promise.
‐ Okay. Please don't tell anyone,
but Benji's had some problems in the past with drinking.
He's sober now, but I don't know.
He just seemed so upset today, and...
[beeping] ‐ What was the fight about?
‐ Uh, he's really mad that I haven't been standing up to my mom more.
I've explained to him that my mom is trying her best,
you know, with me being gay, and he's just...
‐ White? Sorry.
I did not mean to be presumptuous.
Um, it's just most of my friends are white,
so they don't get it at all.
How can you love your parents
when you hate a lot of what they believe in?
But you do, because...
you know how much they sacrificed to build a life for you.
‐ Yeah. You're right.
I mean, my dad's worked basically every single Saturday
of my entire life to make sure that we have what we need.
‐ Yeah. My parents left everything they knew in Iran
so that I could have better opportunities.
I'm not saying that gives them a free pass to be homophobic.
But, my, my parents were set up by their parents.
And they only met twice before their wedding.
In their eyes, marriage is between a man and a woman
who come from a good Iranian, Muslim family.
So, I know it's gonna be hard for them,
when I do come out, but...
I'm willing to stick it out.
I have to.
They're my parents.
‐ That's exactly it.
‐ Anyway, uh,
I'm sure Benji's gonna be okay.
And I know you two are gonna work it out,
because you're kind of annoyingly perfect for each other.
[laughs] Case in point...
‐ Wow, this is amazing.
‐ Don't act so surprised.
[church bell tolls]
‐ How was CCD? ‐ It was fine.
‐ Fine? Usually you're talking my ear off about church gossip.
‐ Is Victor going to Hell?
‐ What? Who told you that?
‐ Father Lawrence.
I told him about Victor's boyfriend, and he said it was a sin.
‐ Adrian, look at me, okay?
Victor's not going to Hell.
Your brother is one of the most
generous and loving people I know.
‐ But Father Lawrence‐‐ ‐ Father Lawrence...
...is wrong.
‐ But he said it's in the Bible.
‐ Well, the... the Bible
can be interpreted in many different ways.
But in this family,
we believe that Jesus knows who has love in their hearts.
And he would never punish people for that.
Okay? ‐ Okay.
‐ Come on.
‐ Where are we going? ‐ I forgot something inside.
‐ It takes eight hundred and thirty hours to fly from Atlanta to San Francisco?
Oh, wait. I'm on walking. It's only five hours by plane.
‐ It's still very bad.
‐ Okay, guys, enough talking about me moving.
I'm gonna go make us some mac and cheese.
All right, and we're gonna eat it in silence.
‐ [sighs] We can't let this happen, Andrew.
‐ I don't really think it's up to us.
‐ Or is it?
BENJI: Oh, hey, thanks for, uh, coming over so last minute.
‐ Of course. Of course. ‐ I appreciate it.
‐ Yeah, man.
‐ Victor. What are you doing here?
‐ Uh, I was making sure you're okay
'cause you never showed up at school today.
‐ Right. Got it. Um... [sighs]
Well, Hank was just leaving.
Uh, Hank, this is my boyfriend, Victor.
Hank's my, uh... my sponsor.
‐ It's nice to finally meet you, Victor. ‐ It's, uh, it's nice to meet you, too.
‐ See you later? ‐ Yeah.
‐ I didn't know you had a sponsor.
‐ Well, I do. [exhales]
You want to come in? ‐ Yeah.
[sighs]
‐ Oh, my God. No password?
Old people are so bad at cyber security.
‐ Whatcha doin' here, Lake?
‐ I am going to post an offensive tweet to Harold's account.
Something just bad enough to get him lightly canceled.
Now, does Harold strike you as more of a flat‐Earther,
or Holocaust‐denier? ‐ Uh, Lake,
I have always found your crazy kind of endearing.
Right now, I'm just finding it a bit unnerving.
‐ I can't lose Mia, Andrew.
It was bad enough that seeing Felix in the lunch room today
almost gave me a panic attack.
A week ago we were happy and in love,
and now I don't even know how to say hi to him.
I can't lose the other most important person in my life too.
‐ I hear you.
Okay? I really do.
‐ No, just‐‐ give that back! ‐ No.
‐ Andrew... ‐ I'm sorry. You're in a very dark place right now.
‐ What the hell is wrong with you?
Do you even care that she's leaving?
‐ Of course I do.
Okay, look, the girl I love is getting ripped away from me.
There is nothing I can do about it, and it is killing me.
‐ You love her?
‐ You love me?
‐ Of course I do.
‐ I love you, too.
‐ So why don't you fight for us?
PILAR: Hi. ‐ Hey.
‐ I got you a coffee. ‐ Oh, thanks.
‐ How was seeing your mom?
‐ It was okay. Yeah, um,
they, uh, got her on new mood stabilizers.
So, that seems to be helping.
And she really likes her new therapist.
‐ That's great. Right?
‐ Yeah. Yeah, no, it's just, um...
It's so sterile.
White walls, white floor.
And everything she loves is off limits.
No Millionaire, no weird knick‐knacks...
Swedish Fish... Why is Swedish Fish contraband?
It's like they're taking away everything that makes her who she is.
‐ Felix, it sounds like she's getting better.
And your mom is fierce.
It would take way more than an inhumane Swedish Fish ban to dull her sparkle.
‐ [chuckles] She's getting discharged next week.
Yeah. She's really put in the work this time. I'm proud of her.
You should be. You should be proud of yourself, too.
How strong you've been through all this?
It's pretty inspiring. Or whatever.
‐ You always know what to say.
‐ I know. I'm really smart.
‐ No, seriously.
I mean, you act like you don't care about anything,
but you might be one of the most thoughtful people I've ever met.
‐ Uh‐‐ ‐ Pilar.
‐ I'm sorry. I‐‐ ‐ No. No, no, no. Don't be.
I, uh, you know, our, our friendship
means the world‐‐ ‐ I have to go.
‐ Pilar, wait.
MIA: Um, Dad?
Can we, can we talk? ‐ Of course, baby.
[keyboard keys clicking]
‐ Mom emailed me.
‐ When?
‐ Mmm, a few days ago.
Totally out of the blue.
[groans]
‐ [scoffs] What'd she say?
‐ Not much. Hi. How are you?
Something about how the last few years
have been really complicated for her...
And that she'd love to hear from me.
‐ Wow. Um...
Did you respond?
‐ No.
I think about answering her every morning.
But I just can't bring myself to write her back.
Even though I have, like, a million questions... ‐ Yeah.
‐ Because I feel like...
writing her back would be, like, a betrayal to you.
You know. She left. You stayed.
You're my family. Not her.
I choose you.
So how come you never choose me?
My whole life, you've put your work first.
Which I understand. Um...
Because I know how much it means to you,
and I don't want to hold you back.
[sighs] I never ask you for anything.
But this is me asking now...
This is me saying...
just please, don't move us.
Okay? Just this once...
choose me.
‐ Um...
I'll, uh... tell Stanford
that my family is happy right here in Atlanta.
‐ Really?
‐ Yeah.
[chuckles]
‐ Thank you. ‐ Of course, baby.
[groans]
Hey, Mia. Um...
You know, you should answer your mom, if you want.
[sighs]
‐ Isabel. Did we have an appointment?
‐ No, we did not.
You told Adrian that Victor,
who he loves more than anyone in the whole world,
is going to Hell?
‐ I did not use those exact words.
I was just trying to explain that Victor needs his family's help
to find his way back to Jesus‐‐ ‐ What Victor needs
is for his family to love and accept him for who he is.
‐ Isabel, you and I both know it is not that simple.
‐ Actually, I think it is.
Today, I saw Adrian accept his brother without a second thought.
I have been raised to believe
a lot of ugly things, Father.
Things that will probably take me the rest of my life to unlearn.
But I will unlearn them.
And I won't pass them on to my kids.
And no matter what you or the church say,
I know in my heart that God loves my son.
My beautiful, perfect, gay son.
You're gonna have to find a new music director, Father.
[keys clatter]
‐ Isabel, I urge you not to give up on God.
‐ I'm not giving up on God.
I'm giving up on you.
‐ Dr. Gallico. Yeah, Harold Brooks, here.
I have. I, I have given it a lot of thought.
And I, I really appreciate the opportunity, I do...
And, uh...
I can't wait to get to work.
[laughs] Right...
Yeah, California, here we come.
Sure.
[water running] ‐ Uh, your sponsor's kind of cute.
I always expected sponsors to just be these big, old, grizzly men,
filled with wisdom.
‐ He's straight.
In case you were wondering.
‐ I wasn't. I, I trust you.
You can't just fall off the face of the Earth.
I was really worried today.
[sighs]
‐ This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you I was in AA.
‐ What do you mean?
‐ Well, now every time we have a fight
or I don't respond to a text,
you're gonna think I'm off getting hammered.
‐ Well, I was right to worry, wasn't I?
I mean, you had to call your sponsor.
‐ That's not the point. I'm‐‐
[exhales deeply]
What's going on with us?
‐ I don't know.
‐ Everything was amazing,
and now it feels like all we do is fight.
‐ Yeah.
‐ I've been thinking a lot about this perfect day, from last summer.
We had that picnic at Kennedy Park,
and then after, we chased the Mister Softee truck for 15 blocks
so we could get soft serve. [Victor chuckles]
And the park was packed but it felt like we were the...
only two people in the world.
‐ It always does.
[indistinct whisper]
‐ I love that.
‐ Me, too.
[phone buzzes]
‐ Why does Rahim hope I'm okay?
‐ Oh, I just‐‐ I needed someone to talk to.
So I told him that we had a fight.
‐ Did you tell him about my drinking?
[sighs] Jesus, Victor.
‐ I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have told him.
But he's not gonna say anything to anyone.
Okay? I can trust him‐‐ ‐ But I can't trust you.
♪ "Work" by Charlotte Day Wilson playing ♪
‐ ♪ Oh, work ♪
[inhales shakily]
♪ Now that you're here ♪
‐ I think we need to take a break.
‐ ♪ Whoa, work ♪
♪ 'Cause people come and go ♪
♪ But I think you should know ♪
♪ It's gonna take a bit of work ♪
♪ Oh, work ♪