I didn't expect to see you here this early.
Oh, yeah, I figured you'd be up.
You've always been a morning person.
I had to be, because that
was the only time I could get a word in with our parents
before Miss Mommy-Look-at-Me took the spotlight.
I can't help it if I had star quality
even before I could speak.
[both chuckle]
Funny you brought up Mom and Dad.
You don't even have to say it.
I already know what day it is.
This morning last year,
we were putting finishing touches on our speeches.
And competing over whose toast would make Mom cry first.
Calm down.
It was a toast, not a rap battle.
Says the loser.
Well, we never got a chance to find out
since the surprise guest turned
the anniversary party into a horror show.
Man, I'll never forget the look on Mom's face.
Her just standing there, holding all of that pain in,
trying her best not to fall apart.
I couldn't sleep last night
thinking about her waking up this morning.
And Dad? Oh, my God, I...
I don't even know where his head's at.
It's gonna be rough on them, for sure.
[phone chimes]
TED: We've been together since Maui.
We fell in love at that conference, and we knew
our lives would be intertwined forever.
We got so much more to give that's good and real.
Don't let Dana steal that from us.
You're trying to save our marriage.
But right now...
I'm working on trying to save me.
[knock on door]
-Hey. -Eva.
What are you doing here?
I would have bet good money I was the last person
you wanted to see on your day off.
I'm pretty sure I'm the last person
you want to see on this day in particular.
Oh, you mean the, uh, anniversary I was, uh,
crucified by my family, friends
and damn near all of Fairmont Crest, hmm?
At least you can joke about it.
Yeah, better than the alternative.
I don't blame you for what your mother did.
Besides, I'm way past it.
How are you really feeling?
♪ ♪
Still no sign of Lynette.
Not exactly breaking news.
But the why is getting clearer.
We know when she left town, so Keegan and I pivoted.
We stopped chasing where she went
and started asking who she might be running from.
Hmm. Okay, go on.
If she's not ducking the feds,
odds are she's hiding from someone closer.
Someone with a grudge.
One of her victims?
That's the working theory.
Keegan's compiling a list of bank clients whose accounts
got wiped, allegedly, by Lynette.
Well, there's motive,
since none of the accounts were insured.
Bank's pretending like it's not their problem.
And some of these folks were weeks away from retirement.
Now they gotta go back to working doubles
just to keep the lights on.
We're not saying something happened to Lynette,
but we think she could be laying low until things cool down.
You know, losing your life savings makes you desperate.
And desperate people can do dangerous things
to claw their way back.
I've got to admit,
that massage did its thing.
Yeah, thank God we got that emergency appointment.
That boxing session was good for the soul.
But not so much the muscles.
Facts.
I'm just glad you called me to tag along.
Girl, please-- who else was gonna listen to me
spiral about centerpieces?
Mom, maybe?
She said the other night she misses you.
I literally live in her backyard.
Right, but all she gets is the occasional wave
when you're passing in the driveway.
She gets more than that.
Don't forget, she's helping me plan my wedding.
I thought you told her to back off.
And she did, and we're good.
But that's not, like, real quality time, Chelsea.
I didn't go off-grid. I just got engaged.
Which means you're spending most of your free time
cozied up with Madison.
Which is beautiful! Don't get me wrong.
Mom's just feeling the distance.
Well, you can't put all of this on me.
I mean, she got married, too.
It's not like I can just pop into the house anymore.
Who knows what I would be walking in on?
[blender whirring]
Hey! Good morning, sunshine.
Not before I've had my caffeine.
How are you so chipper already?
Clean living, and I just went for a morning run.
You're welcome to join me the next time.
That's a hard pass.
The only thing I run to this early is my coffee maker.
-Checking on Nicole? -Yep.
-Any word? -Nope.
Which I'm hoping means she spent the evening
with one of her adoring lovers.
That reminds me, when are we
having your loser uncle and Shanice over for dinner?
Can we maybe drop "loser" from his title?
When he proves me wrong.
But did y'all set that up on your guys' night out?
I, uh, I didn't mention it.
Yeah, things between him and Shanice
might not be going anywhere.
Hmm, not so easy to replace my sister, is it?
Protein shake?
It's really cute how you keep trying to push that on me,
but I like my protein deep-fried over waffles-- come on!
I'm gonna take you to Orphey Gene's
-for some real food. -[sighs]
Mr. Armstrong.
Senator.
Morning to you, too.
Forgive my lack of enthusiasm.
I expected Chief Hawthorne to be the one
that I coincidentally ran into this morning.
He sends his regards.
Elon arranged this meeting as a favor to me.
It's amazing how eager people are
to ingratiate themselves with the Duprees.
But I count myself among them. Have a seat.
We'll sit over there instead.
I just texted Mom, asking her if she wants
to meet here for breakfast.
You know, she could have just said she missed me
the last time we talked instead of pitching some business deal.
Yeah, I know,
but I kind of get where she's coming from.
For years, your relationship
was revolved around your modeling career.
You know, it gave her purpose, and now that's gone.
She's just trying to figure out where she fits.
Fits? Naomi, she's my mom.
But she doesn't see it like that right now,
especially with Dad helping
to defend Madison against that lawsuit.
She feels like he has a more important role in your life
and she's just on the outside looking in.
[phone chimes]
Okay, she said she's in the mood for Orphey Gene's,
and she and Andre are on the way there now.
You want to go?
Why not? I wouldn't want any more accusations
of being a distant daughter.
I actually had dinner with Mom earlier this week.
I know.
She was shopping with me right before then.
-So she's in good spirits. -Very.
Even after we saw Dad, which, all things considered,
should have been a Real Housewivesreunion
level of disaster.
She seemed okay to me, too.
But, to be fair, we mostly talked about me.
Hmm! Your favorite topic.
Anyway, Mom's basically board-certified
in steering conversations toward
what she wants to talk about.
I'm better at digging deep with her than you,
so that means you...
Should check on Dad while you take Mom's temperature.
Sure.
And we are in a much better place.
Plus, I face my own colossal mistakes, so no judgment.
Well, at least your mistake
didn't produce accidental people.
And since that's your way of referring to our half-sister,
I most definitely need to be the one to talk to Dad.
It's your anniversary! The first one since the divorce.
Okay? And it's okay to be in your feelings about it.
Okay, and you don't really have anybody to talk to.
I mean, you can't exactly confide in Shanice,
and your best friend is too busy dating your ex-wife.
Really, Eva?
Okay, yeah, not helping.
Dad, I'm just saying, if you ever need to talk,
like, really talk, I'm here.
I appreciate that,
but honestly, there's nothing to say.
Nicole was my world.
That world doesn't exist anymore.
She's made that clear.
She's, uh, washed her hands of me.
-[knock at door] -Hey, Eva.
Could I borrow Ted for a minute?
Uh, absolutely.
I was just thinking about you.
Same.
-Happy anniversary. -Hmm.
This is awkward.
Only if we let it be.
It felt wrong not to at least acknowledge the day.
I figured the one person that'd be feeling it
as much as I was would be you.
Hmm, so rather than just pretend it's any other day,
you're facing it head-on.
It's very adult of you.
Trust me, I have never hated adulting
as much as I have this past year.
Tell me about it.
Well, we have jumped this hurdle,
so where do we go from here?
I was gonna opt for avoidance.
[chuckles] Not surprising.
And you?
Focus on the positive.
Your mother's recovering, the kids are healthy,
your career is thriving.
I was referring to us.
I intend to focus on my positive memories.
And there were a lot, Ted.
We had an amazing run.
Yes, we did.
I miss those two people.
Yeah, so do I.
Yes, Shonda, about the fundraiser.
Got it.
I am already mapping out some viewpoints.
Look, I just need to carve out some time
this afternoon to see my dad.
It will all get done.
I appreciate you, too.
Ah, I see you have a full docket.
-I will get out of your hair. -Uh, not so fast.
We need to talk about Eva.
Hmm, let's not and say we did.
I thought you were past this ice queen phase.
You let her stay at your birthday party.
Martin, please.
She got a slice of cake, not a peace treaty.
-Listen. -No, you listen.
She is not family.
I gave her cake, but trust? Off the menu.
You can be so damn stubborn.
And you can be such a hypocrite.
The hell I am!
Whoa.
I am so sorry, Kat.
I've just been dealing with a lot right now.
What is going on with you?
It's so rare you're willing to be seen in public with me.
Well, I thought you'd prefer it this way.
After all, you've been making quite the effort lately
to step out of the shadows.
I'm not a vampire, Senator.
Not in a traditional sense.
But I do admire the reinvention.
Dining at the country club,
funding philanthropic causes.
You're practically a pillar of the community now.
So you think that my funding of the clinic
was part of some grand scheme?
-Wasn't it? -No.
Vanessa encouraged it.
She thought of your wife and her illness
and how other families can't afford that level of care.
Forgive me for scheming to do some good.
I didn't realize that generosity
required a Dupree approval.
No one's questioning Vanessa's motives.
Yeah, just mine.
You have a history.
Don't we all?
You promised to steer clear of Martin's campaign.
And I have.
An unsolicited offer of free security?
I didn't intend to put the congressman
in a compromising position.
I just wanted to help.
By triggering an investigation
by the Federal Elections Commission?
They'd see that as an illegal donation,
one that implies a level of influence that you do not have.
So much for good intentions.
I didn't consider the optics.
My apologies.
Thank you.
Does raise an interesting question, though.
That being?
If the FEC considers that a violation...
...I have to wonder what they'd think of the other
larger favors I've done for Martin over the years.
Now, if the arbitration clause holds, then we can...
You see who's over there?
How serendipitous.
[clears throat]
Bill. Tomas.
Dani. Andre.
Didn't expect to see you two this side of noon.
How goes the search for Lynette Wise?
Oh, well, I'm surprised you even know who she is.
[clears throat] That would be on me.
I reached out to Vanessa McBride.
I thought she might have known
something about Lynette's whereabouts.
From what I hear, she's a real piece of work.
Manipulative little backstabber.
No wonder she and Hayley hit it off instantly.
You don't have to turn every conversation
into a jab at my wife.
Allegedly, Lynette conned a long list of people,
and Hayley just happens to be the latest one.
You didn't tell him?
Tell me what?
I ran into Lynette and Hayley chitchatting
before Hayley was attacked.
They seemed awfully chummy.
Hayley even introduced Lynette as her friend.
Uh...
I mean, well, maybe Hayley was just being polite, you know?
I mean, she and Lynette barely knew each other at that point.
That's not the impression I got.
How do you know Lynette and Hayley don't go way back?
Because I'm the one who introduced them.
Well, I'd sleep better if you knew where this woman is
and what she plans on doing next.
-That's what we're working on. -Good.
Have a nice breakfast.
For the record, I did not mean to tip Dani off.
Don't worry about that.
She's just fiercely protective of her family.
It's one of the many things I was enamored by.
Okay, smothered pork chops,
chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits,
and you're over here ordering rabbit food?
Hey, don't disrespect my mean green.
This veggie omelet is packed with nutrients.
I'm with Andre-- clean eating is where it's at.
See, your daughter gets it.
Girl, get some cholesterol in you.
You are no longer a model.
-Don't forget you are! -Okay!
You see how these two gang up on me?
Then you and I will stand in solidarity.
You get the biscuits and gravy, I'll get the half-smoke,
-and we'll split it. -My sister!
We might want to get in on that.
Yeah, forget the omelet.
[laughter]
TOMAS: Counsel agreed to an extension,
but that still only gives us a couple of days to file.
Right.
[raucous laughter]
Bill?
Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry.
I couldn't hear you over the ruckus.
[indistinct chatter]
I can keep working on this. I'll give you an update later.
Yeah, yeah. Thanks, Tomas.
No matter what else happens between us,
we will always be connected as parents.
That's one thing we've always done right.
It's why I came to see you the other night.
To talk about Martin.
Yeah, you said you were worried about him.
Still am.
He seemed fine at Kat's party.
He was smiling and working the room
like politicians do, and, uh...
But I did notice Smitty wasn't there.
You caught that, too?
They're not having problems again, are they?
Wish I could say for sure, but I have been left out
of the loop before.
[sighs] Look, if you want me to apologize
for the 100th time, I...
I would have preferred that you told me
when it happened-- that our son caused someone's death.
Unintentionally.
In defense of himself and his grandfather.
However justified it might have been,
he still took a life, Ted.
Do you have any idea what that does to somebody?
The nightmares, the guilt.
Some people never come back from that.
Hey, I know. If I could switch places
and shoulder that weight, I would in a heartbeat.
But you can't. None of us can.
He is the only one who can make peace with himself about it.
And until he does,
he will be riddled with that guilt every single day.
What do you mean, you're going through a lot?
Is-is there a problem with the campaign?
No.
The campaign's fine.
We're ahead in every local poll at this point.
Then what?
Don't leave me on read here, Martin-- what's going on?
It's the hypocrite label.
I guess it struck a nerve.
I've been getting it a lot lately.
-From who? -My own family.
Yesterday, Samantha tore into me and Smitty.
Oh, yeah, I heard about that.
I'm in a group chat with Samantha and Chelsea.
I get way more Richardson-Smith tea than asked for.
Poor you.
[pen clatters]
Uh, Tyrell was caught sneaking out of his room
with his girlfriend.
Samantha said you went soft on him.
No one went soft on Tyrell. He's grounded.
Yeah, after Samantha threw a fit.
And even then, it was nowhere near what she went through.
She was on lockdown for what felt like forever
after that Nathan situation.
So what are you, the punishment police?
I am simply pointing out a double standard.
You raised hell with Samantha,
and me for being a bad influence.
Is it because Tyrell is a boy?
No.
He's a graduating senior, Kat.
In the next few months, he'll be out in the world
doing whatever without any supervision.
So it seems ridiculous to keep treating him like a kid.
Yeah, I guess that makes sense.
Aw.
What?
Our little Tyrell is about to be grown.
You've been toying with us long enough, and I've had it.
Oh, Senator.
You pulled this same mess with my daughter.
Reminding her of what you did for Martin,
waving it over her head like a loaded gun.
Well, that has to be some kind of misunderstanding.
I never intended to upset Nicole.
Now, Senator, everything I've done has been to help Martin
and to make sure he doesn't face any consequences
for what happened that night
when those bastards attacked you both.
So you say.
So I've proven.
I respect the way Martin stepped up to protect you.
And the way you stepped up to protect him.
Calling friends,
moving fast, keeping the family name clean.
And I was happy to help when that call came to me.
You see, that's the problem.
How much you enjoy the position you're in.
The leverage you think you have.
Well, if that's the issue, it'd never be brought up again.
Agreeing to never speak of it doesn't mean it's forgotten.
Or the debt has been forgiven.
True enough.
But I can let sleeping dogs lie.
But, Senator, let's not rewrite history.
Martin owes me.
And one of these days, I am going to collect.
Great, Shonda has added more events to my schedule.
The campaign's a beast.
I can handle both of the parents, if you like.
Thanks, sis, but I made a commitment.
No matter how crazy the campaign gets,
family comes first.
And I was meaning to check on Dad anyway.
Is he still seeing Shanice?
Yep, still going strong.
And how do you feel about that?
Uh... I like Shanice.
She's funny and real.
And she doesn't take any crap from Leslie.
She's no Mom, of course.
No.
He'll never get that lucky again.
So Martin may turn down the opportunity to run for Senate
because he's worried his secret may come out?
That's part of it.
He needs to finish the race he's in now, obviously,
but the chatter is real.
There are major donors hinting that they'll back him,
party leaders applying pressure.
And Martin said that even my father is on board.
Vernon? That's unexpected.
Yeah, I was surprised, too.
Apparently, he thinks this is Martin's destiny.
His chance to fill the seat that Daddy once held.
Hmm. And Smitty?
I assume Martin wouldn't even consider
making a run for Senate unless his husband was on board.
So you'd think, but Martin hasn't said
anything to Smitty until the other night.
I see.
How'd Smitty take it?
Martin said not well.
He's concerned. And with good reason.
Yeah, because of the exposure?
In a Senate race, there is nowhere to hide.
Every part of their life would be under a microscope.
And if Martin's secret became public,
it wouldn't only destroy his career,
it would compromise everyone who was involved in covering it up.
That circle now has Smitty in it.
And you.
Not to mention that our son could end up in prison.
And you're worried about how it's gonna all play out, huh?
I am concerned about Joey Armstrong in particular.
He is volatile and unpredictable.
Call it what it is-- he's a snake, but...
he wouldn't take the risk unless he stands to gain from it.
That's what scares me.
Out of all of the people involved,
he's the one who could turn on our son.
What exactly do you think you'll get from my grandson?
That's an excellent question, Senator.
I'm afraid I don't quite have an answer for you yet.
But I do know that I like having
a congressman in my corner.
Much like the way I was there for him.
Three times, in fact, if you're counting.
-I don't need a tally. -Two years before that,
cleaning up from the fallout of that violent night.
And then there was that Kenny fellow
who just wouldn't stay gone.
No one liked your solution to that last matter.
Wires got crossed.
But let's not pretend it didn't work.
Price has to be paid for that.
But I shouldn't have to explain that to you.
You knew the price the moment you set
the whole thing in motion.
You're right.
I set it in motion.
Which means the debt is mine.
-You should be grateful. -[scoffs]
I've got a lot more connections than my grandson.
More influence, more money.
But not a vote in Congress.
Sure, he's just one of 435 right now,
but we both know he has higher aspirations.
Martin would resign before he'd ever be your puppet.
He almost quit once already.
You saw it for yourself at the press conference.
Yeah, he did come close.
Leave my grandson alone.
And our family as well.
No more jokes, no more threats,
no more offers of help.
And when you want to cash in your favor...
...you come to me.
Yeah, it'd be hard for Joey to expose Martin
without outing himself.
You think that'll stop him?
Men like him don't play by the same rules.
Well, I mean, Vernon's weathered more political storms
than most people even see in a career.
I trust his instincts.
If he believes it's acceptable, then maybe it is.
I hope you're right.
But it would be a tragedy if Martin wasted his potential.
He loves serving his community.
And I never want to tell my children
to scale down their ambitions.
I appreciate you coming to me with this.
Our son is going to need his father's support.
So am I.
Talk about squandered potential.
I think about what we had all the time.
From the moment we locked eyes.
Maui.
Mm, that boring medical conference
turned out to be the best night of my life.
Ballroom full of people, and it felt like it was just
us there.
I went outside for some air.
-Turned around. -Mm-hmm.
And there you were.
In the moonlight.
You smiled just once, and I was done.
I didn't even remember my own name.
You recovered quickly.
I don't remember what we talked about.
What didn't we talk about?
Medicine. Family. Dreams.
We spent the whole night sitting in that cabana.
Mm, with the moonlight over the ocean.
It was magic.
Okay, since we're on this honesty streak,
there is something I need to tell you about that night.
Carlton noticed you, too.
I knew that.
He brings that up every chance he gets.
Mm. And, um...
...he might have been looking for you, and, uh,
once you slipped outside, he asked me where you went,
and I, uh, might have pointed him in the wrong direction.
You didn't.
Hey, I wasn't about to let anyone
stand in the way of what could potentially be.
[sighs]
But now I guess you're wondering, what if?
You look way too awake for someone
who's been lawyering all morning.
Occupational hazard.
-Caffeine's my cocounsel. -Oh.
Well, how about some grub to sub for second chair?
Nah, I just had breakfast with Bill.
[groans] Of course you did.
I skipped breakfast.
Wanted to catch up with Martin
before the campaign swallowed him whole.
We agreed we'd each check on a parent today.
[sighs]
I'm headed to find Mom, but she's ghosting my texts,
which is unlike her.
Today's not most days.
True.
So, um, how was breakfast?
Did Bill agree to the plan to reach out to Lynette's victims?
Yeah, he thought it was a good plan.
It was the one thing I got him to weigh in on
before he got distracted.
Don't tell me another pretty thing caught his eye
and he's thinking of replacing Hayley.
Only if that pretty thing is your aunt.
No!
Well, as much as I would hate to ruin the party,
I've got a date with my trainer.
-Ladies. -Bye.
This was fun. We should do this more often.
Did you put her up to this?
No.
Naomi told me about your movie night,
and I got a little jealous.
It's hard fitting in that kind of time
now that we're both juggling relationships.
But I want to make more of an effort.
-Me, too, honey. -BILL: Ladies?
You mind if I join you?
-Mm! Perfect timing, Dad. -BILL: Yeah?
I actually wanted to ask you some questions
regarding Madison's lawsuit.
BILL: All right. Of course.
-What were they? -NAOMI: Oh, no.
No, I don't want to bore Mom and Chels.
Let's... let's go back over there.
[Bill sighs]
You don't have any questions.
I concede.
I had a feeling.
Mom's just missing Chelsea lately,
and I wanted to give them some one-on-one time.
Oh, that included Andre?
He's her husband.
Spending time with the family
is part of his job description now.
Let her have this.
She's been feeling nostalgic lately,
talking about us when we were kids.
You know, the good old days.
Yeah, I can relate.
I told her if she felt that strongly about it,
she should just have more kids.
You said what?
-Work? -Yep.
Keegan just emailed me the list of bank customers
whose accounts got drained by Lynette.
Oh, so these are the victims?
We're hoping somebody on this list crossed paths with Lynette
or maybe even knows where she disappeared to.
Oh, my God.
What?
I know that woman.
When Tatum schedules her first runway show, text me.
I'm clearing my schedule.
-You don't have to do that. -Oh, I absolutely do.
We are sticking to our preshow ritual facials.
I want to be front row cheering you on.
That would mean the world to me.
So it's fine for you and Hayley to have more kids, but not Mom?
We changed our minds about that.
-Really? -Yeah.
Whose decision?
It was mutual.
And for the record,
your mother is free to do whatever she wants.
I just want her to be happy.
She is-- with Andre.
And clearly that gets under your skin.
But that's not her problem. It's yours.
Hey, I didn't expect to see you again so soon.
-What's up? -Back at you.
Yeah.
Hey, it was good to see you at Kat's birthday party.
Hopefully, that means she's starting to mellow out
where her half-sister's concerned.
You know, you're an optimist, okay?
I'm learning to stop hoping for that.
And honestly, on some days, I see where she's coming from.
On days like this, you mean?
Exactly one year after your mom's epic mic drop moment?
Look, I'm with my dad every day,
and he hides it well, but I know he's still hurting.
And I'm not exactly in touch with Nicole,
but from what I hear, she's seeing Carlton and someone else.
Eh, isn't it good?
She's moving on.
Or is she just done giving her heart away
to anyone else ever again?
I don't know, it didn't have to end up like this.
It's just sad, you know?
So that is why you kept me away from everyone
that night in Maui.
'Cause you didn't want me to know
that Carlton was interested, too.
It was a rotten thing to do.
He's probably always wondered how things might have turned out
if he was the one to catch up to you.
And now you think I'm wondering the same thing?
Aren't you?
I have no regrets about that night.
How could I?
We got Martin and Kat out of it.
We have a lot to be grateful for.
We've come a long way in a year.
Yeah, another year from now, who knows?
Happy non-anniversary.
NAOMI: Someone is watching Ashley.
They sent a photo of her
-to Grayson as a warning. -Wait, what?
Sorry to interrupt, Ms. Anderson,
but we are huge fans.
Mm.
Girl, I think I gotta switch up my order.
Is my wife accusing me of being a spy?
DANI: Just know I'm onto you.
You could be packing a major secret.
Take one more step and I arrest you.
You're the only woman that I want to be with.
Then why does our bed feel so crowded?
I have a better idea.
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