Bigger (2019–2021): Season 2, Episode 8 - Stranger at a Shiva - full transcript
Vince supports Shoshana during her brother's funeral. She spends time with her eclectic family and judgmental mother. Vince relives his decision to be a DJ instead of an engineer.
- Previously on "Bigger"...
- Morning, sexy.
- So you're not selling drugs?
- No.
- You gotta be
slanging something.
- I'm slanging this dick.
- Hey, Shoshana.
- Hey.
- I wanna get to know
all your friends.
- Do it.
- About time y'all showed up.
- Shoshana was getting carsick.
- All I had to do
was sit in the back seat.
- You drove Miss Daisy
the whole way.
- There you guys are, finally.
- Don't tell the girls this,
but she won't let me
do a damn thing.
She's been paying my rent
the past few months
and won't take no
for an answer.
[upbeat hip-hop music playing]
♪ ♪
- Excuse me,
are you finished studying?
[record scratches]
- I was just taking a break.
- Why?
So you can make noise
like you're from Africa
or something?
I like my rap too,
but Dr. Dre ain't getting you
into Georgia Tech.
- But what if I make
a million-dollar record
with my beats?
- [laughs]
If "if" were a fifth,
we could all get drunk.
Look, baby, you worked hard
to get into this
engineering program.
Hasn't it always been your
dream, just like your brother?
- Yeah, he's doing all right
at Carolina Poly,
making good money.
- He's doing
more than all right.
He's got a nice house,
nice car,
and all because
of that nice job.
That could be you.
- Yeah.
Looking forward to that...
- Oh, me too.
As a matter of fact,
I'm gonna call
your Aunt Brenda.
She thinks that cousin of yours
is all that
with his little job at FedEx.
[chuckles]
[cat meowing]
I'm going to have two engineers
in the family.
Isn't that right, Magic?
Mwah.
- ♪ What's up, Fresh,
it's our turn baby ♪
♪ Gator boots with
the pimped out Gucci suits ♪
♪ Ain't got no job,
but I stay sharp ♪
♪ Can't pay my rent,
'cause all my money's spent ♪
♪ But that's okay,
'cause I'm still fly ♪
♪ Got a quarter tank of gas
in my new E class ♪
♪ But that's all right,
'cause I'm gonna ride ♪
- Yo, don't keep us
in suspense, let us see.
Let us see, let us see.
- Let's see,
go ahead and flex on.
- Oh, okay, cuz.
I haven't seen you this clean
since you played Malcolm X
in junior high.
- Malcolm X?
This nigga look like
Martin Luther King.
- [as Dr. King] How are you
gonna say nigga and Martin
in the same sentence?
- I mean, we gotta give
Shoshana credit.
She picked out a great suit.
- Why do you have to go
to the "shitva" anyway?
- [normal voice] Shiva.
It's a Jewish memorial,
and I'm going
to support my girl.
- Girl?
- Malcolm would not approve.
- He claiming her now?
- I get it.
- Oh, look at the time,
rich o'clock.
Broke nigga's gotta go.
Bye-bye.
[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
- ♪ Feel that
temperature rising ♪
♪ I can't keep
my tempo silent ♪
♪ My temper,
she be so violent ♪
♪ But okay, okay,
now we in this, babe ♪
♪ ♪
- Hey, uh, you wanna give
your lungs a break?
You already went through
a whole cartridge.
- Babe, I gotta get my mind
mentally prepared
for the reality show
that's my family.
- I thought you said
your family was cool.
- I lied.
I just really needed you here
with me today.
I wasn't even close with Mason.
- You don't care?
- I didn't cry at the funeral.
Hell, I haven't even talked
to my mom
since she married his dad,
who is the man
she cheated on my dad with,
and don't get me started
about my real brothers.
They're like
two walking prostates.
- Damn, the Kardashians ain't
got shit on you guys.
Why bother going to this shiva?
- Because it's my family.
♪ ♪
- We'll get through this.
It's just one day.
- Actually, we sit shiva
for seven days.
- Like, one, two, three--
seven actual days?
- Mm-hmm.
- Let me see that?
- Mm-hmm.
[lively music]
- Are you going to be okay?
I don't want you to feel
out of place.
- Out of place?
I DJ bar mitzvahs,
these are my people, relax.
Hey.
[laughs]
- The internal record scratch,
it's for me.
I rarely go to family events,
so some may be surprised
to see me here.
Hi, so good to see you.
I mean, it's not good,
but I see you.
Babe, stay by my side.
- Mm-hmm.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- I know, I know.
Hi.
- Hi.
[sighs]
- Yo, what's up, Shosh?
- Hey.
- Charles.
- I knew that.
How are you?
- Straight out of rehab
and shit.
Third time's the charm,
you know?
- I don't.
Talk later.
- Hey.
I can't.
[faint indistinct chatter]
- Ugh, smell this.
- Ugh, it smells like fish.
- Smells like fish.
- Gefilte fish is supposed
to smell fresh, not like fish.
- I bet Sharon made this.
[both laugh]
- Those two old women remind me
of Aunt Kim
and my cousin Perry.
They always complain about my
Aunt Beverly's potato salad.
No one ever eats it.
- Why?
- She's a little senile
and leaves the potato salad
out overnight and roaches
will be in the shit.
- Ew!
- Here's the crazy part.
The roaches would be dead.
Roaches survive
nuclear explosions,
but they die eating her shit.
- [laughs]
- Oh, my God.
- [gasps]
- Shoshana, come here.
- Here we go.
Remember, my mom's a cunt.
Smile.
Hi!
- Are you losing weight?
You have to watch that
when you get older.
Yes, I could see
your cheekbones,
and not in that good model way,
but like those kids with
the flies all over their faces.
- Okay, Mom, thanks.
- What?
I'm not racist,
but they are literally on TV
with the flies swarming
all over their faces.
It's just inhumane.
Someone should swat them off,
and that is probably why
you're not married,
and I have no grandchildren.
- Mom, I'm divorced,
and you have a grandson.
- Well, I haven't seen him
in so long, I forgot.
- Well, a shiva is not
the place to bring a child,
in my opinion.
It's also not the place
to berate me
and make me feel insecure.
- Well, if you called me
more often,
I wouldn't have to do it here.
- So where's Matt?
- You mean your father?
- No, I mean your husband.
- I don't know why you can't
accept him as your father.
I feel so bad for him
over there, you know,
losing his son like that.
- Mom, you cheated on Dad
with him.
He will never be
my fucking father.
- You show some respect.
We just lost a son.
And besides, we're all family.
- [giggles]
- So who's your friend over
there eating all our food?
- Vince.
- Oh.
Is he your boyfriend?
- No, just friends.
- Oh, well, in that case,
welcome, Vincent.
I'm sorry it's under such
circumstances.
- I'm so sorry for your loss.
- [sighs]
So what do you do, Vincent,
besides eat all our food?
- [laughs]
- I'm a DJ.
[both chuckle]
- Huh.
Of course.
- Shoshana, what's up?
You look...older.
- Suck my dick.
- Dick?
So the transformation
is complete.
- Fuck off.
- What's up, bro?
Kevin, right?
We met at my cousin's wedding
a few years ago.
- Not me.
Vince.
- Yeah, not all Black people
look alike.
- Sorry, bro.
Thought that was you.
- Oh, shit.
It does look like me.
- Yes, she has a type.
- So these are
my two dick brothers.
This is Kyle, and this is Max.
- Oh, that mouth.
Such a lady.
- What do you expect?
She went to Michigan,
for God's sake.
- Oh, what?
Think you're better
'cause you went
to fucking Harvard?
- Fuck yeah.
Harvard produces neurosurgeons.
- Mm-hmm.
- Michigan produces dentists.
- Oh.
[both laugh]
- All right.
Knock it off.
Show some respect.
She's your sister.
So come with me,
we're going to see the rabbi.
- Assholes.
- Wow.
- Good morning.
all: Good morning.
- Mason was not a big fan
of ritual,
so I'm gonna keep this short.
Please rise.
"You who dwells in the shelter
of the most high,
"who abides in the shadow
of the omnipotent,
"I say to you of the Lord,
who is my refuge..."
- You're reading it backwards,
we read right to left.
- Oh.
- "My God, in whom I trust,
"I will satisfy him
with long life
and show him my deliverance."
You can take your seats.
I'd like to call on Mason's
father to say a few words.
- Didn't you try
to fuck her?
- Dude, she's a rabbi now.
She gave me a hand job.
- [clears throat]
Mason was a good kid.
No, a great kid.
A memory that comes to mind is
Mason donated
his bar mitzvah money
to help build basketball courts
in College Park.
He wasn't just a big heart,
he was wicked funny.
I remember we were--Mason and I
were at the supermarket,
and a woman's water broke.
I had to act fast, so right
there in the cereal aisle,
I delivered a baby
with Mason helping.
[soft laughter]
Afterward--Mason was nine--
I jokingly told him,
"I don't need
to have the talk,"
and he responded,
"I know where babies come from.
"My question is,
how they got in there
in the first place?"
- Mason could have
learned about babies
from all the affairs
his father was having.
- Barb, Vincent is a guest.
- I tell no lies.
- Okay.
- Brandon, I would like you
to meet my daughter, Shoshana.
- Hi, nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
- So the doctor told me
it was a tumor.
Now, I have my tumor,
the lawyer.
[laughter]
- Lovely name, Shoshana.
- So pretty.
[indistinct conversation]
- [mouthing words]
- Very unusual name.
I don't know how
we came up with it.
- Excuse me, ladies.
- How are your parents?
It's been so good to see them--
- Vincent, darling.
How are you?
- Hey, beautiful ceremony.
Sorry again for your son.
- Stepson.
- Right.
Let me go check on Shoshana.
- No, no, no.
Give her a minute, please.
She's, you know,
catching up with an old friend.
- Old friend?
- Old, old friend.
- He doesn't look
that old to me.
[both laugh]
- Yeah, he's been a friend
of the family forever,
and I think he used to have
a little crush on her.
- Really?
- But...
that was a long time ago.
- Oh.
[both laugh]
I have an idea.
I have a private stock of rum
behind the bar.
Why don't you just
go on in there,
help yourself, relax,
and I'll send Shoshana your way
when she's finished
with Brandon.
- With Brandon?
- Brandon.
- Oh, Brandon, okay.
- Okay.
- Bye-bye.
- Bye-bye.
- You heard her.
Let's go get the good stuff.
- Oh, okay.
Okay.
[upbeat hip-hop music]
♪ ♪
- It's good stuff.
The transcripts
are the bomb diggity, man.
You got an A in calculus,
you took statistics over
the summer, you maniac.
- Trust me, I'd rather be
spinning records
and chasing ass,
but my mom believes,
in order to get ahead,
I have to be ahead.
- Instead of getting head.
- Exactly.
- Look, man, we'd love to have
you in the engineering program.
- Dope.
[cell phone buzzes]
- Hang on.
Hello?
Yeah, dude, I'm in the middle
of an interview.
Oh, damn.
No, no,
fliers already went out.
I don't know, man.
Just get somebody who
doesn't throw lame parties.
All right.
- Everything cool?
- DJ bailed on us.
You know someone?
- Yeah, me.
Check out my Myspace page,
I got my beats on there
and everything.
- You play hip-hop?
- Nigga, what?
[lively music]
♪ ♪
[door creaks]
- Relax, babe.
You're so tense.
- It's not fun watching
your mother play
the family version of Tinder
on my face, it's fucked up.
- Not as fucked up as you
telling my mom
we're just friends.
- Didn't that help you out?
I don't wanna make things
worse by adding
a Black DJ boyfriend
to the conversation.
- It's just sad
you had to cover for me.
She's so controlling.
We always did everything
she wanted.
She treated us like slaves.
- A slave?
Really?
- Oh, stop it.
I'm Jewish.
We were slaves first.
- Debatable.
I'm going to the bathroom.
- Do you always have to act
like a fucking moron?
- I can't control my mother.
- She asked if I'm pregnant.
Do I look fucking pregnant
to you?
- No, no.
But you eat a lot of bread.
- You impotent,
limp dick asshole.
Be a man and stand up
for your wife.
- Vince.
Hey, man.
- Hey.
Everything okay?
- Uh, ye--no.
Whatever.
Women, right?
- Yeah, sure.
- About that dick thing.
- I didn't hear anything
about your dick.
- Okay.
But I'm not impotent,
So you know.
- I never needed to know that.
- Cool.
But I'm saying if I was,
you heard that voice, man.
No one's dick could get
hard listening to that shrill.
See, that's why I'm filing
for divorce.
I need a woman
who can get my dick hard.
Like really hard.
- I'ma go drain mine now, so...
[door creaks]
[lively music]
♪ ♪
- Matt, my Henry had
the worst stomach cancer,
it eats you
from the inside out.
- Nelson had colon cancer.
Thank God the doctors
caught it in time.
We checked 'cause of that
Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
- She was a tough cookie.
[cell phone chimes]
- Shoshana, you have some gum?
- Are you really gonna hit on
a girl at her brother's shiva?
- I don't think Mason
gives a shit.
- Check my purse.
- What the fuck is this?
- Put it back.
- You listening to Rick Ross
and drinking brown liquor too?
- Give it back.
- I wonder what--
I wonder what Mom
thinks about this.
- Why do you have to be
such an asshole?
- 23andMe says I do.
- [scoffs]
Wait!
[both chuckle]
- Hey, you found my vape pen.
- This is yours?
- Yeah, no big deal.
Weed is legal, right?
- Not in Georgia.
- You gonna snitch?
We should smoke together.
- Yeah.
- Mm.
- I'm so sorry.
- Nice.
- My condolences.
- Man, I needed this.
- That's some good shit.
- Wait, it's cool to pass
a joint during a pandemic?
- Yeah, it's all about
finger placement.
[leisurely music]
I prefer to smoke flower
when outdoors.
Ain't nobody gonna trip that
we smoking out here, right?
- No, it's fine.
Our mom's allergies, an
elephant can fart in her face,
she's not gonna smell shit.
- Fuck that.
I'm a married man.
Kyle, tell me the story about
the girl from Starbucks,
and talk really slow.
- Vince, this girl
had fiery hair.
Tits like ripe cantaloupes,
ripe as shit.
She had nipples
like two thumbs.
- Yeah, that's weird.
- Mm-mm.
Not when you're
a married man.
My wife's nipples are inverted,
they're like two little mouths
on the end of the tits.
- I don't wanna hear about
your wife's sad nipples.
- Finish the story.
- Okay, dude, okay.
So she was drunk, right?
Drunk enough for fun,
not Cosby level.
And we're on the couch,
we're going at it.
She's sucking my balls,
licking my ass.
She's good to go,
then things got freaky.
She pulls a strap-on
out of her bag.
Yeah, she starts fucking me
in the ass with a dildo.
- Wait, wait, wait, time out.
She started fucking you
in the ass with a dildo?
- We both came.
Twice.
♪ ♪
- I'm not gonna
lie to you, man.
It sounds kinda gay.
- No, as long as there's
a woman back there doing it,
it's not gay.
Right, Vince?
- Dude, it's gay.
It's okay, I don't care.
- Dude, it's not gay.
- No, I'm pretty sure that
getting fucked in the ass is,
like,
one of the requirements
of being gay.
- All right.
- But if it was
a Swedish bike ride,
then that wouldn't be gay.
Right, Vince?
- Uh...it depends.
- On?
- Were you on your knees
or on your back?
- Good question.
- On my back.
♪ ♪
[music playing softly]
- ♪ That's where we defer ♪
♪ Took too much space
from me ♪
- Why are you being so quiet?
- I'm still traumatized
about your brother
getting fucked in the ass
by his girlfriend.
- That's not new for Kyle.
- Well, my family was crazy,
but you white folks
is on some other shit.
- Yeah, we're a wild bunch.
[chuckles]
- Speaking of wild,
what's up
with this Brandon dude?
- I told you, it was nothing,
- But why do you
have to go along with it?
You a grown-ass woman.
- It's hard.
I can never be myself
around my family
until I'm having a shiva
for my mother.
You can never be yourself
until your parents die,
because until then,
you're just living,
having them projecting
all their flaws onto you.
- Hmm.
It's clear your mother
is messed up.
Is your dad at least cool?
- Yeah.
Yeah, he was.
He died four years ago.
I think her cheating
killed him.
So what about you?
Are you close to your parents?
- Me and my mom were
until she moved away
to live with my brother Rance,
so we don't talk as much.
As for my dad, I only saw him
a couple of times
until he committed
to being absent.
So you could say he died too.
- I should never have brought
a kid into this crazy family.
[lively music]
♪ ♪
- Oh, hell nah.
- Oh, shit.
It's extra crispy.
[funky music playing]
♪ ♪
- [sighs]
I guess Mama finally got
what she wanted, huh?
- The Christian Brothers?
Ma always keeps that
in the cupboard.
[both chuckle]
- Look, she didn't give me
a choice either.
On my second birthday,
she got me a calculator.
- At least you got that.
My second birthday,
she gave me an abacus.
- Actually, I gave you that.
Why should I have all the fun?
- [mouths words]
Let me ask you something.
If you wasn't an engineer,
what would you do?
- I don't know.
- No clue?
- Nah.
Once Ma found out
I was good at math,
being an engineer
was drilled into my head.
Her dream became mine.
- I blame Uncle Willie's ass.
He had to become an engineer
and get that job
at Northrop in Cali.
[haughty chuckle]
- Hey, yo, remember that
Corvette he brought?
- Remember?
That's all Ma talked about.
By the way,
good job buying her one.
- Like I had a choice.
- Hey, Rance.
[upbeat music playing]
♪ ♪
- I got into the program,
but I'm not gonna do it.
I got a job deejaying.
That gig pays so well.
I could blow up for real
at the right club.
- DJ?
Are you crazy?
Ma is gonna kill you.
- She shouldn't.
It ain't producing,
which takes years
to get big in,
and plus, Ma don't even know
what producing is anyway.
But with deejaying I'm getting
paid now, paid well.
That's what she cares about,
right?
- She cares about her sons
being a big deal.
- I'ma be a big deal.
- How are you so sure?
- ♪ It's the same feeling
I always seem to get ♪
- Like you,
I have no other choice.
[lively music]
- That's crazy, and you totally
rescued him?
- Yeah.
It was all reflex.
- Oh, my gosh.
- I couldn't believe it.
- That's amazing.
Your work is incredible.
- Well, thank you, that means
a lot coming from you.
- Hey, babe.
- Hey, Vince.
- Hey, Vince.
I'm Brandon.
It's nice to meet you.
- Shoshana, can I speak to you?
- Yeah, sure.
Sorry.
[faint indistinct chatter]
[mournful cello music playing]
- I know we're not together,
together,
but tell the dude
it ain't happening.
- What do you want me to do,
make a scene?
- Yes.
- I can't.
- What am I supposed to do?
Just sit back and watch this
corny motherfucker get at you
like I'm chopped liver?
- It's a couple more days,
and you don't have
to deal with this anymore.
[scoffs]
- [laughs]
- Vince!
- Oh.
Sorry!
Didn't know anyone was in here.
- No, I was just leaving.
- Are you okay?
- Yeah.
No, I don't know.
I was--I--
I just got a text
from my lawyer.
- Oh, yeah, I'm so sorry.
Max told me about the divorce.
- Divorce?
Divorce?
How do you know about that?
I just got the text now.
When did he tell you?
Huh?
You know something?
What is that shit stain
say to you?
And don't lie to me,
because I know you were out
in the garden just
smoking weed with him.
- Lady, this ain't my business.
- Oh, but getting
my husband high is?
- I--I--
shit, shit, shit, shit, wait!
- You fucking asshole.
You told a fucking stranger
we were already divorced?
You just filed yesterday.
- Whoa!
- Oh, my God!
- Pencil dick loser!
- Did she say pencil?
- It's not shaped
like a pencil,
but it's got some girth.
- Shut up.
How could you?
- Me?
How could you?
I thought we were family.
- Family?
I don't know you white people.
- Listen, you come
to our house,
and you eat at our table
while we mourn our dead son.
How dare you insert yourself
into the family business?
- I didn't insert me.
He inserted me.
- You sound gay, bro.
- Oh, says the dude
who let his girlfriend
fuck him in the ass
with a dildo.
- I told you that
in confidence.
Dude can't keep his mouth shut.
- This is all Shoshana's fault.
She brought him.
- You gotta go.
- I'm not going nowhere.
Shoshana invited me,
and I'm here to support her.
But with the way
y'all acting crazy,
I see why she needed me
to be here.
- I'm crazy?
- Are you kidding me?
- Guys, guys, everybody?
[overlapping chatter]
- You crazy.
- Everybody.
Everybody, shut the fuck up!
This is not Vince's fault,
this is our fault.
I feel like every time
we get together,
we pretend that
we like each other.
Mom, you're so controlling.
And Max, you don't like being
married or being a dad.
Kyle, you're gay.
Yeah.
Or gender fluid,
binary, whatever.
Just stand in your truth.
We lie to each other
at every event,
whether it's a birthday party
or a fucking memorial.
I mean, we might be family,
but I feel like
we don't even know each other.
And that's probably why
Max felt more comfortable
telling Vince about
his divorce than any of us,
'cause he knew that
we would just judge him,
not support him
or show empathy.
I'm sorry.
Just judge,
like he's some random person
off the street,
and that's not family.
Truth is, we're nothing more
than strangers at a shiva.
- That is not true.
Now you come down here,
because she is not well,
clearly jungle fever.
- No.
Mom!
Mom, I am living my YOLO,
or FOMO,
or whatever the kids say.
No?
- You're out of line.
- She's right.
This shiva's been a shit show
from the beginning.
Everyone's been focusing
on themselves.
Mason's life was about doing
what he felt was important,
no matter what anyone feels.
That's legacy.
If I've learned anything,
it's that life is short.
Shoshana,
I know my love for your mom
started with infidelity,
but I love you as my own.
I want nothing
but the best for you.
- Oh.
- Oh!
[laughs]
- You know, y'all applaud
at anything, really?
- Sorry you had to see
how fucked up we are.
- That was just Black shit
without the potato salad.
[both laugh]
Nobody's family is perfect.
- True.
Sometimes you have
to look crazy in the eye
and take a stand.
- I got it, baby.
I know you got work to do
for school.
- Ma, it's cool,
I can still help.
- What's wrong?
- Nothing.
- Talk, son.
- I got a job deejaying,
pays $1,000 a weekend.
- That's good.
That'll help you
pay for school
and keep you out
of my purse for a change.
- Exactly.
- You're a good son, Vincent.
- ♪ Held on to every word ♪
♪ Couldn't let you go
and called it hope ♪
♪ Now I'm so low,
I can't ignore ♪
♪ We only ever made it worse ♪
♪ Then we become
a brush fire ♪
♪ Burning all the pain ♪
♪ How can we survive
a desert ♪
[line trilling]
- Hey, Ma.
- Who is this?
- It's me, Mama, Vince.
- Oh, hey, baby.
How are you?
- I'm good.
Look, I need to talk to you
about something.
- ♪ Hard rain in LA ♪
- I'm gonna pursue my dream
of producing music.
I deejayed for a while because,
honestly, I was afraid.
Afraid of what
you were gonna think,
afraid of what you were
gonna say if I failed.
I mean, I can't fail that bad
playing records, you know?
So instead of chasing my dream
of being a producer,
I settled.
I know you want
what's best for me,
but this is what I want,
and I hope you understand that.
- Okay, Vincent.
I love music.
Remember the time
when you played
on that thing in your room?
I liked it.
- Ma, you hated it.
- Be happy, son.
Play your music.
- Ma, you didn't want me
to play music.
You kicked me out of the house,
remember?
- Who's out the house?
It better not be that cat.
Rance,
is the cat out the house?
- No--no, Mom?
- The cat--where's--
- I'm right here, Mom.
- Where's--no.
I can't even have my cat.
- Hello?
Hello?
- Where's the cat at?
Come on.
- Hey, bro.
- Come here, kitty.
- Ma's not feeling well.
I gotta go calm her down.
- Come on home.
- She's, um, she's
getting worse?
- Depends on the day.
You good?
- Yeah.
- Magic, come on home!
Baby, come on home!
- Ma's looking for Magic.
- I can't even have my cat!
- Cat's been dead
for years now.
- Kiss her for me, all right?
- ♪ Boy, you know what to say
before I turn away ♪
- [clears throat]
- ♪ Your words hit me
like a hard rain in LA ♪
♪ ♪
[upbeat hip-hop music playing]
♪ ♪
[upbeat hip-hop music]
♪ ♪
- Morning, sexy.
- So you're not selling drugs?
- No.
- You gotta be
slanging something.
- I'm slanging this dick.
- Hey, Shoshana.
- Hey.
- I wanna get to know
all your friends.
- Do it.
- About time y'all showed up.
- Shoshana was getting carsick.
- All I had to do
was sit in the back seat.
- You drove Miss Daisy
the whole way.
- There you guys are, finally.
- Don't tell the girls this,
but she won't let me
do a damn thing.
She's been paying my rent
the past few months
and won't take no
for an answer.
[upbeat hip-hop music playing]
♪ ♪
- Excuse me,
are you finished studying?
[record scratches]
- I was just taking a break.
- Why?
So you can make noise
like you're from Africa
or something?
I like my rap too,
but Dr. Dre ain't getting you
into Georgia Tech.
- But what if I make
a million-dollar record
with my beats?
- [laughs]
If "if" were a fifth,
we could all get drunk.
Look, baby, you worked hard
to get into this
engineering program.
Hasn't it always been your
dream, just like your brother?
- Yeah, he's doing all right
at Carolina Poly,
making good money.
- He's doing
more than all right.
He's got a nice house,
nice car,
and all because
of that nice job.
That could be you.
- Yeah.
Looking forward to that...
- Oh, me too.
As a matter of fact,
I'm gonna call
your Aunt Brenda.
She thinks that cousin of yours
is all that
with his little job at FedEx.
[chuckles]
[cat meowing]
I'm going to have two engineers
in the family.
Isn't that right, Magic?
Mwah.
- ♪ What's up, Fresh,
it's our turn baby ♪
♪ Gator boots with
the pimped out Gucci suits ♪
♪ Ain't got no job,
but I stay sharp ♪
♪ Can't pay my rent,
'cause all my money's spent ♪
♪ But that's okay,
'cause I'm still fly ♪
♪ Got a quarter tank of gas
in my new E class ♪
♪ But that's all right,
'cause I'm gonna ride ♪
- Yo, don't keep us
in suspense, let us see.
Let us see, let us see.
- Let's see,
go ahead and flex on.
- Oh, okay, cuz.
I haven't seen you this clean
since you played Malcolm X
in junior high.
- Malcolm X?
This nigga look like
Martin Luther King.
- [as Dr. King] How are you
gonna say nigga and Martin
in the same sentence?
- I mean, we gotta give
Shoshana credit.
She picked out a great suit.
- Why do you have to go
to the "shitva" anyway?
- [normal voice] Shiva.
It's a Jewish memorial,
and I'm going
to support my girl.
- Girl?
- Malcolm would not approve.
- He claiming her now?
- I get it.
- Oh, look at the time,
rich o'clock.
Broke nigga's gotta go.
Bye-bye.
[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
- ♪ Feel that
temperature rising ♪
♪ I can't keep
my tempo silent ♪
♪ My temper,
she be so violent ♪
♪ But okay, okay,
now we in this, babe ♪
♪ ♪
- Hey, uh, you wanna give
your lungs a break?
You already went through
a whole cartridge.
- Babe, I gotta get my mind
mentally prepared
for the reality show
that's my family.
- I thought you said
your family was cool.
- I lied.
I just really needed you here
with me today.
I wasn't even close with Mason.
- You don't care?
- I didn't cry at the funeral.
Hell, I haven't even talked
to my mom
since she married his dad,
who is the man
she cheated on my dad with,
and don't get me started
about my real brothers.
They're like
two walking prostates.
- Damn, the Kardashians ain't
got shit on you guys.
Why bother going to this shiva?
- Because it's my family.
♪ ♪
- We'll get through this.
It's just one day.
- Actually, we sit shiva
for seven days.
- Like, one, two, three--
seven actual days?
- Mm-hmm.
- Let me see that?
- Mm-hmm.
[lively music]
- Are you going to be okay?
I don't want you to feel
out of place.
- Out of place?
I DJ bar mitzvahs,
these are my people, relax.
Hey.
[laughs]
- The internal record scratch,
it's for me.
I rarely go to family events,
so some may be surprised
to see me here.
Hi, so good to see you.
I mean, it's not good,
but I see you.
Babe, stay by my side.
- Mm-hmm.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- I know, I know.
Hi.
- Hi.
[sighs]
- Yo, what's up, Shosh?
- Hey.
- Charles.
- I knew that.
How are you?
- Straight out of rehab
and shit.
Third time's the charm,
you know?
- I don't.
Talk later.
- Hey.
I can't.
[faint indistinct chatter]
- Ugh, smell this.
- Ugh, it smells like fish.
- Smells like fish.
- Gefilte fish is supposed
to smell fresh, not like fish.
- I bet Sharon made this.
[both laugh]
- Those two old women remind me
of Aunt Kim
and my cousin Perry.
They always complain about my
Aunt Beverly's potato salad.
No one ever eats it.
- Why?
- She's a little senile
and leaves the potato salad
out overnight and roaches
will be in the shit.
- Ew!
- Here's the crazy part.
The roaches would be dead.
Roaches survive
nuclear explosions,
but they die eating her shit.
- [laughs]
- Oh, my God.
- [gasps]
- Shoshana, come here.
- Here we go.
Remember, my mom's a cunt.
Smile.
Hi!
- Are you losing weight?
You have to watch that
when you get older.
Yes, I could see
your cheekbones,
and not in that good model way,
but like those kids with
the flies all over their faces.
- Okay, Mom, thanks.
- What?
I'm not racist,
but they are literally on TV
with the flies swarming
all over their faces.
It's just inhumane.
Someone should swat them off,
and that is probably why
you're not married,
and I have no grandchildren.
- Mom, I'm divorced,
and you have a grandson.
- Well, I haven't seen him
in so long, I forgot.
- Well, a shiva is not
the place to bring a child,
in my opinion.
It's also not the place
to berate me
and make me feel insecure.
- Well, if you called me
more often,
I wouldn't have to do it here.
- So where's Matt?
- You mean your father?
- No, I mean your husband.
- I don't know why you can't
accept him as your father.
I feel so bad for him
over there, you know,
losing his son like that.
- Mom, you cheated on Dad
with him.
He will never be
my fucking father.
- You show some respect.
We just lost a son.
And besides, we're all family.
- [giggles]
- So who's your friend over
there eating all our food?
- Vince.
- Oh.
Is he your boyfriend?
- No, just friends.
- Oh, well, in that case,
welcome, Vincent.
I'm sorry it's under such
circumstances.
- I'm so sorry for your loss.
- [sighs]
So what do you do, Vincent,
besides eat all our food?
- [laughs]
- I'm a DJ.
[both chuckle]
- Huh.
Of course.
- Shoshana, what's up?
You look...older.
- Suck my dick.
- Dick?
So the transformation
is complete.
- Fuck off.
- What's up, bro?
Kevin, right?
We met at my cousin's wedding
a few years ago.
- Not me.
Vince.
- Yeah, not all Black people
look alike.
- Sorry, bro.
Thought that was you.
- Oh, shit.
It does look like me.
- Yes, she has a type.
- So these are
my two dick brothers.
This is Kyle, and this is Max.
- Oh, that mouth.
Such a lady.
- What do you expect?
She went to Michigan,
for God's sake.
- Oh, what?
Think you're better
'cause you went
to fucking Harvard?
- Fuck yeah.
Harvard produces neurosurgeons.
- Mm-hmm.
- Michigan produces dentists.
- Oh.
[both laugh]
- All right.
Knock it off.
Show some respect.
She's your sister.
So come with me,
we're going to see the rabbi.
- Assholes.
- Wow.
- Good morning.
all: Good morning.
- Mason was not a big fan
of ritual,
so I'm gonna keep this short.
Please rise.
"You who dwells in the shelter
of the most high,
"who abides in the shadow
of the omnipotent,
"I say to you of the Lord,
who is my refuge..."
- You're reading it backwards,
we read right to left.
- Oh.
- "My God, in whom I trust,
"I will satisfy him
with long life
and show him my deliverance."
You can take your seats.
I'd like to call on Mason's
father to say a few words.
- Didn't you try
to fuck her?
- Dude, she's a rabbi now.
She gave me a hand job.
- [clears throat]
Mason was a good kid.
No, a great kid.
A memory that comes to mind is
Mason donated
his bar mitzvah money
to help build basketball courts
in College Park.
He wasn't just a big heart,
he was wicked funny.
I remember we were--Mason and I
were at the supermarket,
and a woman's water broke.
I had to act fast, so right
there in the cereal aisle,
I delivered a baby
with Mason helping.
[soft laughter]
Afterward--Mason was nine--
I jokingly told him,
"I don't need
to have the talk,"
and he responded,
"I know where babies come from.
"My question is,
how they got in there
in the first place?"
- Mason could have
learned about babies
from all the affairs
his father was having.
- Barb, Vincent is a guest.
- I tell no lies.
- Okay.
- Brandon, I would like you
to meet my daughter, Shoshana.
- Hi, nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
- So the doctor told me
it was a tumor.
Now, I have my tumor,
the lawyer.
[laughter]
- Lovely name, Shoshana.
- So pretty.
[indistinct conversation]
- [mouthing words]
- Very unusual name.
I don't know how
we came up with it.
- Excuse me, ladies.
- How are your parents?
It's been so good to see them--
- Vincent, darling.
How are you?
- Hey, beautiful ceremony.
Sorry again for your son.
- Stepson.
- Right.
Let me go check on Shoshana.
- No, no, no.
Give her a minute, please.
She's, you know,
catching up with an old friend.
- Old friend?
- Old, old friend.
- He doesn't look
that old to me.
[both laugh]
- Yeah, he's been a friend
of the family forever,
and I think he used to have
a little crush on her.
- Really?
- But...
that was a long time ago.
- Oh.
[both laugh]
I have an idea.
I have a private stock of rum
behind the bar.
Why don't you just
go on in there,
help yourself, relax,
and I'll send Shoshana your way
when she's finished
with Brandon.
- With Brandon?
- Brandon.
- Oh, Brandon, okay.
- Okay.
- Bye-bye.
- Bye-bye.
- You heard her.
Let's go get the good stuff.
- Oh, okay.
Okay.
[upbeat hip-hop music]
♪ ♪
- It's good stuff.
The transcripts
are the bomb diggity, man.
You got an A in calculus,
you took statistics over
the summer, you maniac.
- Trust me, I'd rather be
spinning records
and chasing ass,
but my mom believes,
in order to get ahead,
I have to be ahead.
- Instead of getting head.
- Exactly.
- Look, man, we'd love to have
you in the engineering program.
- Dope.
[cell phone buzzes]
- Hang on.
Hello?
Yeah, dude, I'm in the middle
of an interview.
Oh, damn.
No, no,
fliers already went out.
I don't know, man.
Just get somebody who
doesn't throw lame parties.
All right.
- Everything cool?
- DJ bailed on us.
You know someone?
- Yeah, me.
Check out my Myspace page,
I got my beats on there
and everything.
- You play hip-hop?
- Nigga, what?
[lively music]
♪ ♪
[door creaks]
- Relax, babe.
You're so tense.
- It's not fun watching
your mother play
the family version of Tinder
on my face, it's fucked up.
- Not as fucked up as you
telling my mom
we're just friends.
- Didn't that help you out?
I don't wanna make things
worse by adding
a Black DJ boyfriend
to the conversation.
- It's just sad
you had to cover for me.
She's so controlling.
We always did everything
she wanted.
She treated us like slaves.
- A slave?
Really?
- Oh, stop it.
I'm Jewish.
We were slaves first.
- Debatable.
I'm going to the bathroom.
- Do you always have to act
like a fucking moron?
- I can't control my mother.
- She asked if I'm pregnant.
Do I look fucking pregnant
to you?
- No, no.
But you eat a lot of bread.
- You impotent,
limp dick asshole.
Be a man and stand up
for your wife.
- Vince.
Hey, man.
- Hey.
Everything okay?
- Uh, ye--no.
Whatever.
Women, right?
- Yeah, sure.
- About that dick thing.
- I didn't hear anything
about your dick.
- Okay.
But I'm not impotent,
So you know.
- I never needed to know that.
- Cool.
But I'm saying if I was,
you heard that voice, man.
No one's dick could get
hard listening to that shrill.
See, that's why I'm filing
for divorce.
I need a woman
who can get my dick hard.
Like really hard.
- I'ma go drain mine now, so...
[door creaks]
[lively music]
♪ ♪
- Matt, my Henry had
the worst stomach cancer,
it eats you
from the inside out.
- Nelson had colon cancer.
Thank God the doctors
caught it in time.
We checked 'cause of that
Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
- She was a tough cookie.
[cell phone chimes]
- Shoshana, you have some gum?
- Are you really gonna hit on
a girl at her brother's shiva?
- I don't think Mason
gives a shit.
- Check my purse.
- What the fuck is this?
- Put it back.
- You listening to Rick Ross
and drinking brown liquor too?
- Give it back.
- I wonder what--
I wonder what Mom
thinks about this.
- Why do you have to be
such an asshole?
- 23andMe says I do.
- [scoffs]
Wait!
[both chuckle]
- Hey, you found my vape pen.
- This is yours?
- Yeah, no big deal.
Weed is legal, right?
- Not in Georgia.
- You gonna snitch?
We should smoke together.
- Yeah.
- Mm.
- I'm so sorry.
- Nice.
- My condolences.
- Man, I needed this.
- That's some good shit.
- Wait, it's cool to pass
a joint during a pandemic?
- Yeah, it's all about
finger placement.
[leisurely music]
I prefer to smoke flower
when outdoors.
Ain't nobody gonna trip that
we smoking out here, right?
- No, it's fine.
Our mom's allergies, an
elephant can fart in her face,
she's not gonna smell shit.
- Fuck that.
I'm a married man.
Kyle, tell me the story about
the girl from Starbucks,
and talk really slow.
- Vince, this girl
had fiery hair.
Tits like ripe cantaloupes,
ripe as shit.
She had nipples
like two thumbs.
- Yeah, that's weird.
- Mm-mm.
Not when you're
a married man.
My wife's nipples are inverted,
they're like two little mouths
on the end of the tits.
- I don't wanna hear about
your wife's sad nipples.
- Finish the story.
- Okay, dude, okay.
So she was drunk, right?
Drunk enough for fun,
not Cosby level.
And we're on the couch,
we're going at it.
She's sucking my balls,
licking my ass.
She's good to go,
then things got freaky.
She pulls a strap-on
out of her bag.
Yeah, she starts fucking me
in the ass with a dildo.
- Wait, wait, wait, time out.
She started fucking you
in the ass with a dildo?
- We both came.
Twice.
♪ ♪
- I'm not gonna
lie to you, man.
It sounds kinda gay.
- No, as long as there's
a woman back there doing it,
it's not gay.
Right, Vince?
- Dude, it's gay.
It's okay, I don't care.
- Dude, it's not gay.
- No, I'm pretty sure that
getting fucked in the ass is,
like,
one of the requirements
of being gay.
- All right.
- But if it was
a Swedish bike ride,
then that wouldn't be gay.
Right, Vince?
- Uh...it depends.
- On?
- Were you on your knees
or on your back?
- Good question.
- On my back.
♪ ♪
[music playing softly]
- ♪ That's where we defer ♪
♪ Took too much space
from me ♪
- Why are you being so quiet?
- I'm still traumatized
about your brother
getting fucked in the ass
by his girlfriend.
- That's not new for Kyle.
- Well, my family was crazy,
but you white folks
is on some other shit.
- Yeah, we're a wild bunch.
[chuckles]
- Speaking of wild,
what's up
with this Brandon dude?
- I told you, it was nothing,
- But why do you
have to go along with it?
You a grown-ass woman.
- It's hard.
I can never be myself
around my family
until I'm having a shiva
for my mother.
You can never be yourself
until your parents die,
because until then,
you're just living,
having them projecting
all their flaws onto you.
- Hmm.
It's clear your mother
is messed up.
Is your dad at least cool?
- Yeah.
Yeah, he was.
He died four years ago.
I think her cheating
killed him.
So what about you?
Are you close to your parents?
- Me and my mom were
until she moved away
to live with my brother Rance,
so we don't talk as much.
As for my dad, I only saw him
a couple of times
until he committed
to being absent.
So you could say he died too.
- I should never have brought
a kid into this crazy family.
[lively music]
♪ ♪
- Oh, hell nah.
- Oh, shit.
It's extra crispy.
[funky music playing]
♪ ♪
- [sighs]
I guess Mama finally got
what she wanted, huh?
- The Christian Brothers?
Ma always keeps that
in the cupboard.
[both chuckle]
- Look, she didn't give me
a choice either.
On my second birthday,
she got me a calculator.
- At least you got that.
My second birthday,
she gave me an abacus.
- Actually, I gave you that.
Why should I have all the fun?
- [mouths words]
Let me ask you something.
If you wasn't an engineer,
what would you do?
- I don't know.
- No clue?
- Nah.
Once Ma found out
I was good at math,
being an engineer
was drilled into my head.
Her dream became mine.
- I blame Uncle Willie's ass.
He had to become an engineer
and get that job
at Northrop in Cali.
[haughty chuckle]
- Hey, yo, remember that
Corvette he brought?
- Remember?
That's all Ma talked about.
By the way,
good job buying her one.
- Like I had a choice.
- Hey, Rance.
[upbeat music playing]
♪ ♪
- I got into the program,
but I'm not gonna do it.
I got a job deejaying.
That gig pays so well.
I could blow up for real
at the right club.
- DJ?
Are you crazy?
Ma is gonna kill you.
- She shouldn't.
It ain't producing,
which takes years
to get big in,
and plus, Ma don't even know
what producing is anyway.
But with deejaying I'm getting
paid now, paid well.
That's what she cares about,
right?
- She cares about her sons
being a big deal.
- I'ma be a big deal.
- How are you so sure?
- ♪ It's the same feeling
I always seem to get ♪
- Like you,
I have no other choice.
[lively music]
- That's crazy, and you totally
rescued him?
- Yeah.
It was all reflex.
- Oh, my gosh.
- I couldn't believe it.
- That's amazing.
Your work is incredible.
- Well, thank you, that means
a lot coming from you.
- Hey, babe.
- Hey, Vince.
- Hey, Vince.
I'm Brandon.
It's nice to meet you.
- Shoshana, can I speak to you?
- Yeah, sure.
Sorry.
[faint indistinct chatter]
[mournful cello music playing]
- I know we're not together,
together,
but tell the dude
it ain't happening.
- What do you want me to do,
make a scene?
- Yes.
- I can't.
- What am I supposed to do?
Just sit back and watch this
corny motherfucker get at you
like I'm chopped liver?
- It's a couple more days,
and you don't have
to deal with this anymore.
[scoffs]
- [laughs]
- Vince!
- Oh.
Sorry!
Didn't know anyone was in here.
- No, I was just leaving.
- Are you okay?
- Yeah.
No, I don't know.
I was--I--
I just got a text
from my lawyer.
- Oh, yeah, I'm so sorry.
Max told me about the divorce.
- Divorce?
Divorce?
How do you know about that?
I just got the text now.
When did he tell you?
Huh?
You know something?
What is that shit stain
say to you?
And don't lie to me,
because I know you were out
in the garden just
smoking weed with him.
- Lady, this ain't my business.
- Oh, but getting
my husband high is?
- I--I--
shit, shit, shit, shit, wait!
- You fucking asshole.
You told a fucking stranger
we were already divorced?
You just filed yesterday.
- Whoa!
- Oh, my God!
- Pencil dick loser!
- Did she say pencil?
- It's not shaped
like a pencil,
but it's got some girth.
- Shut up.
How could you?
- Me?
How could you?
I thought we were family.
- Family?
I don't know you white people.
- Listen, you come
to our house,
and you eat at our table
while we mourn our dead son.
How dare you insert yourself
into the family business?
- I didn't insert me.
He inserted me.
- You sound gay, bro.
- Oh, says the dude
who let his girlfriend
fuck him in the ass
with a dildo.
- I told you that
in confidence.
Dude can't keep his mouth shut.
- This is all Shoshana's fault.
She brought him.
- You gotta go.
- I'm not going nowhere.
Shoshana invited me,
and I'm here to support her.
But with the way
y'all acting crazy,
I see why she needed me
to be here.
- I'm crazy?
- Are you kidding me?
- Guys, guys, everybody?
[overlapping chatter]
- You crazy.
- Everybody.
Everybody, shut the fuck up!
This is not Vince's fault,
this is our fault.
I feel like every time
we get together,
we pretend that
we like each other.
Mom, you're so controlling.
And Max, you don't like being
married or being a dad.
Kyle, you're gay.
Yeah.
Or gender fluid,
binary, whatever.
Just stand in your truth.
We lie to each other
at every event,
whether it's a birthday party
or a fucking memorial.
I mean, we might be family,
but I feel like
we don't even know each other.
And that's probably why
Max felt more comfortable
telling Vince about
his divorce than any of us,
'cause he knew that
we would just judge him,
not support him
or show empathy.
I'm sorry.
Just judge,
like he's some random person
off the street,
and that's not family.
Truth is, we're nothing more
than strangers at a shiva.
- That is not true.
Now you come down here,
because she is not well,
clearly jungle fever.
- No.
Mom!
Mom, I am living my YOLO,
or FOMO,
or whatever the kids say.
No?
- You're out of line.
- She's right.
This shiva's been a shit show
from the beginning.
Everyone's been focusing
on themselves.
Mason's life was about doing
what he felt was important,
no matter what anyone feels.
That's legacy.
If I've learned anything,
it's that life is short.
Shoshana,
I know my love for your mom
started with infidelity,
but I love you as my own.
I want nothing
but the best for you.
- Oh.
- Oh!
[laughs]
- You know, y'all applaud
at anything, really?
- Sorry you had to see
how fucked up we are.
- That was just Black shit
without the potato salad.
[both laugh]
Nobody's family is perfect.
- True.
Sometimes you have
to look crazy in the eye
and take a stand.
- I got it, baby.
I know you got work to do
for school.
- Ma, it's cool,
I can still help.
- What's wrong?
- Nothing.
- Talk, son.
- I got a job deejaying,
pays $1,000 a weekend.
- That's good.
That'll help you
pay for school
and keep you out
of my purse for a change.
- Exactly.
- You're a good son, Vincent.
- ♪ Held on to every word ♪
♪ Couldn't let you go
and called it hope ♪
♪ Now I'm so low,
I can't ignore ♪
♪ We only ever made it worse ♪
♪ Then we become
a brush fire ♪
♪ Burning all the pain ♪
♪ How can we survive
a desert ♪
[line trilling]
- Hey, Ma.
- Who is this?
- It's me, Mama, Vince.
- Oh, hey, baby.
How are you?
- I'm good.
Look, I need to talk to you
about something.
- ♪ Hard rain in LA ♪
- I'm gonna pursue my dream
of producing music.
I deejayed for a while because,
honestly, I was afraid.
Afraid of what
you were gonna think,
afraid of what you were
gonna say if I failed.
I mean, I can't fail that bad
playing records, you know?
So instead of chasing my dream
of being a producer,
I settled.
I know you want
what's best for me,
but this is what I want,
and I hope you understand that.
- Okay, Vincent.
I love music.
Remember the time
when you played
on that thing in your room?
I liked it.
- Ma, you hated it.
- Be happy, son.
Play your music.
- Ma, you didn't want me
to play music.
You kicked me out of the house,
remember?
- Who's out the house?
It better not be that cat.
Rance,
is the cat out the house?
- No--no, Mom?
- The cat--where's--
- I'm right here, Mom.
- Where's--no.
I can't even have my cat.
- Hello?
Hello?
- Where's the cat at?
Come on.
- Hey, bro.
- Come here, kitty.
- Ma's not feeling well.
I gotta go calm her down.
- Come on home.
- She's, um, she's
getting worse?
- Depends on the day.
You good?
- Yeah.
- Magic, come on home!
Baby, come on home!
- Ma's looking for Magic.
- I can't even have my cat!
- Cat's been dead
for years now.
- Kiss her for me, all right?
- ♪ Boy, you know what to say
before I turn away ♪
- [clears throat]
- ♪ Your words hit me
like a hard rain in LA ♪
♪ ♪
[upbeat hip-hop music playing]
♪ ♪
[upbeat hip-hop music]
♪ ♪