Black-ish (2014–…): Season 6, Episode 21 - Earl, Interrupted - full transcript

This fall,
Pops surprised us all

when he said that he was
getting married to Lynette.

And as gross as it was
to see an old man in love,

we were happy for him.

But then came Christmas...

I love you.

But I need him.

I knew that one hurt,
and I felt for Pops,

but I know that he gets through
things in his own way.

See, Pops has always had
his own version of self-care.

Can't believe
I lost my job.



Drinks on me!

I just lost 10 grand
on the Buffalo Bills.

What time you get off?

Ohh!

Doctors say something wrong
with my heart.

I say road trip!

- Road trip.
- Road trip!

As long as I can remember,

Pops has gotten
through the dark spells

with a little time,
a lot of booze,

and help from his best friends,
Loose Craig and Billy Blade.

Why do you want to know
how I got the name Loose Craig?

You from the government?

I was born Billy Smith,



but they called me
Billy Blade.

What does the "Blade" stand for?

Beer, Liquor and Drugs
everyday.

Pops' buddies were helping him
through the pain,

and we were happy to let them.

Well, most of us.

Oh, no.

Okay.

Sir?

Please say he's not dead.

Oh, hello, pretty lady.

I'll have, uh,
two eggs and bacon

and some black coffee.

*BLACK-ISH*
Season 06 Episode 21

Episode Title: "Earl, Interrupted"
Aired on: April 14, 2020

Sync corrections by srjanapala

You need to flip those cushions
and set them on fire.

That thing smells like
unpaid child support,

and you know it!

Morning, Mama.

Hey, baby.

- Hey, Dre.
- Yeah?

When do you think
your father's gonna stop

acting like
an Arizona State freshman?

We have been
very generous with him,

and this morning,

I found his friend Loose Craig
sleeping on our couch.

There's gotta be somewhere else
for that man to sleep.

Okay, well,
Pops was sleeping in his bed.

- Mm-hmm.
- Alright? Billy Blade

was sleeping
on Pops' couch.

You can't ask an old Black man
to double up.

Okay...

It's not
just about the couch, Dre.

Uh...

Eight the hard way.

Play it!

Ronnie wants to know

where the best place around here
to throw up is.

Is it cool if I ash

my cigar in this cactus?

Damn, Rainbow!
Now my money's all wet!

My Pops is just
getting over

- a breakup, okay?
- Hm.

This is how men
deal with things.

No, it's not. No...

Look, I love your father,

and I also love grown men
who sleep at hotels,

not on my couch.

He's got to find
a more

constructive way
to deal with his pain.

Bow, that's exactly
what he's doing.

I promise you, alright,

we are doing
the right thing for Pops.

Look at that. Uh-huh.

Walk of shame.
He's doing great.

- Good morning, everybody.
- Hey.

Okay, Ishma, feel free to take
something for the road, baby.

I would get you an Uber,
but I don't know how that works.

Okay.

- Morning.
- Talk to your father.

Okay,
I will talk to him.

Watch her.
She's raiding the good liquor.

- Hey, Pops?
- Bye.

How you doing?

How's it look like
I'm doing, son?

You see that?
Everything's alright.

Alright, so please,

don't try to understand this,
okay, babe?

Just let
Pops have his fun.

And if that means an old dude
is sleeping on that couch

a few more weeks,
so be it.

Junior,
have you seen my purse?

My God,
this is the worst day ever.

Pops had some sort of
frat party last night,

and now everything's missing
or it's sticky.

Oh.
Hate to hear that.

Roll of pennies
for your thoughts?

No, Junior, I got to take
Jack and Diane to school.

And there's this dad, Jeremy,
he makes drop-offs a nightmare.

Every start of the week,
he's like,

"I got a case of the Mondays.

You got 20 ccs of Friday?"

That doesn't sound so bad.

Junior, has anyone
ever made your skin crawl?

Have you ever wished
that someone didn't exist,

in...
in a non-violent way?

- I have.
- Yeah.

But I don't want
to say who.

Seriously, if you lock eyes
with that guy,

he is like the Terminator.

I got
a late start to work.

Why don't I drop the twins off
at school?

Thank you, Junior.

I am gonna go
and look for my bag.

You do that.

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!

You be sure to wash your hands,
sweetheart.

Pennies are like
little toilets.

- You remember that.
- Okay.

- That's a tip from Mom.
- I will.

I was wondering
what was on this one.

That is exactly why I keep
none of my real estate

but all of my guns
registered in Connor's name.

Mm.

It should be
so much easier

to steal the rest
of this company from you.

Oh.

Oh, Dre,
what's going on, huh?

Let me guess...

You were not fast enough
to buy a sneaker

with a 600% markup?

It's 800%.

- Ooh.
- Alright?

And Bow is mad at how my father
is handling his breakup.

How is he handling it?

If it's anything
like I do,

he's having
a good old-fashioned cry.

You know, just letting it
all out in a bathroom

or in a Kia Sorento
parked near a beach.

Okay, my father
is not going to cry.

Black men do not get emotional
in public.

Michael Jordan cried once,
and it's a meme!

- Oh, yeah.
- It's true.

When my mom passed,

my dad was so afraid
of someone seeing him cry

that he had
his tear ducts removed.

When he gets real cold,
he bleeds from his eyes now.

Mm.

Still,
better than crying.

Word.

Denzel Washington is one of
the best actors that we ever had,

and in "Glory," he was only able
to drum up one tear.

Now, if my calculations
serve me correctly,

he should be able to do
a second tear in 2033.

'33?

So if you can't cry,

how do Black men
deal with their problems?

Ah. If I may...

- Nope.
- No.

Black men deal with their
problems one of two ways...

Fight or flight.

Mascot in your face?
Fight.

Guy does magic in the hood

around you
and a bunch of Black guys

and you don't understand
what he's doing,

probably think
he's in a cult or something.

Flight.

You know,
Pops is cool, right?

He just needs to party
to get it out of his system,

and then he'll be
back to normal.

So, what you're saying
is that partying

is the Black man equivalent
of crying?

Well, it's also
how they express

fear, relief, hopelessness,
and hunger.

But in this instance,
yes, it's crying.

And how many nights a week
is your dad partying?

Not a lot.

Seven.

Oh, Dre.

It sounds like your dad
is crying a lot.

You know, Loose Craig has got
a real gambling problem.

He tried to get me
to throw my soccer game.

I like him.

He gave me
a package to hold

and bought my fingerprints
for only 20 bucks.

Okay, let's go, guys.

Where do you think
you're going?

Oh, uh, Mom used to walk me
to the door, so...

- Uh, we ain't you, dawg.
- So...

Hey! Where's Bow?

I need
my Monday prescription.

Oh.

Uh, she got called in
to work early.

Oh.
Junior.

Jeremy.

You know, I really enjoy
talking with her.

One of the things I look
forward to on the weekdays.

Not sure if she told you,
but I work alone.

Oh. No, she didn't.

I'm divorced,

and my little Alfie's
at school all day,

and, uh, most of my family's
in South Carolina.

Man,
that's got to be tough.

Well, at least I have
all my drop-off buddies.

Oh, apple fritter?

Ooh! Don't mind if I do!

Mmm!

Not sure what's sweeter,
this apple fritter or you!

The guys at work
had me thinking

maybe Pops wasn't okay.

So I decided to do
a quick welfare check.

...doing pull-ups,
they flipping truck tires.

The sign says "gym,"

but I know a White militia
when I see one.

Good looking out.

Hey, Dre.
What you doing here?

Uh, I thought
I'd just pop up, you know,

maybe buy the next round.

- Alright.
- Okay.

Ah, look at this,
Pops.

Sports on TV,
good friends,

a bar with
a B health grade.

Ha!
Life is good, huh?

Could be worse.

Earl,
your horse is winning. Look!

- It's what?
- Look! What?

- He's got the lead!
- Hey!

Run!
Run, pony!

- Hell yeah!
- Run, pony! Come on!

Your horse just won!

What you win, Pops?
20, 30 bucks?

Try $4,500.
He hit the trifecta.

- What?
- Mm-hmm.

Pops,
that's incredible!

Yeah, you don't hit the trifecta
every day.

Hey... so, what are
you gonna do?

I don't know.

Hold up!

My Pops should be on top
of this bar right now.

Something's off.

Why isn't this
making him happy?

Uh, I gotta go use the head.
I-I'll be right back.

Oh, man.

Pops is struggling.

You look like
you need a drink.

Give me your credit card
and your mother's maiden name.

I'll take care of it.

- Hey, what's going on?
- Hmm?

Pops won almost 5 grand,
and nothing?

So?

So, h-how do you think
he's doing

after this whole
Lynette thing?

What Lynette thing?

She broke up with him.

She did?

When? This morning?

Christmas!

This Christmas?

Yes!

Oh. Hmm.

- Well, that's news to us.
- Mm-hmm.

The hell you mean
it's news to you guys?

I mean, you took a road trip
to Detroit and back.

What the hell
did you talk about?

Sports.

Gas prices.

Y-You remember
that one station in Oklahoma?

Shoot,
how could I forget?

Premium,
only $2.25 a gallon!

- Mm.
- Look...

Pops needs someone to talk to
about how he's feeling.

I guess he could talk
to the bartender when we leave.

No.

He needs to talk to you two.
You're his closest friends.

Yeah, you're right.

But I-I... I think I'm gonna
pretend like you never told us.

- What?
- Look, I'm sorry,

but if we talk about it
once,

that means we got to check
back in with him again.

- We like to keep a respectful distance.
- Mm-hmm.

I didn't know he had a son
till recently.

Oh, I still don't know.

You've known him
for 40 years!

Look, Dre,
you need to bounce.

- What?
- You look like you're about to tell Earl

- that you told us about Lynette.
- Mm-hmm.

No wonder
you ain't got no wives.

Marriage is a tool
of the patriarchy.

Mm.

So, how did it go
with Jeremy?

Did he sound sick
and blame it on his allergies?

Don't you think you're being
a little harsh?

Harsh? No.

I really feel like
you're the one

who's not giving him
a chance.

- What?
- He's just a lonely guy

going through a tough time.

You do always see
the worst in people, Mom.

And that's
coming from Diane.

Okay, what are you guys
talking about?

We're only
stating facts.

Remember when I was little
and you wouldn't let me

be friends with Eric
because you hated his mom?

Uhh, she had bad vibes,
Junior.

- Bad vibes?
- Yes.

I did not learn math
on the commune,

but I learned
how to read vibes.

I really feel like
you're closing yourself off

to opportunities to make
real connections with people...

People who may surprise you,

the way Jer-Bear surprised me
with an apple fritter.

He never gave me
an apple fritter.

Did you ever give him
a reason to?

No.

Mm-hmm.

Why don't we both go
to the next drop-off?

Open your mind a little.

It's never too late to turn
over a new leaf. - Okay.

Let me show you that Jeremy's
not such a bad guy.

I guess there's no harm
in trying.

Wait, while you're being
so open-minded,

can we please revisit
me getting a tat?

No!

That's, like,
a hard no, buddy.

Well, Pops isn't
getting over Lynette,

and his friends
are no help, either.

Aww.

They didn't even know that
he had broken up with her.

Dre,
I think maybe it's time

to have a real conversation
about his options.

Okay.

Maybe he should
try therapy.

If you're not gonna offer
any real solutions,

I might as well go in the house
and talk to Jack about this.

Okay, well,
maybe his doctor

could prescribe him
some medication.

Unless there's a scotch with
his medication blended in,

it ain't gonna happen.

Okay.

Here's another idea.

Mm-hmm?

- I could dig a hole...
- Yes.

...and scream my medical advice
into that.

You know,
I'm starting to realize

that there is only
one thing left to do.

Please don't say it.

I'll fix it myself.

You know what?

I'll talk to Pops
tomorrow. Yeah.

Dre,
you can't find a ladder

to fix
the porch light bulb.

What makes you think
that you can fix

Pops' deep emotional trauma?

Okay.

Look at me.

I love you.

Mm-hmm.

But you have no skills.

Ha!

- You know what?
- Hmm?

You know who else couldn't
change a light bulb?

No. Who?

Gandhi.

Instead,
he changed the world.

Oh...

Ohhh.

Here comes Jeremy.

You don't have to
do this, Rainbow.

Making snap judgments
about other people

is one of the few things
I respect about you.

Guys,
just go to class.

Have a great day, kids.

Okay, you can do this.

Yes.

There he is.

In a jacket
covered in pins

for bands
he never listened to.

Name one other Foo Fighter! Mom.

- Okay, sorry. I'm being superficial.
- Mm-hmm.

I will give him a chance.

- Hey, Bow.
- Hey!

Nice to see you again.

You, too.

Are...
Are those pajamas, or...?

Yes.

So, Jeremy,
I have been meaning to ask you,

what's happening with the whole
"Game of Thrones" case, huh?

Ohh. - You... I mean,
is that judge still out to get you?

What?

Oh, my God. Oh! I'm sorry.
I gotta go. I gotta run.

But I'm sure Junior
would love to hear about it.

- Just tell him everything.
- Th...

Yeah, I'm gonna
get in the car.

- Yeah, "Game of Thrones" was stolen...
- Oh! S...

From my original series
of eight fantasy novels,

except mine had more nudity,
more dragons,

and more...

How old are you?

19.

...more dragon nudity.

See, the story begins
in the kingdom of Fazenrock,

when Lord Jeremiah Dragonbone
is born.

Dragons are doing it
everywhere.

Hey.
Got a minute, pops?

Oh, your timing's perfect!

I'm looking to, uh,
invest my winnings.

What do you think
the best way is

to get a 200% return
in about six hours?

Uh, scratchers
or illegal street racing?

Trust your gut.

But you know what, Pops?
Uh...

I want to talk to you
for a second.

- Uh...
- Alright.

You know, I just wanted
to come over here

and make sure you were good,
you know,

because, you know, the breakup
with Lynette was tough.

Oh.

Yeah, but...

What you gon' do?

Yeah, true.
True.

But you do know
everything's gonna be alright?

Yeah.

I also wanted
to let you know

that I'm here for you,
day or night.

You know, whether you want
to talk about this

or anything but this,
I got you, Pops.

Hey.

You are not alone.

I know.

Alright.

Hey.

I'm glad we did this.

It has been harder than
I thought it would be, though.

I thought I'd be alright
by now, but I'm not.

Matter of fact,
every day I wake up,

I feel worse.

I'm not gonna lie, son.

I don't even think
I'm in the middle of it yet.

Oh.

Okay.

Well, uh,
you know, if, uh...

if ever you want
to talk about it, just...

Just, like, this whole thing has
got me thinking back on my life

and... all the things
I've done wrong,

the chances I've blown.

Now I'm getting
close to the end,

and... I can't help
but realize...

...I wasted my life.

Dre?

How'd it go?

Good. Good.

- Oh. Okay.
- He opened up to me.

Oh!

- That's great. You had a breakthrough.
- Mm-hmm.

Yeah.
Yeah, he had a breakthrough.

He, uh...

He started crying, Bow,
and told me he wasted his life.

Ohhh.

What did you do
when he told you that?

Oh, I went to Señor Sub,
you know,

got a... carnitas footlong.

What?

What was I supposed to do, Bow?
It's like I saw him naked.

And I did what I would've done
had I saw him naked...

I ran away.

I-I'm trying to think of
a worse possible response,

but there's nothing.

- Bow, he let down his walls.
- Mm-hmm.

Which means I have to let down
my walls... - Mm-hmm.

To comfort him,
and I'm like,

"No. I'm not tearing down
these walls."

Hell, it took me too long
to build these!

Breaking down walls
is how you create intimacy,

and ultimately, that's what
you want from your dad.

It's what
you've always wanted.

I...

Okay. Alright.

I know that it's easy

to talk sports and traffic
with your dad,

but he really needs you
right now.

So if he wants to go deep,
then you gotta go deep, Dre.

I know.

Sounds like you got
a good angle on this.

You want to take
a crack at it?

Go.

Go. Go. Go.

Be there for your dad,
Dre.

And maybe it'll fill
that dad-sized hole

you're trying to stuff
with sneakers.

[ Sports announcer talks indistinctly
on TV ] - [ Knock on door ]

- Hey.
- Hey.

Uh...

who's playing?

Hobart and Ithaca.

You got money
on the game?

This is Division Three
College Lacrosse.

I got Ithaca minus two.

Yeah, okay.

Come on, Logan!

You gotta pass to Blake
if you ain't got the shot!

Hey, you, uh...

mind if I sit
and watch with you for a bit?

Oh, yeah. Sit down.

Hey, uh, about
what I said before?

Hmm?

I-I didn't really mean
that I wasted my life.

I just...

I let things, you know,
pile up.

No. No, Pops,
you opened up to me,

which was a big moment
for us,

and... I screwed it up.

You didn't screw it up.

I would've done
the same thing.

Men crying is like
sitting down to pee.

I shouldn't have been weak
like that in front of you.

Hey, come on, Pops. You gotta
stop thinking like that, okay?

When Bow and I
were separated, uh...

Man,
that really messed me up,

and I was too proud to talk
to anybody about it.

I'd stay up till
2:00, 3:00 in the morning

walking around
that empty house,

listening to old voicemails
that she left me.

Really?

Yeah. I would talk back to them, too.

I ugly-cried a lot.

I hugged
a pizza delivery guy

and asked him
if I would be okay.

Then you killed him so nobody
would ever know what happened, right?

Come on, Pops,
I'm trying to be

just as vulnerable with you
as you were with me

to let you know
that I'm on your side.

I'm right here with you.

Yeah, I-I know.
I know.

And I mean it.

You know, we're gonna be
vulnerable with each other,

and it might be
uncomfortable,

but it'll definitely
do more for you

than booze, gambling,
and women.

Yeah, you're right
about that.

Last week, I fell asleep
in the strip club.

You know they charge you
for that?

Thank you, son.

I'm ready for things
to get better.

You know it's not just me,
right, Pops?

Everyone in this family
loves you.

And our door is always open,
day or night.

I might just
take you up on that.

I-I don't know
how much of this is too much,

but this here
feels like enough.

I got you.

Why don't you
go on inside?

I'm gonna sit here and watch
these White boys play grass hockey.

Alright, Pops,
you do that.

Mm-hmm.

It took a lot more for me
to open up to Pops.

And it took even more
for him to be vulnerable.

I didn't fool myself
into thinking

that moving forward
would be easy.

But at least Pops knew
that there was somebody

he could always rely on.

You up?

Mm-hmm.

Sync corrections by srjanapala