Black-ish (2014–…): Season 7, Episode 10 - What About Gary? - full transcript

Dre: Back in the day,
you didn't know all that much

about people around you...

Your co-workers, acquaintances,
your mailman.

Most people were strangers
who lived a life of mystery,

because there was a thing
called privacy.

But since the explosion
of social media,

everyone knows everything
about everybody.

And in these
politically divided times,

this onslaught of social media
means

we know everyone's thoughts
on every single issue.

That can really change
your perception of a person.



Take bow's cousin Gary,
for example.

I knew he lived
somewhere in I.A.

And thought you should
go for it on fourth and 1.

But social media introduced me
to a whole other side of Gary.

That's where I found out he was

BLM's newest, whitest ally.

So, with george floyd's murder
and the uprisings,

I guess I shouldn't have been
surprised when this happened.

[ Cellphone ringing ]

Hey, Gary!

I've been waiting
on this call, man.

When is the fantasy draft?

Gary: What are you talking
about football, man?

Turn on the news.



America doesn't care
about black people, okay?

We need to make a change asap,
and you need to help me.

Captions by vitac...

*BLACKISH*
Season 07 Episode 08

Episode Title: "What About Gary?"
Aired on: February 02, 2021

Brought to you by: Ford,
built ford proud

Gary: Hey, man,
I'm sorry to call again,

but bow isn't picking up,
and I just got to say

this country is so behind.

It feels like the '80s.
Or the '60s.

Whichever decade
is the most racist.

Call me back.
This is Gary.

Yeah. Mm-hmm. This is
the sixth one that he left me.

- Mm-hmm.
- Bow, our relationship

isn't meant to handle this.

The only time
I should see Gary cry

is when they're reuniting a soldier
with a dog at halftime.

Gary has been emotional
his entire life.

He cried four times
during the movie "face/off."

That's why I don't answer
any of his calls.

Eh, ah, uh, bow...

- I feel that white people are losing
their mind, all right? - [ Chuckles ]

they've
all been reaching out

because some meme told them
to check on their black friends.

Oh, I know.

I know, Dre.

Hmm?

Listen.
[ cellphone beeps ]

Woman: [ sobbing ]
what happened to americ...

[ cellphone beeps ] woman #2: I just
feel so terrible about my own privilege.

If you want to skip tennis...
[ cellphone beeps ]

Woman #3: I think my daughter
needs a black hero right now, and I...

Okay. Okay. Okay.
Enough.

None of those people
are my friends.

Not a one.

And that last woman...

She's just someone
who found my wallet in 2005.

That's crazy.

Bow, you know what?

I feel that the people who are
calling are drowning in guilt

and are looking
for a black life preserver.

But I didn't expect that
from Gary!

The best thing
that you can do here

is pretend that this call
never happened.

Mm.

It's Gary. All right?

So in a few weeks,

when "the great british
bake off" comes back on,

he will forget
that black lives ever mattered.

Yeah,
you're probably right.

Mm-hmm.

I'll delete them.
Yeah.

Maybe it'll all go away
on its own,

just like a jury summons
or a red light ticket.

Pshh.
[ cellphone chimes ]

Oh! Look at this.

Cvs is alerting us
that black lives matter

and there is 20% off
of all tussin.

Oh.

♪

Babe, you are so sweet

for helping me
with my psych homework.

I don't mind at all.

I feel like psychologists
are real doctors.

I don't care
what my mom says.

[ Toaster pops ]

Oh, no.

Jack, we have talked
about this.

It is hot
when it comes out.

No, no, no.
I-I chipped the icing.

Well, it's still
gonna taste the same.

It's not for me.
It's for diane.

She places a high value on the
aesthetic of the toaster pasty.

Well, if she's
that particular,

wouldn't it just be easier
for her to make it herself?

[ laughing ]
[ laughing ]

Junior, school your girl.

She's clearly never been on the
business end of diane's wrath.

[ Exhales deeply ]
mnh-mnh.

Whoa, junior.

Your brother is acting out
this theory in my textbook.

[ Toaster clicks ]
jack clearly has

what the book calls
a fearful attachment.

He will do anything
to make his twin sister happy.

Wow.
That does make sense.

You know, one time,
diane got the flu,

and jack immediately
tried to register

[ toaster pops ]
to be an organ donor.

[ Inhales sharply ]
ah.

You know, jack, just because
you love your sister

doesn't mean you got to burn
your fingerprints off for her.

If you ever want to talk
about ways

to assert yourself
in your relationship

and break free
from your fear of rejection,

I'm here.

I'll think about it.

Whoa! Whoa!

Jack,
you should feel lucky

that olivia has blessed you
with this knowledge.

You know, some day, mom is gonna
spend hunDreds of dollars

for you to get
this same kind of therapy.

Good.

Because I saw grandma
changing for the pool once,

and it really
messed me up.

Ugh.

[ Cellphone chiming ] even
though bow told me to ignore Gary,

it didn't seem like he was
going to let me do that.

Stevens: Hold everything.
Dre's got a problem.

My money is on
bad credit score.

Dre: No.

Bow's white cousin Gary...

He wants to talk to me
about race.

How is that a problem
for you?

Yeah, you talk so much
about race, Dre,

I watch "american history x"
totally differently now.

I don't talk about it
that much.

[ laughing ] what?!
[ laughs ]

You talk about race so much,
we basically owe you tuition.

Dre, I thought rodney king was
king of south I.A. Real estate

until I met you.

Because of you, Dre,
I now have a relationship

with my daughter's boyfriend,
lamar.

Your daughter has
a black boyfriend?

Yes, Dre,
she has a black boyfriend.

And because of you,

I didn't assume that he wanted
fried chicken for dinner.

Well, you know,
now that I think about it...

Gary didn't call
just any black friend.

No, he did not.
He called the...

Yep.
Black friend.

You're damn right.

You know, he needs me.
It's time I answer his call.

Yeah.

Feel that, Dre?

What?

Come on.

That's progress.

This is the Dream
rodney king was talking about.

The guys were right.

I had to take advantage

of the opportunity
to build a better white man.

Gary!

Hey, man. Oh.
[ exhales deeply ]

Hey, thanks for being down
to talk.

Hey. Well, you know what?
You picked the right person.

I am excited
to be your race master.

[ Inhales sharply ]

lesson number one...
Let's lose the word "master."

It gets weird real quick.

Like a lot of white people,
it turned out Gary had a ton

that he wanted
to get off his chest

to his black friend.

I guess
just since the uprisings,

I've felt very lost
and discouraged

that I haven't done
my fair share

of really trying to understand
the black experience,

and I just want
to do better.

Mm.

So, that...
Is just the first step.

Yeah.

What if I were to give you
an opportunity

to learn more
about the black experience?

Yes.

Ask me anything.

Anything?

Yes. Anything.
No question is dumb.

Great.

Um... What is bruno mars?

He's black, right?

That's... Your question?

I don't know, man!
I froze!

This whole thing
feels like a setup.

No, no, no.
It's... it's not. Honestly.

You're...
Gary, ask me anything, man.

Just ask. Anything!

If I'm singing along to
a rap song... Mm-hmm.

And they say the n-word,
do I just go silent,

or can I say..."ninja"?

[ Exhales deeply,
chuckles ]

Wh... you almost
had me there, Gary.

Uh... You know,
I-I-I think it's safe to say

that you should never
sing along to a rap song.

Ever.

But what about macklemore?

Eh...

You know what?

Uh...

Let me break it down
to you.

- ♪ Hit it ♪
- Once Gary and I got going,

something beautiful happened.

[ Rob base and dj e-z rock's
"it takes two" plays ]

♪

♪ It takes two
to make a thing go right ♪

♪ It takes two
to make it outta sight ♪

♪

♪ It takes two
to make a thing go right ♪

♪ It takes two
to make it outta sight ♪

♪ Hit it ♪

♪ I wanna rock right now ♪

♪ I'm rob base,
and I came to get down ♪

♪ I'm not
internationally known ♪

♪ But I'm known
to rock the microphone ♪

all right.

Let me ask you this.

How many black friends
do you have?

♪ No, not a loser ♪

not counting family members
and co-workers.

♪ Ladies love me,
girls adore me ♪

♪ I mean, even the ones
who never saw me ♪

♪ like the way that I rhyme
at a show ♪

♪ the reason why, man,
I don't know ♪

♪ so let's go, 'cause ♪

♪ it takes two
to make a thing go right ♪

♪ it takes two
to make it outta sight ♪

♪ it takes two, I-it takes two ♪

♪ I-it takes two to make a... ♪

So, that's how redlining

prevented black people
from even participating

in the greatest accumulation
of wealth in american history?

That's right.

See, they didn't teach us that
in school.

Ha!
They taught us

that every american had
the same opportunity.

Well, that's what
they wanted you to think.

Because if black people
were responsible

for our own oppression,

then that would make it easier
to reinforce the narrative

of white success
and black failure.

And if our failure
was our fault,

then white people
wouldn't have any responsibility

to make change.

I hear you, man.

And I got to say, I want to be
responsible, you know?

I want to do something.
Okay.

Well, these books can explain it
a whole lot better than I can.

If you want to put in the work,
that's a great place to start.

Thanks, man.
Can't wait to read.

All right.

Hey, good luck
on your journey, grasshopper.

All right.
[ chuckles ]

Oh!
Uh, one more thing.

Yeah?

Is it weird
to like "hamilton"?

Our future's at stake,
Gary.

We don't have time
for non- "wiz" musicals.

Right.
All right?

Now, ease on down that road.
[ laughs ]

♪

[ exhales deeply ]

Jack: Hey, olivia.

Once I started thinking
about what you said about diane,

it made a lot of sense.

I came up with
a lot of grievances.

And once I got going,
it didn't stop.

Good job. Wait.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.

All of this...
Is about diane?

Mm-hmm.

[ Chuckles ]

You're not planning
on giving this to her, are you?

No, no, no, no, no.
This is great progress, jack.

You've identified
your issues.

Now you just
got to find the time

where you can both
look each other in the eye

and you tell her
what's bothering you.

Good job.

Or now that you have gotten
your feelings

out of your body
and onto this paper,

you can burn it.

That way,
no one ever gets to read it,

and no one will ever punish you
for writing it.

Ooh, that reminds me
of what she said

when I tried to wear
that fedora.

Let me see.
Wh...

Be right back.
I need more paper.

Wh...

Isn't this great?

Jack's gonna heal
his attachment issues.

Oh, I feel really good
about this.

[ Chuckles nervously ]

H-hey, babe, you know I...
I love when you feel good,

but, um...
I feel like maybe

you don't know diane well enough
to give this kind of advice.

You know?

Oh, really?

Um...

I see what's going on here.

You want to protect jack,

but you're also worried
about hurting my feelings.

Textbook anxious attachment.

You have abandonment issues.

What?
No, I don't.

You're so terrified you'll
say or do the wrong thing,

you try to keep me happy,

even if that means
not standing up for yourself.

What?
Okay, that is ridiculous.

Maybe "ridiculous"
is too harsh a word.

What do you think?

[ Smacks lips ]

I am gonna get a book
out of this family.

[ Chuckles ]
and I will buy it.

[ Inhales sharply ]

I had done it.
I had molded a squishy mind.

And I knew that, thanks to me,
Gary was going to be an ally.

You and Gary were up late
last night.

[ Refrigerator door closes ]

Your cousin and I had
an excellent conversation.

Did ya?
Yes.

I led a horse to water,
and I taught him how to fish.

I am pretty sure
that you can't cure

40 years of racist conditioning
in one night.

Bow, bow, bow.

This is just like the magic eye
all over again.

No.

Just because
you can't see it

doesn't mean
it's not there.

That was
a defective painting.

Ha!
And you need to trust me.

I grew up
in a mixed family.

And my cousins and I had
these conversations about reagan

all those years ago,

the same way
you're having them now.

This is never ending,
and it is not yours to fix.

I don't mind, bow.

It's what I do.

It's w...

Stevens.

[ Sighs ]
josh.

Oh, my god.

Gary.

[ Chuckles ]

Give me enough time,
and I can convert

any am radio host
in this country.

Huh.

Watch.

♪

I can't believe I was ever
attracted to this side of you!

[ Cellphone rings ]

Hey, Gary. My man.
What's up?

Dre, we need to talk.

Uh...

Hey, d-does it have to be
right now?

You know, I'm, uh,
I'm taking care of the baby.

Can I please come over?

Sure. Why not?

Good, 'cause I'm outside
right now.

What?
[ door closes ]

Did you know that right now,
as we speak,

white gentrifiers are moving
into black communities?

Okay, and starting
their own charter schools,

which takes away the funding
from the public schools

that everybody else
has to go to?

So that leaves
the black schools

completely understaffed
and underfunded.

It's terrible.

You are totally right,
Gary,

and I agree with you.

So, tell me this...
What's your plan?

Ha.
I'm glad you asked.

First of all,
I'm starting a parents' group.

We're gonna write letters
and make calls every day

to politicians.
Okay.

And I think I can also organize
a zoom fundraising concert

with the bassist
from the goo goo dolls.

He's a friend of a friend. Okay.

I don't know if...
Okay. Okay.

Gary,
let me ask you this...

Are you putting your kids
in public school?

Well, [clears throat]
great question.

And we are considering it.

I haven't talked to Jennifer
about it,

but it is on the table.

Are... You... Sending your kids
to public school?

I mean, I wish I could.

The school
that we're zoned for,

the... the testing scores there
are not great, so...

Okay. Gary, let me...
Let me get this straight.

So, you want to topple
the system... Yes.

But you're not willing to do
the one thing that you can do?

I hear ya, but why do my kids
have to be the guinea pigs?

I mean, your kids don't go
to public school.

That's the whole thing!

When white kids go
to these schools,

they suddenly find
resources!

But my black kids going there
doesn't change a thing.

So if you're not willing
to do that,

you know, there's not much that
we really need to talk about.

Hey, I'm just trying
to be an ally here.

Okay.
Hey, look, Gary.

You know, I really thought
this was a great idea,

but I'm starting to feel like
this is just a big mistake.

I'm sorry,
but I can't take you on.

Okay? Bye.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
Look.

I'm just a white man standing
in front of his black cousin,

asking him to solve racism...
Together.

I can't do it, Gary.

Hey.
Lose my number, man.

Wh... yeah.

I understand what's going on.
This is part of the process.

Hey.
Hey.

What are you doing out here
by yourself?

[ Gasps ] oh, no.

Did you find the playboy
that your mom was in?

I told you... those pictures
she sent to hugh hefner

were unsolicited.

No.

I had to drop Gary.
He got to be too much.

[ Sighing ] Dre.

Dre, Dre.

Dre.

Did he surprise you and do
exactly what I said he would?

Thanks for
not rubbing it in.

I knew
you would end up here

because I have done this
so many times before, Dre,

and I didn't want you to be
disappointed, the way I was.

Gary wanted to jump in
and fix the entire system

without owning his own part
in it.

Sometimes I think it's easier
to post "black lives matter"

and shame your grandma online
than look in the mirror

and realize
that you are complicit.

Yes!

What is it about this moment
that so many people

are finally comfortable
saying black lives matter?

Where were they
for aiyana jones,

trayvon martin, mike brown,
sandra bland?

I think that after four years
of overt tiki torch racism,

it's socially acceptable
for white people

to finally fight
for the dignity of black people.

That's what scares me.

I know.

If they can flip a switch
and care,

they can just as easily
flip a switch

and go back
to not caring.

Agreed.

And what are we supposed to say
next time we see Gary?

Oh, my god. Dre.

You still want
to engage him?

He's the only one of your
family members that I like, bow.

What?!

I'm not ready
to let that go.

Oh, my god.

He goes for it
on fourth and 1

no matter where he is
on the field!

What's fourth and 1?

See?
You wouldn't understand.

Okay.

Okay.

When I win the nobel prize
for psychology,

I'm gonna shout you out.

You better.

[ Chuckles ]

Um...

Oh, hey.
How'd it go with diane?

Oh, well, uh,
about that...

Actually,
I've got to talk to you

about
this psychology stuff.

Okay.

I don't think it's a good idea
for you to diagnose my family.

Yeah, we have our problems,
but what family doesn't?

Plus, if you would've tried this
on my grandma,

she probably would've shot you
in your belly.

She's done it before.

Why didn't you say this
the other day?

It's my usual mo
to squash my feelings

to make other people
happy.

But I love our relationship,
and because of that,

it's important that I let you
know how I really feel.

Ohh.

I'm so sorry.

I did it again.

I'm always screwing something up
with my dumb psych major.

No, baby.

Even my own family
got tired of it.

Honestly...

I'm just trying
to impress you guys.

Aww.

You do impress me.

♪

Dre: Okay.

Ah. All right.

Well,
thank you for the beer.

That's not all I did.

I had a long talk
with Jennifer, and...

It looks like we're not
gonna be sending our kids

to public school
next year.

And before you say anything,
I know, man...

I'm a hypocrite.
Mm-hmm.

But I just don't know if I can
make a huge sacrifice like that

without knowing for sure
that it's gonna pay off.

That's what a movement is...

Many people sacrificing
parts of their lives

to move the needle,
even if the needle barely moves.

Look, man, I know
your eyes are newly open

to all of the injustice
in this country

and you want to change
everything all at once.

Yeah.

But what matters
to me most

is that in five days,
five months, five years,

you're still doing the work.

You're so right, man.
There's so much for me to learn.

And there's just racism
everywhere.

Got to just open my eyes
to it.

Yep.

Okay, let's go watch
chiefs-redskins.

It's the washington
football team.

It is?
Yeah.

And I don't know how the chiefs
got out of changing their name.

And, uh...

I'm gonna get
some more beer.

Oh, well, they only brew this
every three years.

It's kind of special.

Uh, maybe they should brew it
every five years.

Hey, did you read any...

It's good that more people
are talking about things

they wouldn't talk about
even just a few years ago.

That doesn't mean
that the work is easy.

But it shows we made progress,
and that's what's important.

But then you smear it...
Dre. Thank god you're here.

Okay, josh and I are having what
I can call a disagreement...

Sure.

About what technically
constitutes blackface.

What do you think?

Are you serious?

Oh, yes! Dre rant!

I got some popcorn!

Hold.
And go.

You know what?

As a little treat,
I made my rant into a song.

What? How could you possibly have
known what we were gonna ask you?

So, you find yourself
wanting to ask a black person

a question about race.

Uh-huh.
Well...

♪ what a friend we have
in Google ♪

♪ All your questions
answered there ♪

♪ What a privilege to Google ♪

♪ Instead of asking
your black friends ♪

- Hey, Dre, is it racist if I make this song
my... - ♪ Oh, what peace it is... ♪

You know what?
I'll just listen to the words.