Black-ish (2014–…): Season 7, Episode 12 - High Water Mark - full transcript

Dre: Life is filled with
responsibility.

You've got to
keep food on the table,

a roof over your family's head,

and you've got to
keep your wardrobe fly

and your shoe game on point.

But every now and again,
you've got to relax,

take a little time
for yourself,

and recharge.

You can even do
little mini-breaks.

Like when I take out
the garbage,

I give myself a little treat.



That's my thing.

But I don't judge anybody for
how they choose to relax.

- Man: [ coughs ]
- I say if it's not hurting nobody, do you.

Whew!

[ Indistinct conversation ]

What the...?

Oh.
Hey, dad.

You trying to hit this?

I know I said no judgment,
but this stupid [bleep]

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*BLACK-ISH*
Season 07 Episode 12 IMDB
S07E10 Video release

Episode Title: "High Water Mark"
Aired on: February 16, 2021

what were
you thinking?



Anyone could have
seen you outside.

Janine could have
called the cops.

Hell, I could have called
the cops. You know what?

- I'm gonna call the cops right now.
- Junior: Whoa, whoa.

You are blowing this
way out of proportion.

Smoking weed has been legal
in california for years.

It may be legal here,
but it's not legal everywhere.

What happens if you have
a joint on you, forgot,

and took a trip
to Singapore?

Google "white kid
getting caned"

and tell me if your high
was worth it.

- [ Door opens ]
- Rainbow: Hey, guys.

Weirdest thing.

I just got wildly nostalgic
for the commune,

and I don't know why.

Uh, wiz khalifa Junior
here is why. Huh?

I caught him outside smoking
"the gateway." did you?

It was
just one hit, mom.

I didn't know you smoked,
sweetie.

I do from time to time,
to take the edge off.

What edge?
You live at home.

You can't be a two-day college
drop-out and a stoner.

Boy, pick a struggle.

We are both genuinely sorry
for doing something

that mak you uncomfortable
on your property.

See? Even she knows
y'all were wrong.

Um...
We were. We were.

Although, to be clear,

I-I'm not apologizing
for smoking.

I'm just apologizing for
doing it on your property.

Now, if you'll excuse me,

the bowl's kicked in,
and I am very hungry.

Um, can I have
some of these?

Yeah, go ahead,
sweetie. Thank you.

Junior, you are
a grown-up now,

so we can't tell you
what to do. [ scoffs ]

But you do have
younger siblings,

so all we ask is that you don't
partake in the house, okay?

What kind of parenting
is that?

What are you
talking about?

I guess
it's gonna be okay

if he starts
calling you "Rainbow."

I wouldn't mind that.

It's kinda cool,
right?

He needs to know that
he's a black man in america

and he cannot do drugs.

Would you rather
I have a drink?

Because
smoking marijuana

isn't any more harmful
than drinking alcohol.

This man is not wrong.

The only time that I have seen
people come into the er

with complications
from marijuana

is because they have had too
many crab legs from red lobster.

Okurr?

[ Trilling ] okurr!

[ Both laugh ]

And you call yourself
a doctor.

Face it, dad, you're on the
wrong side of this. Mm-hmm.

[ Cellphone rings ]
oh.

Hey.

I gotta go.

Olivia needs me to
deliver more goldfish

to the neighbor's kids'
treehouse.

Hmm.
Hey.

I knew we should have never
listened to bob marley

when he was in the womb.

I'm gonna go
search his bedroom

for altoid cans.
Mm.

Bob marley
was the only thing

that stopped that boy
from kicking.

Diane: Jack,
I need your help.

After months of
hanging out with the seniors,

my talents
have been recognized.

They want me to lead
the senior prank.

Oh, and you need
an alibi.

What do you want me
to go with?

Rumbling in the tum?

Migraine for days?

Uterus stuff?

No, Jack. I do not
need an alibi. Oh.

They've been watching you.
They like your drip.

You know, you've got
real popular kid energy.

I've always thought that,

but a popular kid
doesn't say it, you know?

Great. Now,
are you in, or you out?

Wow, diane.

I don't know
what to say.

I don't know
what to wear.

Man,
don't make it weird.

Just follow my lead.
Okay.

Seriously, can I assume that
you'll tell me what to wear?

My first thought was overalls,
and I know that's wrong.

♪

Oh, god.

Your brother let a skunk
in this house again?

What?

They're not pets.

I don't smell anything.

It's definitely coming
from right here

in your
general direction.

Wait a minute.

Are you smoking that,
um...

Ah sookie now?

What?

Me?

No.

Don't lie to me,
Junior.

My mother used to say
if you wallow in weed,

you will be weed.

Tshh.

I'm so sorry, grandma.
It was olivia.

She made me stay in the car
while she smoked the marijuana.

- I didn't even like it.
- Mm-hmm.

I know a temptress
when I see one. - Mm-hmm.

What with that beautiful skin
and... and...

And that
killer curl pattern

and kyla pratt vibes.
Yep.

Those are the ways
she's tempted me.

Well, fortunately, there's a way
back for the both of you.

Mm-hmm.

At my church's youth revival
this weekend.

We're there, if you think
they'll have us.

- Oh, they'll have you.
- [ softly ] Okay.

They let
Janet's grandson back in

after what he did in that
mall fountain. [ chuckles ]

Thanks for giving me
another chance, grandma.

I'm sorry
I let you down.

But I know that family
is more important than drugs.

Oh, what a mighty god
we serve.

Mm. Amen.

Alright, alright.

Pick me up
Sunday afternoon,

and bring your new
king james version, alright?

None of that
new living testament crap.

[ Chuckles ]
yeah.

Bow and Junior
may have been acting

like weed
wasn't a big deal,

but they weren't living
in the real world.

Stevens: Hey, dre.

You will be pleased
to find out

that the elevator
finally got fixed.

No more one flight of stairs
for you.

Eh. Great.

Why are you not celebrating?

You called that flight of stairs
your "own personal 'misery'"...

The kathy bates kind.

I caught Junior
getting high.

Oh, no.

You hate
when he feels good.

Stevens: I'm so sorry
to hear that, dre.

I know how hard
you've worked

to give your family these
incredible opportunities,

and there goes Junior,
throwing it all away on crack.

[ Gasps ]

Crack?

Man, I caught him
smoking weed.

[ Chuckling ] oh. Okay.

So, then,
why are you so upset?

Yeah, I assume you smoke, too,
based on your loud sweaters

and the fact that you're always
eating microwave s'mores.

I'm not a drug guy,
charlie.

Come on, dre. Steve jobs,
barack obama, martha stewart.

You know,
a lot of successful people

got down with
the sticky icky.

Okay, look,
the fact of the matter is

black people get judged
for doing it

in a way
that white people don't.

Yeah.

Like washing your hair every
day, or becoming a cop.

The war on drugs has it

so that we are four times
more likely

to get arrested
for marijuana possession

than white people,
and that's after legalization.

It's not worth the risks.

I hear everything
you're saying, dre,

but let me offer this
counterpoint...

Weed is amazing.

Without it, we wouldn't have
the music of cypress hill...

Mm... Or the
cinematic masterpiece

which is "harold & kumar
go to white castle"... Mm.

...Or my podcast,

which I'm too shy
to release.

You're not
releasing it?

Charlie, we worked on that
for six hours.

Dre, why would you
deny yourself

one of the world's
greatest pleasures?

Check it out.

Imagine feeling god
inside you,

and that god's body
is made out of a heating pad

and he takes all the things
that's bothering you

and put it in this box
for a little while

so you can feel free.

Is that how you feel?

Yeah.

That's my way of getting level

and dealing with
the stress of racism, work,

and the fact that my son is

garnishing all my wages
to pay for back rent.

Oh, my god.

You're high right now,
aren't you?

Oh, yeah,
look at those eyes.

It's not my fault that I got
bored on my way to work.

Not all the muffins.
Hey.

Oh.

Had that chocolate one
all lined up.

My head was spinning
from the fact

that everyone
was down with weed.

Maybe the world had changed,
and I was just being old.

I was wrong about
the 3-pointer ruining the nba.

[ Cellphone vibrates ]

Maybe that's what the world
is telling me.

I mean, nancy reagan goes on
"diff'rent strokes" once

and I'm supposed to
not ever enjoy myself again?

Look, I want to be able to
sit back, turn my brain off,

and catch a vibe.

Damn it.

I'm a grown-up.

[ Magazine slams ]
I can do what I want.

Babe?
Yeah?

Let's get rid of the kids
this weekend and get high.

[ Imitates david wooderson ]
alright, alright, alright.

So, it was finally Friday.

But unlike ice cube
in the movie,

I did have something to do...

Get my kids out of the house
so I could get high.

So high.

Alright,
there you go.

You guys go out there
and, uh, have some fun.

- Generous amount.
- Mm-hmm.

I'm not suspicious
at all.

Yeah, last time you
emptied your wallet like this,

we ended up
with a little brother.

Laser vasectomy,
okay?

So, we good.

Now get out of here
before I change my mind.

Go. Skedaddle.

Scoot! Go!

Me and your mama
got some business to do.

[ Door closes ]
[ chuckles ]

Dre: They're gone.

[ laughs ]
let's get faded!

[ laughs ]
great. Okay, dre.

I have all
the pretzel variations.

I've got rods,
I've got twists,

I've got chocolate-covered,
peanut-butter-filled,

and pretzel-wrapped hot dogs
from the mall.

Ooh. And... [ clears throat ]

Pizza bagels?

Pretzel.

Okay. [ laughs ]

Now we straight.

How you doin'?
Hey, babe,

let's get some drugs.
Let's get them.

Yeah. Okay, I'm
gonna call my guy.

Do it.

Ladarius!

Man, y'all got a lot
of fruit trees out there.

- Ladarius is your guy?
- Dre: Mm-hmm.

So, how we gonna do this,
ladarius?

We gonna roll past
lueders park

and you gonna get
some of that pressure house

that you used to smoke
as a kid?

Actually, this is
how we do it now.

Hmm.

- An app?
- Mm-hmm.

Come on, man.

I thought we were gonna buy
something from a dude

riding a beach cruiser
with a pit bull

who stays at your house
a little too long.

Dre, nobody uses
the weed man anymore.

Everyone does
dispensaries or delivery.

Man, I'll show you. Just
give me your id. Hey, now.

What?
So they can track me?

So when they
change the laws,

they can say
I broke the laws

and take away
my right to vote?

Hell no. Okay.
I'll put my info in.

Fine.
What?

So they can track you?

What about
your medical license?

We need your income.

[ Whispering ]
I'm irresponsible with money.

[ Whispering ]
yes, we know.

I'll just put in
my info.

You guys could
really use this weed.

[ laughs ]
[ normal voice ] oh, yeah.

I bought you something
to tide you over.

- Okay.
- [ normal voice ] Oh, did you? Oh, did ya?

Okay.

Alright, baby.

[ Chuckles ]

Okay, on
the count of three, dre.

One.

Two.

Three.

Mm.

Mm, mm, mm-mm.

Baby, put it in
your mouth. I am.

I'm just trying to
make it warm and soft.

[ Can rattling ]

Diane,
this is amazing.

Greg curtis
called me "pahtnah."

Don't get excited.

He calls the math teacher
"pahtnah."

- [ Person whistles ]
- Oh. Okay.

You stay here, and if
you see anybody coming,

make the sound
of a crow

so we know we have to
get out of here.

[ Caws hoarsely ]
yeah.

Just like that,

but, uh, you know,
not terrible.

Wait. Y-you're leaving me here
all by myself?

I-I thought I was
part of the team.

Yeah, you are.

You're the lookout.

And right now,
I need you to be

the best lookout
you can be, okay?

Thanks, friend.

[ Caws sadly ]

[ Crow caws ]

Don't try to
make me feel better.

While the kids
were up to no good,

Junior was trying to
drag olivia

into his problems
with my mom.

Wait,
are you serious?

You actually want me

to go to a church revival
with your grandma?

I'm not proud of it,
but she smelled weed and...

I blamed it on you.

Now she thinks
we're lost souls,

and I need to restore
her faith in me. - What?

I am super sorry
about it,

but in my family, we like to
keep my grandma happy.

You know you're
going alone, right?

Come on, you might
see someone

catch the holy spirit
and pass out. Okay.

Look, I respect
how it goes in your family,

but it's not healthy to do
something you don't want to do

just because it makes
someone else happy.- [ sighs ]

Even if it's
your grandmother.

Okay.

I get it.

You don't
have to come.

I'll just
tell my grandma

you're going to
your own church revival.

Junior!

She has
blown up a boat.

Babe?
Yeah?

♪ I wanna thrive... ♪

I have avoided weed
for so long.

I know.

And it's fine.
Oh, yeah, it is.

I've never felt
so at peace in my life.

[ Sniffs ]

And I love
the smell of crayons.

[ Sniffs ]

I'm making art, bow. Mm.

I'm able to access
a part of me

that has
never been touched.

[ Crayons clatter ]

This isn't art.

This is dre.

Do you think that I could
open a healing retreat

where people go
to get healed?

People could go to reconnect
with their souls, and...

We could sip tea
and bake cookies.

- Wait a minute.
- Yes?

You mean to tell me
all this time,

you've known how to bake?

Oh.

I'm such a lucky man!

[ Both laugh ]

[ Video call rings ]

[ Gasps ] uh-oh.

Baby!

Baby!

[ Gasps ]
it's principal biggs!

Okay, we're caught.

She knows.
No.

- She knows.
- It's okay. It's okay.

I watched my mom talk to
teachers high all the time.

All you need to do...

Okay,
what you need to do,

- you need to use huge words.
- Okay.

And you gotta talk
really slow.

No! No, bow,
I got this.

It'll work. It'll work. I
got this. No, I got this.

Hey, biggsy.
[ chuckles ]

To what do we owe
the pleasure?

Guess whose kids got caught

painting the word "moist"
onto the football field?

- Who?
- The conners'?

Meet me at the school
and get your damn kids,

and then we need to
have a talk.

[ Call ends ]

Okay, bow,

I-I can't go
get the kids like this.

- It's okay.
- I can't drive like this.

I can barely talk
like this. It's okay.

See, this is exactly
what I was afraid of.

We're gonna have to go walk
to get the kids.

Then we'll get
stopped by the police

because we will be
suspicious-looking black people

and they will arrest us
and we'll go to jail

and I'll lose my job...

And everything that
we've worked so hard to

will crumble to dust
because I made a mistake!

- How could I be so stupid?
- No.

Oh, I should have listened
to Jesse Jackson

when he said nope to dope
and ugh to drugs!

Ohhhhh!

[ Sighs ]

[ Clears throat ]

Hello.
Welcome home.

- Diane: Uh...
- Yep.

Okay.

Everybody is home
safe and sound. - Yay.

Ms. Biggs want to talk
to you guys on Monday.

Okay.
Oh...

She hopes your
hemorrhoid surgery goes fine.

- Rainbow: What? Hmm.
Why would she say that?

You ask me for a favor,
I set the terms.

- Hey...
- Wow.

So...
[ chuckles nervously ]

I just want to remind you guys
that in this country,

we are innocent...

There is spray paint
on his hands. Go upstairs.

No, no, no.
I-I can explain.

I was, uh...
I was spray... Painting.

- Rainbow: No.
- No.

Come on, Jack.

I cracked.

[ Scoffs ]
unbelievable.

Man.
We messed this up.

Well...

At least they didn't know
we were high. - [ chuckles ]

They probably just think
devante hid our keys

- and we'll find them tomorrow.
- Okay.

- All of this right here?
- Yes.

This is just
a part of why

I do not do
the marijuana.

Dre, it worked for me.

It did.
I was so relaxed,

and I got reconnected
to my younger self.

Bow, you were
talking to a pineapple.

No, dre.

A pineapple
was talking to me.

Listen,
come on, come on.

You know it was fun.
It wasn't that bad.

Well...

You're right.
It was fun at first.

But then we got
that call,

and... I started
to spiral out...

- Yeah.
- ...And then it became

the opposite of relaxing.

It was like a...
A living nightmare

that I couldn't
get out of.

When you're high, you are
extra dramatic.

Okay, look. I wish that I could
let my guard down.

I wish that I could
turn my brain off

and know that everything
was going to be all good,

but I can't,
because deep down inside,

I know that everything is
not going to be all good.

I-I'm always on alert.

[ Slaps legs softly ]

I hear you.

But that's what
the weed was for.

Come on. To take all this
stuff off your shoulders, dre,

so you could
just chill out.

Okay, hey.

I think it's too late
for me to learn

- how to turn all of that off.
- Okay.

And honestly,
I don't want to,

because it's just not me.

Okay.

If edibles
aren't for you,

then we need to
find something else

that's gonna
help you relax.

Okay.

Because sitting on
that floor coloring

was the most fun that I have had
in such a long time.

Yeah. Me too.
[ laughs ]

[ Inhales deeply, sighs ]

[ Clears throat ]

I'm still
a little high.

- Hey, baby.
- Hey.

Just let me grab
my butterscotches

to pass out
to the kids at church,

and we can go.

Where's your
little girlfriend?

Olivia had to study,

but I am ready to close the door
on my life of sin.

So, she chose marijuana
over you.

I doubt she's studying.

Probably somewhere
blazing up.

Grandma, please don't
talk about her that way.

She is not
a bad person.

But is she
a good person?

I don't know if
hanging out with her

is gonna get you
a seat in the kingdom.

And there ain't no
water hoses in hell.

[ Bag unzips ]

My girlfriend is
not going to hell.

[ Scoffs ]
and to tell you the truth,

she's not studying,

but she's also
not blazing up.

She just didn't want to come
to the revival, grandma.

And if I'm coming clean,

the weed that you smelled
was mine, not olivia's.

I'm sorry.

Junior.

You know how I feel
about, uh... Marijuana.

I know.

And you decided to
tell me the truth anyway.

Just like your father

when he started dating
your mother.

Before her, I could
say any old thing

about the heifers
he dated.

Hmm.

But when I called your mother
a "hippie dirt woman,"

he asked me not to
talk about her like that.

What?
[ chuckles ]

That's how I knew that
hippie dirt woman was special.

So is olivia.

Well,
I'm happy for you,

and I'm glad
you told me the truth.

- Thanks, grandma.
- Mm, alright.

Where the hell
you think you're going?

- Oh, I was just gonna go outside and...
- Unh-unh-unh-unh-unh-unh.

You're coming to church
with me.

The revival's gonna
shake that weed

right out of your soul.

And put on a suit.
You look like a clown.

Come on.

♪

Look, Jack, I'm sorry
I got you in trouble.

Diane, I'm not mad
we got caught.

I'm mad that you told me
everyone admired my drip

when all you really needed
was a lookout.

Jack, what are
you talking about?

You were part of the team.

The worst part
of the team.

The part no one wants.

You invited me because I was
the only sucker who would do it.

No, I invited you

because you're
the only person I trust.

Anyone else would have bailed
when those floodlights hit,

but you tried
to warn us.

It's not your fault that
they had the exits covered.

It actually
may have been.

I probably shouldn't have
instagrammed

my lookout position.

You know, before I got
my phone taken away,

everyone was texting about
what a great guy you are.

Greg curtis
even got your number

so he could invite you
to his next party.

Oh.

- For real?
- Mm-hmm.

That's so cool.

Oh, god,
what am I gonna wear?

Greg's probably
going to juvie,

so we got time
to figure that out.

Hey, son,
you got a second?

I know I came down
really hard on you

about the weed thing,

but hear me out.

I don't trust
that the world is ready

to see a black man smoke weed
without consequences.

I mean, hell,

I get nervous checking
my cellphone on the corner.

[ Both chuckle ]

No, I... I get it.

I know that people look at me
smoking differently

than if I were
my white friends.

That is why
I'm extra cautious,

but... I appreciate you
looking out.

If I'm
being honest, son...

I'm jealous
that you can get high

and tune out the world.
[ chuckles ]

I mean, I got high,

and I checked all of our
security cameras.

We got a blind spot
in the garage.

Oh, yeah, that sounds like
the opposite of fun.

You know,
when I'm faded,

I like to throw a bunch of
towels in the dryer

and then wrap them
around myself

and pretend
that I'm in the womb.

And that works, huh?

Yeah.

Never felt safer.

But if it doesn't work for you
and it makes you feel paranoid,

it's just not for you.

Well, son, as long as
you're being safe.

You know, I'm...

I'm just happy that you
found something

that helps you relax.

And you know if you ever
want to hang out,

we don't have to smoke.

Oh, no,
I think I'm gonna need

a little bit of something,
though. [ chuckles ]

Hey, you wanna play
some "2k"?

Oh, yeah. I'm down.

Just let me, uh, run to
the garage for a second.

- Oh. Okay.
- Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.
Do that.

Oh! Hey.

Let me show you that,
uh, blind spot in the garage.

Why don't you?

[ Both laugh ]

♪

[ ball creaks ]

♪

Jack:
What is she doing?

I guess it's true.

A working mother
never sleeps.

Is she talking to
a pineapple?

Oh, honey.