Black-ish (2014–…): Season 8, Episode 12 - If a Black Man Cries in the Woods... - full transcript
Pops, Dre, and Junior go on a trip to heal old wounds; Diane and Jack contemplate their futures as they look at their college wish lists.
Pops: The success of a Black man
can be measured in many ways...
Grip strength,
growing a beard that connects,
and providing for and
protecting your family,
which has never been
easy in this country.
From the time we got
here, a man's family
could be separated and sold.
You could be harassed,
driven off your land.
♪ Yeah ♪
Dignity was never guaranteed,
and Lord knows the world
didn't make it easy on me.
But I did okay.
Because I believe
the truest measure
of a Black man's success
comes from the success
of his own children.
My son has it all,
and I like to think
I'm responsible
for at least most of it.
♪ Everything, everything ♪
Uh. Hey, Pops.
You know when they
say "Casual Fridays,"
they don't mean that casual.
I'm taking a sick day.
You're sick? Oh, regular sick,
or slide my meals under the
door for the next 10 days sick?
I'm not actually sick, Pops.
But if you don't use your
days, they go to waste.
[ Television turns on ]
Huh. [ Sighs ]
[ Sports announcer
speaking indistinctly ]
O.J.
"O."
Olivia.
[ Sighs ]
Hmm. [ Refrigerator
door closes ]
Hey, Pops.
Mm-hmm.
Aw, hell.
We got one mid-life crisis
and one love-sick chump.
Looks like my work
is never done.
That's it.
Grab enough underwear to
get through the weekend
and your alcoholic
beverage of choice.
We're taking a man trip.
♪♪
♪♪
Alright. You all
about ready to go?
Mm-hmm. Yeah, we're
just finishing up
these sandwiches real quick.
How many do you think we need?
Well, let me see
how many you got.
We got one, two... Uh-huh. Two.
$20 worth of prosciutto
just gone, but okay.
This ain't no picnic.
We're gonna live off the land.
Look, sometimes we men have
to go back to basics...
Fresh air, hunt your own
food, build your own fire.
So I'm taking you two to
a little cabin I know.
Come on, we got to go.
We don't want to be on
motorcycles when it's dark.
Motorcycles? Pops.
That sounds a little dangerous.
No, it's a lot dangerous,
and that's the point.
By the time we return,
our senses will be honed
to a razor-sharp point.
Man trip!
Yeah! Yeah!
Man trip!
Grab your gear while you can!
You're leaving with ten
fingers and ten toes.
Can't guarantee you're
coming back the same way.
[ DMX's "Ruff Ryders'
Anthem" plays ]
♪♪
♪ Uh ♪
♪♪
♪ Something new ♪
This is, uh, probably a
good time to tell you guys
I don't know how to
ride a motorcycle.
♪ Stop, drop, shut 'em
down, open up shop ♪
♪ Oh, no ♪
♪ That's how Ruff Ryders roll ♪
So, I organized my college list
by rank, state, and
weather. [ Gasps ]
You know, you can just say,
"Mom, I don't want
to go to Brown."
I can take it. I don't
want to go to Brown.
Oh.
Hey, Jack. Where's
your college list?
Uh, just cut and paste my name
onto Diane's list.
We'll be good.
Uh, that's not how
it goes, friend.
But I'm sure we can
look at my top colleges
and find community colleges
within a five-mile radius.
That works for me, too.
Ah, you know,
you guys don't have to
go to the same school.
[ Laughs ] What?
Yo, Mom's got jokes. Yeah.
No, no, I'm not joking. I
know you guys are used to
doing everything together,
but I think college
is an opportunity
for you guys to see
what it's like
without each other.
Yeah, no, I don't know, Mom.
It just, uh... It
might be easier
if we just go to
the same school.
Yeah. Maybe.
Um, okay, so maybe I can go to,
uh, Spellman. That looks good.
That's an all-women's
school, so...
I am not mad at that. Y... Oh.
I'm gonna go apply right now.
[ Clears throat ]
After a motorcycle
ride where I found out
being that close to the ground
gives my grandson anxiety,
we were finally here.
Junior: Ah, nature.
It might be great just to
leave it all behind, you know?
Just a man in the
woods finding himself.
[ Gasps ] Ooh, ooh!
Take a picture of
me chopping wood.
I'm-a post it on Instagram
to flex on Olivia.
Yeah. I got you.
[ Phone thuds ]
I should have seen that
coming after the sandwiches.
You need to get over
that girl, Junior.
I'm helping you. You know what?
You're right.
I have tried everything else.
[ Grunts ]
Let me get at that axe.
That's it, son.
[ Grunts ] Mm-hmm.
Wow, that was amazing!
Can an axe solve all
my problems in life?
Hey, Pops, while he
works on the fire,
I got a question
for you. Uh-huh.
What's stocked in
this cabin, huh?
We got steak?
Wild-caught salmon?
[ Gasps ]
Did your boy field-dress
a deer from last spring?
No, no, there's
nothing in there.
The only things that we eat
are what we can hunt
and fish and forage.
What? That's part of the fun.
Fun?!
See, that's what
your problem is, Dre.
You focus on the wrong things.
Like back home, you're worried
about the "work-life balance"
or missed e-mails.
Out here, boy, one wrong
move and you wake up dead.
So we have no dinner plans.
No, we don't. [ Laughs ]
Now, maybe I was being
a little hard on them,
but my son and grandson
needed a swift kick in the ass
to realize life wasn't as hard
as they made it out to be.
You know, Junior is doing a
lot better than I thought.
I'll admit, I'm feeling
a lot better, too.
See? I told you.
It's the cool mountain air.
I'm feeling it, Pops.
Hey, does the beer get
colder up here? [ Laughs ]
Because this is the best
beer that I've ever had.
Is this an IPA? Because I
think I'm an IPA guy now.
See? All you needed was to
get away from everything.
Don't get caught up in the news
or what folks around
you are doing.
Hmm. See, as a man,
the way to fix things
has always been the same.
You're right. You
know, I can't wait
to get a couple of
swings of that old axe.
Oh, it'll be good
for you. Go ahead.
- Check on it.
- [ Sighs ]
Junior: [ Sobbing ]
Oh, God.
I think he's crying.
♪♪
Is it out of effort?
I doubt it.
[ Crying ]
♪♪
Dammit, this boy is out
here crying on our man trip.
[ Crying ]
Oh, Pops, I wonder what's
going on out there.
Maybe he's got some
wood chips in his eyes.
I don't think so.
Your boy is soft.
Look, I'm not saying that
you're failing as a father,
but I'm not not
saying it either.
Hey. Look, you
need to handle this
because this trip starts
when the waterworks stop.
Mm.
[ Crying continues ]
You know, I thought about
it, and you were right, Mom.
Thank you. About what now?
About colleges.
I finished my list... Ah. Ooh.
And, uh, I don't want
to get ahead of myself,
but I think I'd be
happy with any of these.
Unbelievable. This is great.
And what... And what... What
are your top picks, babe?
Um... University of Michigan?
Mm-hmm. Where did
that come from?
Uh, they're the
Wolverines, Diane.
I think they've figured
out the hand claws
in the comic books, so
it's at least worth a try.
Yeah, yeah. Well, okay.
That is a really
good start. It is?
Jack, yes, and, uh,
just keep working on it.
Okay, I will. Okay, yeah.
Alright. Alright.
What is this?
[ Sighs ]
Diane, look,
we've been a combo meal
for all our lives, right?
Maybe it's time
we go à la carte?
Wow.
The one time anything Mom
said sinks in, this is it?
This?
Okay.
Look, what we have has
been going pretty well.
Mm-hmm. Why mess with that?
Because I can handle it.
And I decided to
become a snake guy
to make myself stand out
on my college application.
[ Sighs ]
♪♪
Hey, Junior.
Come on, man. [ Chuckles ]
You can't cry on a man trip.
I'm not crying. [
Sniffles ] Yeah.
Hey, man, you lost
your girlfriend.
Don't lose your dignity, okay?
Okay. I thought I was
gonna come out here
into the middle of
nowhere and chop wood
and it was gonna fix
everything, but it didn't.
Alright? I still feel horrible.
So what?
You're a Black man.
Suck it up and play through.
Alright, we don't
get to cry in public.
That's not what we get to do.
You have to have thicker skin.
I know, I-I know.
Do you, son?
Because this seems like a lesson
that I've been trying to
teach you your entire life.
♪♪
What?
[ Gasps ]
♪♪
I'm so hard on you, son,
because the world is hard,
and I feel like if
you can handle me,
then you can handle it.
It's my job to make sure you
are armored with what you need.
But do I always have
to keep my walls up?
What if I'm sad?
We don't get to be sad, son.
What if I'm scared?
We don't get to
be scared either,
and we can't believe in trust
because we never get the
benefit of the doubt.
Look, I've heard my entire life
how there are a million reasons
I can't show vulnerability
to the world.
But the world isn't
out here chopping wood.
Right? Right now
it's just you and me.
So why can't I be
vulnerable out here?
[ Birds chirping ]
I don't know.
Alright. I want
to try something.
Come on.
I've read that the most
vulnerable thing you can do
is look into somebody's eyes
without breaking eye contact.
Dad
do you see me?
Yes, I see you, son.
No.
Do... you see... me?
♪♪
♪♪
[ Gasps ]
♪♪
[ Voice breaking
] I'm sorry, son.
♪♪
I'm sorry.
Oh, damn.
Now, that ain't on the
list of none of the things
we're allowed to cry about.
I brought my son and
grandson out to the woods
to connect them back
to what makes them men.
But I was failing.
You know, when I
was with Olivia,
I just felt like
I was killing it.
We moved in together.
We talked about marriage, kids.
I felt like a real grown-up.
Ah, you were doing alright.
Yeah, kind of.
When she left, I really
realized I had stalled.
I'd already moved
back in three times.
Hey, son.
I stalled, too.
Thinking that the
most important thing
was getting the
same opportunities
as my White counterparts.
But it didn't make
me feel any better.
And, you know, I don't
know what the future holds,
and that terrifies me,
and I've never told
that to anybody.
I'm really glad you told me.
Yeah, you told him, you told me,
you told every damn
woodland creature
in the Sierra Nevada.
And if you two don't be quiet,
we're going to bed without
any dinner tonight.
Pops, we found something
way better than food.
We found each other.
Oh. Now I know
who's been watching all those
White girl movies on Netflix.
[ Laughs ] Pops.
Pops, let's try something.
Alright, they say
the most vulnerable and
intimate thing you can do
is look into someone's
eyes without looking away.
Son, waiting and exhaling
is for the two of
you, not for me.
Hey, Pops. [ Sighs ]
That's what I thought.
I thought the same thing
before it brought us together.
Mm. Alright?
And now, I've
never felt so free.
So, come on, Pops, let's do it.
[ Sighs ] Come on,
man, look at me.
Do you see me, Pops?
[ Birds chirping ]
Oh, hell, no, I
do not like this.
Nope. Hey.
♪♪
You do know how to get back
to the cabin from here, right?
Yeah, son, uh, just, uh
check that tree for
some moss. [ Sniffles ]
[ Crickets chirping ]
[ Owl hoots ]
[ Sighs ]
You finish your
"Red Table Talk"?
We just came out to sit around
the fire for a little bit.
You know, warm up.
We'll keep quiet.
Oh, no, no. It's alright.
You know, I...
I only saw my Dad cry one time.
It was at his brother's funeral.
At the end of the service,
he broke down sobbing.
He was the strongest
man I'd ever known.
Seeing him like that, boy...
[ Whistles ]
It really shook me.
Hey.
Pops, I had no idea.
When I looked into
your eyes back there,
that shook me, too.
And I didn't like it.
I didn't make that
much eye contact
with your mother at the wedding.
But I looked into your eyes,
son, and I could see...
Pops. [ Sniffles ]
It's okay.
I could see how much
you've forgiven me
for all the mistakes
I've made. I...
Pops, hey, man. No,
no, let me finish now.
That you could open your home
to me, share that with me
when I wasn't there for you
the way I should have been...
Man, I don't deserve it.
We were happy that
you were there.
I appreciate you
saying that, son, I do.
[ Breathes deeply ]
But it doesn't take away the
shame that I feel, though.
Wow, Pops, um.
I don't know if you've ever been
that vulnerable with any of us.
That's huge.
Thank you, Pops.
♪♪
You... saying that
has given me something I
didn't even know I needed.
♪♪
I wish we came to the
woods a lot sooner.
It's definitely
cheaper than therapy.
[ Light laughter ]
♪♪
[ Breathes deeply ]
Well, I was gonna
sneak off, but, um,
usually when I come out here and
I don't catch anything to eat,
there's this diner I go to.
Yeah. What?
Y'all coming? Oh.
Hell yeah, I'm starving.
♪♪
Why'd you tell Jack
he'd be fine without me?
Because he will be.
You have no evidence
to support that theory.
Oh, come sit down.
Did I ever tell you
about when you and Jack
learned how to walk?
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
A million times.
I walked first, so Jack would
sit in the middle of the floor
and make me bring him stuff
from all over the house.
Mm-hmm. Well, part
of that's true.
But actually,
Jack was the first one
who learned how to walk,
and he just thought it was funny
when you brought him stuff.
So he tricked me?
[ Chuckling ] No.
He didn't trick you.
He just liked it better when
you guys did stuff together.
That's why I'm not worried.
I'll be lucky if Junior and Zoey
come home for the same holidays,
but with you and Jack,
you're never gonna miss a
chance to see each other.
Hey.
I know you're scared
because you two
haven't been apart
for longer than a day or
two in your whole life.
But I promise you
that if you guys go
to different schools,
nothing is gonna break the
connection that you have.
Thanks, Mom.
You're welcome.
You know he thinks More
house is gonna teach him
how to build big houses.
Yeah. Uh, we still have
to look out for him.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Junior: Hey, Pops, what made you
start coming out here anyway?
Well, growing up in Detroit,
didn't get a lot
of opportunities
to kind of be on my own. Mm.
[ Scoffs ] Eight people
live in my house.
I know the feeling. Mm-hmm.
And when I found this place,
it became my spot
to come and do that.
It is nice. Makes
everything slow down.
Mm-hmm. Alright,
guys, let's get going.
Alright. Hey, hey.
Come here. Come on.
Mm-hmm. Come here.
Alright.
♪♪
Mm, mm, mm.
♪♪
Let's not wait another 50 years
to have these
conversations, huh?
♪♪
How about next year?
I'm in.
♪♪
I love you, son.
I love you, too, Pops.
♪♪
I love you, son.
I love you, too, Dad.
And I love you, too, Junior.
But, uh, y'all better not
tell Ruby about this place.
Yeah, I wouldn't.
You'd better not tell your mama.
I won't. And for
God's sakes, please,
nobody tell Diane.
Oh! She'll ruin
it for everybody.
Hell no!
[ Laughter ]
[ Indistinct conversation ]
Pops: The success of a Black man
can be measured in many ways,
but the most important
one is the love you feel
from your family.
♪♪
I'd had to put up
walls my entire life...
[ Engines revving ]
Junior: Man trip!
But I am not going
to do that anymore.
Hey.
Oh, uh, hey.
Both: I wanted to apologize.
Jinx! You owe me a soda!
[ Both laugh ]
It's... weird thinking about
not seeing you every day.
That's why I'm trying not to.
Why did you put that in my head?
It's gonna be okay.
I mean, it's not like
we're leaving tomorrow.
Yeah, not even close.
Besides, every time I try
to think two weeks ahead,
my brain starts to
hurt, so... I know.
Yeah. But you know what
I like to think about?
All the chances we have
to hang out before then.
Huh.
You care if I read in here?
Uh, make yourself at home.
Mm.
[ Bruno Mars' "Count
on Me" plays ]
♪ Uh-huh-huh ♪
♪ If you ever find yourself
stuck in the middle of the sea ♪
♪♪
♪ I'll sail the
world to find you ♪
♪ If you ever find yourself lost
in the dark and you can't see ♪
This is what they're
coming to see.
♪ I'll be the light
to guide you ♪
♪♪
♪ We'll find out
what we're made of ♪
♪ When we are called to
help our friends in need ♪
♪ You can count on me
like one, two, three ♪
♪ I'll be there ♪
♪ And I know when I need it ♪
♪ I can count on you
like four, three, two ♪
♪ And you'll be there ♪
♪ 'Cause that's what friends
are supposed to do, oh, yeah ♪
♪ Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh ♪
♪ Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh ♪
♪ You can count on me
'cause I can count on you ♪
♪♪
Hey.
Oh, uh, hey.
Both: I wanted to apologize.
Jinx! You owe me a soda!
[ Both laugh ]
It's... weird thinking about
not seeing you every day.
That's why I'm trying not to.
Why did you put that in my head?
It's gonna be okay.
I mean, it's not like
we're leaving tomorrow.
Yeah, not even close.
Besides, every time I try
to think two weeks ahead,
my brain starts to
hurt, so... I know.
Yeah. But you know what
I like to think about?
All the chances we have
to hang out before then.
Huh.
You care if I read in here?
Uh, make yourself at home.
Mm.
[ Bruno Mars' "Count
on Me" plays ]
♪ Uh-huh-huh ♪
♪ If you ever find yourself
stuck in the middle of the sea ♪
♪♪
♪ I'll sail the
world to find you ♪
♪ If you ever find yourself lost
in the dark and you can't see ♪
This is what they're
coming to see.
♪ I'll be the light
to guide you ♪
♪♪
♪ We'll find out
what we're made of ♪
♪ When we are called to
help our friends in need ♪
♪ You can count on me
like one, two, three ♪
♪ I'll be there ♪
♪ And I know when I need it ♪
♪ I can count on you
like four, three, two ♪
♪ And you'll be there ♪
♪ 'Cause that's what friends
are supposed to do, oh, yeah ♪
♪ Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh ♪
♪ Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh ♪
♪ You can count on me
'cause I can count on you ♪
♪♪
can be measured in many ways...
Grip strength,
growing a beard that connects,
and providing for and
protecting your family,
which has never been
easy in this country.
From the time we got
here, a man's family
could be separated and sold.
You could be harassed,
driven off your land.
♪ Yeah ♪
Dignity was never guaranteed,
and Lord knows the world
didn't make it easy on me.
But I did okay.
Because I believe
the truest measure
of a Black man's success
comes from the success
of his own children.
My son has it all,
and I like to think
I'm responsible
for at least most of it.
♪ Everything, everything ♪
Uh. Hey, Pops.
You know when they
say "Casual Fridays,"
they don't mean that casual.
I'm taking a sick day.
You're sick? Oh, regular sick,
or slide my meals under the
door for the next 10 days sick?
I'm not actually sick, Pops.
But if you don't use your
days, they go to waste.
[ Television turns on ]
Huh. [ Sighs ]
[ Sports announcer
speaking indistinctly ]
O.J.
"O."
Olivia.
[ Sighs ]
Hmm. [ Refrigerator
door closes ]
Hey, Pops.
Mm-hmm.
Aw, hell.
We got one mid-life crisis
and one love-sick chump.
Looks like my work
is never done.
That's it.
Grab enough underwear to
get through the weekend
and your alcoholic
beverage of choice.
We're taking a man trip.
♪♪
♪♪
Alright. You all
about ready to go?
Mm-hmm. Yeah, we're
just finishing up
these sandwiches real quick.
How many do you think we need?
Well, let me see
how many you got.
We got one, two... Uh-huh. Two.
$20 worth of prosciutto
just gone, but okay.
This ain't no picnic.
We're gonna live off the land.
Look, sometimes we men have
to go back to basics...
Fresh air, hunt your own
food, build your own fire.
So I'm taking you two to
a little cabin I know.
Come on, we got to go.
We don't want to be on
motorcycles when it's dark.
Motorcycles? Pops.
That sounds a little dangerous.
No, it's a lot dangerous,
and that's the point.
By the time we return,
our senses will be honed
to a razor-sharp point.
Man trip!
Yeah! Yeah!
Man trip!
Grab your gear while you can!
You're leaving with ten
fingers and ten toes.
Can't guarantee you're
coming back the same way.
[ DMX's "Ruff Ryders'
Anthem" plays ]
♪♪
♪ Uh ♪
♪♪
♪ Something new ♪
This is, uh, probably a
good time to tell you guys
I don't know how to
ride a motorcycle.
♪ Stop, drop, shut 'em
down, open up shop ♪
♪ Oh, no ♪
♪ That's how Ruff Ryders roll ♪
So, I organized my college list
by rank, state, and
weather. [ Gasps ]
You know, you can just say,
"Mom, I don't want
to go to Brown."
I can take it. I don't
want to go to Brown.
Oh.
Hey, Jack. Where's
your college list?
Uh, just cut and paste my name
onto Diane's list.
We'll be good.
Uh, that's not how
it goes, friend.
But I'm sure we can
look at my top colleges
and find community colleges
within a five-mile radius.
That works for me, too.
Ah, you know,
you guys don't have to
go to the same school.
[ Laughs ] What?
Yo, Mom's got jokes. Yeah.
No, no, I'm not joking. I
know you guys are used to
doing everything together,
but I think college
is an opportunity
for you guys to see
what it's like
without each other.
Yeah, no, I don't know, Mom.
It just, uh... It
might be easier
if we just go to
the same school.
Yeah. Maybe.
Um, okay, so maybe I can go to,
uh, Spellman. That looks good.
That's an all-women's
school, so...
I am not mad at that. Y... Oh.
I'm gonna go apply right now.
[ Clears throat ]
After a motorcycle
ride where I found out
being that close to the ground
gives my grandson anxiety,
we were finally here.
Junior: Ah, nature.
It might be great just to
leave it all behind, you know?
Just a man in the
woods finding himself.
[ Gasps ] Ooh, ooh!
Take a picture of
me chopping wood.
I'm-a post it on Instagram
to flex on Olivia.
Yeah. I got you.
[ Phone thuds ]
I should have seen that
coming after the sandwiches.
You need to get over
that girl, Junior.
I'm helping you. You know what?
You're right.
I have tried everything else.
[ Grunts ]
Let me get at that axe.
That's it, son.
[ Grunts ] Mm-hmm.
Wow, that was amazing!
Can an axe solve all
my problems in life?
Hey, Pops, while he
works on the fire,
I got a question
for you. Uh-huh.
What's stocked in
this cabin, huh?
We got steak?
Wild-caught salmon?
[ Gasps ]
Did your boy field-dress
a deer from last spring?
No, no, there's
nothing in there.
The only things that we eat
are what we can hunt
and fish and forage.
What? That's part of the fun.
Fun?!
See, that's what
your problem is, Dre.
You focus on the wrong things.
Like back home, you're worried
about the "work-life balance"
or missed e-mails.
Out here, boy, one wrong
move and you wake up dead.
So we have no dinner plans.
No, we don't. [ Laughs ]
Now, maybe I was being
a little hard on them,
but my son and grandson
needed a swift kick in the ass
to realize life wasn't as hard
as they made it out to be.
You know, Junior is doing a
lot better than I thought.
I'll admit, I'm feeling
a lot better, too.
See? I told you.
It's the cool mountain air.
I'm feeling it, Pops.
Hey, does the beer get
colder up here? [ Laughs ]
Because this is the best
beer that I've ever had.
Is this an IPA? Because I
think I'm an IPA guy now.
See? All you needed was to
get away from everything.
Don't get caught up in the news
or what folks around
you are doing.
Hmm. See, as a man,
the way to fix things
has always been the same.
You're right. You
know, I can't wait
to get a couple of
swings of that old axe.
Oh, it'll be good
for you. Go ahead.
- Check on it.
- [ Sighs ]
Junior: [ Sobbing ]
Oh, God.
I think he's crying.
♪♪
Is it out of effort?
I doubt it.
[ Crying ]
♪♪
Dammit, this boy is out
here crying on our man trip.
[ Crying ]
Oh, Pops, I wonder what's
going on out there.
Maybe he's got some
wood chips in his eyes.
I don't think so.
Your boy is soft.
Look, I'm not saying that
you're failing as a father,
but I'm not not
saying it either.
Hey. Look, you
need to handle this
because this trip starts
when the waterworks stop.
Mm.
[ Crying continues ]
You know, I thought about
it, and you were right, Mom.
Thank you. About what now?
About colleges.
I finished my list... Ah. Ooh.
And, uh, I don't want
to get ahead of myself,
but I think I'd be
happy with any of these.
Unbelievable. This is great.
And what... And what... What
are your top picks, babe?
Um... University of Michigan?
Mm-hmm. Where did
that come from?
Uh, they're the
Wolverines, Diane.
I think they've figured
out the hand claws
in the comic books, so
it's at least worth a try.
Yeah, yeah. Well, okay.
That is a really
good start. It is?
Jack, yes, and, uh,
just keep working on it.
Okay, I will. Okay, yeah.
Alright. Alright.
What is this?
[ Sighs ]
Diane, look,
we've been a combo meal
for all our lives, right?
Maybe it's time
we go à la carte?
Wow.
The one time anything Mom
said sinks in, this is it?
This?
Okay.
Look, what we have has
been going pretty well.
Mm-hmm. Why mess with that?
Because I can handle it.
And I decided to
become a snake guy
to make myself stand out
on my college application.
[ Sighs ]
♪♪
Hey, Junior.
Come on, man. [ Chuckles ]
You can't cry on a man trip.
I'm not crying. [
Sniffles ] Yeah.
Hey, man, you lost
your girlfriend.
Don't lose your dignity, okay?
Okay. I thought I was
gonna come out here
into the middle of
nowhere and chop wood
and it was gonna fix
everything, but it didn't.
Alright? I still feel horrible.
So what?
You're a Black man.
Suck it up and play through.
Alright, we don't
get to cry in public.
That's not what we get to do.
You have to have thicker skin.
I know, I-I know.
Do you, son?
Because this seems like a lesson
that I've been trying to
teach you your entire life.
♪♪
What?
[ Gasps ]
♪♪
I'm so hard on you, son,
because the world is hard,
and I feel like if
you can handle me,
then you can handle it.
It's my job to make sure you
are armored with what you need.
But do I always have
to keep my walls up?
What if I'm sad?
We don't get to be sad, son.
What if I'm scared?
We don't get to
be scared either,
and we can't believe in trust
because we never get the
benefit of the doubt.
Look, I've heard my entire life
how there are a million reasons
I can't show vulnerability
to the world.
But the world isn't
out here chopping wood.
Right? Right now
it's just you and me.
So why can't I be
vulnerable out here?
[ Birds chirping ]
I don't know.
Alright. I want
to try something.
Come on.
I've read that the most
vulnerable thing you can do
is look into somebody's eyes
without breaking eye contact.
Dad
do you see me?
Yes, I see you, son.
No.
Do... you see... me?
♪♪
♪♪
[ Gasps ]
♪♪
[ Voice breaking
] I'm sorry, son.
♪♪
I'm sorry.
Oh, damn.
Now, that ain't on the
list of none of the things
we're allowed to cry about.
I brought my son and
grandson out to the woods
to connect them back
to what makes them men.
But I was failing.
You know, when I
was with Olivia,
I just felt like
I was killing it.
We moved in together.
We talked about marriage, kids.
I felt like a real grown-up.
Ah, you were doing alright.
Yeah, kind of.
When she left, I really
realized I had stalled.
I'd already moved
back in three times.
Hey, son.
I stalled, too.
Thinking that the
most important thing
was getting the
same opportunities
as my White counterparts.
But it didn't make
me feel any better.
And, you know, I don't
know what the future holds,
and that terrifies me,
and I've never told
that to anybody.
I'm really glad you told me.
Yeah, you told him, you told me,
you told every damn
woodland creature
in the Sierra Nevada.
And if you two don't be quiet,
we're going to bed without
any dinner tonight.
Pops, we found something
way better than food.
We found each other.
Oh. Now I know
who's been watching all those
White girl movies on Netflix.
[ Laughs ] Pops.
Pops, let's try something.
Alright, they say
the most vulnerable and
intimate thing you can do
is look into someone's
eyes without looking away.
Son, waiting and exhaling
is for the two of
you, not for me.
Hey, Pops. [ Sighs ]
That's what I thought.
I thought the same thing
before it brought us together.
Mm. Alright?
And now, I've
never felt so free.
So, come on, Pops, let's do it.
[ Sighs ] Come on,
man, look at me.
Do you see me, Pops?
[ Birds chirping ]
Oh, hell, no, I
do not like this.
Nope. Hey.
♪♪
You do know how to get back
to the cabin from here, right?
Yeah, son, uh, just, uh
check that tree for
some moss. [ Sniffles ]
[ Crickets chirping ]
[ Owl hoots ]
[ Sighs ]
You finish your
"Red Table Talk"?
We just came out to sit around
the fire for a little bit.
You know, warm up.
We'll keep quiet.
Oh, no, no. It's alright.
You know, I...
I only saw my Dad cry one time.
It was at his brother's funeral.
At the end of the service,
he broke down sobbing.
He was the strongest
man I'd ever known.
Seeing him like that, boy...
[ Whistles ]
It really shook me.
Hey.
Pops, I had no idea.
When I looked into
your eyes back there,
that shook me, too.
And I didn't like it.
I didn't make that
much eye contact
with your mother at the wedding.
But I looked into your eyes,
son, and I could see...
Pops. [ Sniffles ]
It's okay.
I could see how much
you've forgiven me
for all the mistakes
I've made. I...
Pops, hey, man. No,
no, let me finish now.
That you could open your home
to me, share that with me
when I wasn't there for you
the way I should have been...
Man, I don't deserve it.
We were happy that
you were there.
I appreciate you
saying that, son, I do.
[ Breathes deeply ]
But it doesn't take away the
shame that I feel, though.
Wow, Pops, um.
I don't know if you've ever been
that vulnerable with any of us.
That's huge.
Thank you, Pops.
♪♪
You... saying that
has given me something I
didn't even know I needed.
♪♪
I wish we came to the
woods a lot sooner.
It's definitely
cheaper than therapy.
[ Light laughter ]
♪♪
[ Breathes deeply ]
Well, I was gonna
sneak off, but, um,
usually when I come out here and
I don't catch anything to eat,
there's this diner I go to.
Yeah. What?
Y'all coming? Oh.
Hell yeah, I'm starving.
♪♪
Why'd you tell Jack
he'd be fine without me?
Because he will be.
You have no evidence
to support that theory.
Oh, come sit down.
Did I ever tell you
about when you and Jack
learned how to walk?
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
A million times.
I walked first, so Jack would
sit in the middle of the floor
and make me bring him stuff
from all over the house.
Mm-hmm. Well, part
of that's true.
But actually,
Jack was the first one
who learned how to walk,
and he just thought it was funny
when you brought him stuff.
So he tricked me?
[ Chuckling ] No.
He didn't trick you.
He just liked it better when
you guys did stuff together.
That's why I'm not worried.
I'll be lucky if Junior and Zoey
come home for the same holidays,
but with you and Jack,
you're never gonna miss a
chance to see each other.
Hey.
I know you're scared
because you two
haven't been apart
for longer than a day or
two in your whole life.
But I promise you
that if you guys go
to different schools,
nothing is gonna break the
connection that you have.
Thanks, Mom.
You're welcome.
You know he thinks More
house is gonna teach him
how to build big houses.
Yeah. Uh, we still have
to look out for him.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Junior: Hey, Pops, what made you
start coming out here anyway?
Well, growing up in Detroit,
didn't get a lot
of opportunities
to kind of be on my own. Mm.
[ Scoffs ] Eight people
live in my house.
I know the feeling. Mm-hmm.
And when I found this place,
it became my spot
to come and do that.
It is nice. Makes
everything slow down.
Mm-hmm. Alright,
guys, let's get going.
Alright. Hey, hey.
Come here. Come on.
Mm-hmm. Come here.
Alright.
♪♪
Mm, mm, mm.
♪♪
Let's not wait another 50 years
to have these
conversations, huh?
♪♪
How about next year?
I'm in.
♪♪
I love you, son.
I love you, too, Pops.
♪♪
I love you, son.
I love you, too, Dad.
And I love you, too, Junior.
But, uh, y'all better not
tell Ruby about this place.
Yeah, I wouldn't.
You'd better not tell your mama.
I won't. And for
God's sakes, please,
nobody tell Diane.
Oh! She'll ruin
it for everybody.
Hell no!
[ Laughter ]
[ Indistinct conversation ]
Pops: The success of a Black man
can be measured in many ways,
but the most important
one is the love you feel
from your family.
♪♪
I'd had to put up
walls my entire life...
[ Engines revving ]
Junior: Man trip!
But I am not going
to do that anymore.
Hey.
Oh, uh, hey.
Both: I wanted to apologize.
Jinx! You owe me a soda!
[ Both laugh ]
It's... weird thinking about
not seeing you every day.
That's why I'm trying not to.
Why did you put that in my head?
It's gonna be okay.
I mean, it's not like
we're leaving tomorrow.
Yeah, not even close.
Besides, every time I try
to think two weeks ahead,
my brain starts to
hurt, so... I know.
Yeah. But you know what
I like to think about?
All the chances we have
to hang out before then.
Huh.
You care if I read in here?
Uh, make yourself at home.
Mm.
[ Bruno Mars' "Count
on Me" plays ]
♪ Uh-huh-huh ♪
♪ If you ever find yourself
stuck in the middle of the sea ♪
♪♪
♪ I'll sail the
world to find you ♪
♪ If you ever find yourself lost
in the dark and you can't see ♪
This is what they're
coming to see.
♪ I'll be the light
to guide you ♪
♪♪
♪ We'll find out
what we're made of ♪
♪ When we are called to
help our friends in need ♪
♪ You can count on me
like one, two, three ♪
♪ I'll be there ♪
♪ And I know when I need it ♪
♪ I can count on you
like four, three, two ♪
♪ And you'll be there ♪
♪ 'Cause that's what friends
are supposed to do, oh, yeah ♪
♪ Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh ♪
♪ Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh ♪
♪ You can count on me
'cause I can count on you ♪
♪♪
Hey.
Oh, uh, hey.
Both: I wanted to apologize.
Jinx! You owe me a soda!
[ Both laugh ]
It's... weird thinking about
not seeing you every day.
That's why I'm trying not to.
Why did you put that in my head?
It's gonna be okay.
I mean, it's not like
we're leaving tomorrow.
Yeah, not even close.
Besides, every time I try
to think two weeks ahead,
my brain starts to
hurt, so... I know.
Yeah. But you know what
I like to think about?
All the chances we have
to hang out before then.
Huh.
You care if I read in here?
Uh, make yourself at home.
Mm.
[ Bruno Mars' "Count
on Me" plays ]
♪ Uh-huh-huh ♪
♪ If you ever find yourself
stuck in the middle of the sea ♪
♪♪
♪ I'll sail the
world to find you ♪
♪ If you ever find yourself lost
in the dark and you can't see ♪
This is what they're
coming to see.
♪ I'll be the light
to guide you ♪
♪♪
♪ We'll find out
what we're made of ♪
♪ When we are called to
help our friends in need ♪
♪ You can count on me
like one, two, three ♪
♪ I'll be there ♪
♪ And I know when I need it ♪
♪ I can count on you
like four, three, two ♪
♪ And you'll be there ♪
♪ 'Cause that's what friends
are supposed to do, oh, yeah ♪
♪ Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh ♪
♪ Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh ♪
♪ You can count on me
'cause I can count on you ♪
♪♪