Designing Women (1986–1993): Season 2, Episode 3 - Anthony Jr. - full transcript

♪♪

Wait until you all see the purse

I got for Andrea
Young's birthday banquet.

Hmm.

Isn't it gorgeous?

- Oh.
- Oh, wow, that's beautiful.

$700.

Suzanne, you're joking.

I cannot believe that even
you would be that frivolous.

$700? That's almost sinful.

Oh, I see.



I happen to know
that you bought a bag

for 150 not more
than a week ago.

But 700 is sinful.

Just exactly where
is the cutoff point?

Anything over 150.

♪ Two hearts ♪

♪ Two hearts that beat as one ♪

♪ Our lives have just begun ♪

♪♪

♪ And I give it all to you ♪

♪ My love, ooh, my love ♪

♪ My endless love ♪

Oh. Whew!

Well, well, well.



Is this anyone we know?

No, just a girl in
one of my classes.

Now, Anthony, two
hearts that beat as one

is not just a girl in
one of your classes.

All right.

Her name is Savannah Symington.

She goes to Dartmouth,
but her mom's been sick,

so she's auditing some courses

here at the junior college.

Her father owns
Symington Nurseries.

Symington Nurseries?

You mean the ones
all over the South?

Yeah, but let me tell you.

Savannah is so smart
and beautiful and nice,

she never has to worry

about anybody marrying
her for her money.

I bought a cactus from
them once that died.

What I want to know is,

if she goes to Dartmouth
and her family's so rich,

what'll they think about her

going out with an ex-convict?

Suzanne.

Well, as a matter of fact,

they had me over
for dinner last night.

They did? How'd it go?

Oh, it went all right.

At first.

But after dessert,

Mr. Sam... That's her father...

He invited me to the library

and told me if I
had any thoughts

of getting serious
about Savannah,

I should get rid of them

because basically I seemed
like a nice young man.

He'd really hate
to see me get hurt.

Get hurt? What'd
he mean by that?

Well, now, he said

it would be ungentlemanly

to be any more
specific than that.

But right after that,

his personal exercise
trainer came in...

This huge dude named Jerry...

And he was wearing a sweatshirt

that said "Pit Bull
Fever... Catch it."

Well, right after he left,

Mr. Sam said he didn't think
Jerry liked me very much.

Sounds to me like
he's threatening you.

Yeah, but Savannah
said that's just because

he doesn't know
me that well yet.

That's why I invited
them over this weekend

to meet my family and friends.

Anthony, what exactly did
you tell them about yourself?

Uh, just that I work
here at Sugarbakers

in, uh, sales and distribution.

I don't know. I
guess I also said

I was studying to be a decorator

and my family's from Virginia,

where we made most
of our wealth in coal.

Mom and Dad are
retired and living in Spain.

Julia, my godmother,

invited me here to Atlanta

to learn the business
from the bottom up,

and I'm presently living
in Suzanne's guest house

and driving one of
the servants' cars

because my Mercedes
450 SL is in the shop.

Anthony, you didn't.

I guess I did
overdo it a little bit,

but what was I supposed to say?

That I don't have a mother,

I don't know where my father is,

my brothers and sisters are
scattered all over the map,

and I served two years in prison

and am presently working

as a furniture delivery man?

Huh.

I could just see
her daddy's face.

Talk about pit bull fever.

Well, Anthony, what are you
going to do when they come over?

They're going to
see where you live

Well, I was thinking

we could have the
dinner at Suzanne's.

What?

It would just be
for that one night,

and it makes sense
to have it there,

since I said I live in
Suzanne's guest house

and you guys are supposed
to be like my adopted family.

Look, I was also thinking

that maybe I could
call Julia Auntie Julia.

Or maybe not.

Why don't you get some
people your own age

to be your friends?

Because you're the
only friends that I have

who have money.

It's a shame you
don't know Bill Cosby.

Well, now, I don't
mean to be racist,

but if you ask me,

it would look pretty strange

that your only friends
are four white women.

I mean, that's just something
you don't see a lot of...

One black man with
four white women.

Unless, of course, they're
all sitting in a Cadillac.

Anthony, first let me apologize

for that last remark,
and then suggest

that I take them all
out to dinner, my treat.

Well, I really
appreciate that, Julia,

but they want to
see where I live.

I told them I live at Suzanne's.

Well, I'm sorry, but
I'm busy this weekend.

Oh, and here's a little
tip for you, Anthony.

It never pays to be
somebody other than yourself.

Now, Doreen Favor,

a former Miss Mackinaw City,

is a perfect example.

She's one of those
P.E. major types.

Always goes around calling
women by their last names,

you know, like,
"Hey, Sugarbaker."

Like that.

Anyway, when she showed up

for the Miss Georgia
World pageant,

well, nobody wanted
to room with her,

so they put her in with me

so she could learn how
to be more feminine.

Anyway, before it was over,

I had cleaned her up real good.

Shaved the hair
off of her knuckles.

And she ended up doing

"Diamonds Are a
Girl's Best Friend."

But you know what?
It was a big disaster.

And the reason is you cannot
be something that you're not.

In the end, everyone said

she'd have been much better off

with her original talent.

Which was demonstrating
basketball lay-ups.

I hate to agree with
whatever it was she just said.

Maybe it is for the
best, you know?

Once you start inventing
a whole new identity,

it just never works out.

I don't know about that, Julia.

I mean, there's this guy
on this soap that I watch...

You know, Blaine Whitehead...

And he used to be
in an insane asylum,

but when he first got out
and moved to Hillcrest,

he posed as the
owner of a health club

with absolutely no training,

and I think got away with
it for almost two years.

I'm sorry.

Obviously, there
is one exception.

What I meant to say was,

except for the Blaine
Whitehead story,

this never works out.

Oh, my gosh.

Suzanne's had a wreck.

I got to tell you,

I've seen a lot of
accidents in my time,

but I've never seen
anyone walk away from one

as bad as that one,
and without a scratch.

I know. We'll all say
an extra prayer tonight.

- Thank you, Officer.
- My pleasure. Bye.

Suzanne, I want you
to go upstairs right now

and lie down.

No, I'm fine, I promise.

In fact, I never felt better.

Oh, Julia, you
were right about me.

My life is frivolous and sinful.

In fact, when I was
pinned in that car

those last 15 minutes,

I... I just kept thinking
about all the days I've wasted

shopping, having
lunch, pampering myself.

But now all that's
going to come to an end.

She's hit her head.

Because I made a promise to God

that if I ever got
out of there alive

I would do nothing
but good works.

And to celebrate
the new Suzanne,

the first good
work I'm going to do

is to throw a full-scale,
eight-candelabra,

knock-'em-dead
dinner party for Anthony.

Are you sure that this suit
looks all right with this tie?

What are you going
to do if it doesn't,

take the suit off?

Mary Jo, no more punch for you.

You know how you get.

Okay, okay.

You look very handsome, Antoine.

Thank you, Mary Jo.

Suzanne picked it out for me.

Well, she did a very nice job.

Nice job, Suzanne!

Thank you, Mary Jo.

Oh. By the way,

I've put all my furs in a box

for you to take down to
the poor school children.

Great. We could cut them up

and make little
muffs out of them.

They'll just love that.

Oh. And, Charlene,

I picked up this book for you

on how to grow cactus.

It's just my way
of being thoughtful.

Well, thank you.
That was very sweet.

I know.

You know, I'm not looking
at myself in the mirror

nearly as much as I used to.

I must have cut my
mirror time down by half.

Definite head injury.

Still no sign of them.

Hey, there's a
big kettle out here.

That's from the Rescue Mission.

Can you believe it?

I was up half the night
making homemade soup,

and they had the
nerve to send it back

just because it made
a couple of men sick.

Oh, and, Anthony, don't forget,

when they get here,

the two things the rich
love to talk about most

is being rich and
finding good help.

Also, don't forget,

you send your
cleaning to Stat's,

you use Duffy's for catering,

and you work out

at the Tuxedo Road Racquet Club.

Man, I'll never be able
to remember all this.

Well, I just think this
whole charade is absurd.

I mean, it sounds like something

Lucy Ricardo and Ethel
Mertz would cook up.

That's who you two sound like...

Lucy and Ethel.

And it's just going to
be a great big disaster.

You mean, like that
night William Holden

accidentally caught
Lucy's plastic nose on fire

with a cigarette lighter?

That's exactly what I mean.

Mark my words.

Tonight, somebody's nose
is going to go up in flames.

Oh, I don't remember

when I've had a
more lovely evening.

We've just enjoyed
ourselves so much.

So have we. Haven't
we, Auntie Julia?

We certainly have.

And your sister
is so fascinating.

She's been telling me
about her work with the poor.

Get serious.

All she did was donate
a couple of old coats

and make some men down
at the Rescue Mission sick.

By the way, Mr. Symington,

did you happen to see
our garden as you came in?

Well, it was a little dark.

Oh, it's just as well.

I had to let our man go.
He just wasn't up to snuff.

Would you look at this?

I have gone and spilled
something on this suit.

I'll guess I'll just have to run
it over to Duffy's tomorrow.

Duffy's? Aren't they
a catering service?

Why, yes, they are.

I always get them
confused with my cleaners.

An honest mistake.

I know a lot of people
who accidentally send

their clothes out to be cooked

and get their food cleaned.

Daddy.

Oh, Suzanne, I'll get it.

Excuse me.

Well, Savannah,

when do you plan to
return to Dartmouth?

Well, I was going to go
back for the second semester

but now I'm thinking
about staying here

and transferring to Emory
so I can be closer to Anthony.

Well, you have to admit,
she has good taste.

Wait a minute. Wait!

- You can't just come in.
- Just watch me.

Anthony, this girl
says she knows you.

- Her name is Denise...
- Denise Alston,

and this is your
son, Anthony, Jr.

I just don't understand
why you all won't believe me.

I do not know this person

and I certainly
don't know this baby.

I believe you.

Anyway, if this is my son,

what took you
so long to tell me?

I couldn't find ya.
You're not listed.

Well, how'd you find me tonight?

Well, we just came up
from Mackinaw City...

Suzanne, did you hear that?

She's from Mackinaw City.

You know a white girl down there

named Doreen,
shaves her knuckles?

- No.
- A friend of hers.

Anyway, I came up
to visit my cousin.

We started asking around.

We found your apartment
and we followed you here.

I don't want anything.

I just wanted you to
know that you have a son.

Will you stop saying
that? This is not my son.

Hey, you don't want us?

I'll just take
Anthony, Jr. And go.

Oh, well, in that case,

can I give you a ride home?

I do good works for
less fortunate people.

We don't have a home.

My parents kicked me out.

I guess we'll just have
to sleep in the bus station.

Oh, wait. Hold on.

Wait a minute now.

Nobody's got to sleep
in the bus station.

Come here. Yeah.

Well, I guess I
could put you up.

Although I wouldn't want to
unless I was absolutely positive

that God was gonna
give me extra credit.

Nobody's got to put anybody up.

This is my problem.
I'll take care of it.

They can sleep in my room.
I'll just sleep on the couch.

Are you saying this
is your son, Anthony?

No, Mary Jo. I'm saying
this is my problem.

Shh.

This is not my son.

Look how much he's
grown in two weeks!

Oh, aren't you
cute. Aren't you cute.

Yeah, yeah, he's adorable

but he just doesn't
like getting changed.

- Where's Denise?
- Oh, she had to go to work.

Anyway, she's
leaving in a little while,

going back to stay
with her parents.

You know, Anthony, for someone
who's not the father of this baby,

you're certainly
taking a big interest.

I know. You must have
spent a fortune on all this stuff.

Is Denise gonna
take it with her?

Well, that depends.

Uh, actually I'm
thinking of adopting A.J.

Anthony, are you serious?

Well, I... I thought
he's not your son.

Well, he isn't but what
difference does it make?

I like him.

I like having him around,
having him depend on me.

He's the first person who's
ever belonged just to me.

Or he could.

Hey, look, I got to go to class.

You guys mind watching
A.J. for a few minutes,

just until Denise gets home?

- No. We'd be glad to.
- All right.

It's been so long since I've
been around a little baby.

Especially one as sweet as A.J.

Now listen, A.J.,

don't you do to her
what you did to me.

You hear me?

I'll see you in a
couple of hours.

Anthony!

Did you make this?

This is great.

Oh, yeah.

I put it together this morning.

He just gets so
bored lying on his back

and staring at
the ceiling all day.

I want him to be stimulated
so he'll be ready for school

and then, eventually,
the presidency.

That makes sense to me.

- He made this for A.J.?
- Yes, he did.

I've never seen Anthony
so crazy about anybody.

It's all he ever
talks about at work.

You sure cry a lot, don't you?

It's just that he's so sweet.

Nobody's ever been
so sweet to me before.

He worries about
us all the time,

he gets up in the
middle of the night.

Did you know he had
A.J.'s picture made

three times at JCPenney's?

And he even bought
me post-nasal vitamins.

I think that's post-natal.

Whatever.

I never would have
done any of this

if I'd have known he
was gonna be so nice.

In fact, I'm gonna
give the job back.

What job?

What are you talking about?

The one I took
from Mr. Symington

at the nursery.

He wanted me to say
Anthony's the father

so that his daughter
wouldn't want to

go with him anymore.

But it's not true.

I never even met Anthony before.

The truth is I don't
know who A.J.'s father is.

But Mr. Symington promised
to pay all our expenses,

give me a job if I would just
put the finger on Anthony.

You're telling me he's
going to adopt this baby

even though he
knows it's not his?

Yes, Mr. Symington.

Obviously Anthony
has more character

than you gave him credit for.

Perhaps you're a better
judge of plants than people.

You wouldn't say that
if you'd seen my cactus.

And to think that
Anthony was worried about

being good enough for you.

Sam Symington.

I don't know when I've
ever been so ashamed.

I mean, it's one thing to
hire a private detective...

You hired a detective
to check out Anthony?

That's right.

I don't leave anything to chance

when it comes to my
daughter's happiness.

You found out
Anthony's been in prison.

Charlene!

Yes, I know all about that.

But that's not what concerns me.

Now, I found out
he got a bad rap.

How do you know that?

When I hire a detective,

I don't hire a dumb one.

He was out with some friends.

They decided to
rob a liquor store

but forgot to tell Anthony.

He got left holding
the getaway car.

The judge eventually
overturned his conviction

and that's why he got released.

Didn't he ever tell you that?

No.

He never defended himself to us.

We just assumed
that whatever they said

he did.

He did.

I never thought he did it.

Well...

I see I'm not the
only one around here

who's overlooked this
young man's character.

And speaking of scams,

you were running a pretty
good one there yourself

the other night, Auntie Julia.

All right.

I admit I am not
Anthony's godmother.

But while we're on the subject,

Mr. Symington, I'll
admit something else.

If I were, I'd be very proud.

- Please, call me Sam.
- No, I don't think so.

What I would like to know is

if you are not troubled
by Anthony's prison record,

then why are you so against
his going out with Savannah?

Well, I don't think that's
anything you would understand.

But basically, I
didn't get up at 5 A.M.

every day for 30 years

just so my daughter
could end up with a man

who delivers furniture.

Oh, no. We certainly
wouldn't want that.

Anymore than my daddy
wanted his daughter

to marry a man who
delivered fertilizer.

But she married him anyway.

And she's never
been disappointed.

Until today.

Have we gotten so rich, Sam,

that you've forgotten
what it's like to be young

and in love

and consumed with passion
for another human being?

Anthony makes Savannah happy.

He's sweet and
funny and full of life.

Not like those serious
boys you bring around.

Oh, all right.

I admit what I did was wrong.

And just for the record,

I haven't forgotten
what it's like

to feel that kind of
love and passion.

In fact,

I just think we'll have a
little follow up conversation

on this later.

That's fine with me.

As long as you give
Savannah and Anthony

your blessing.

Done.

Thank you.

Yes. Thank you... Sam.

"Dear Anthony:

"Thanks for the money.
I used it for baby shoes.

"My mama and daddy
are treating us real nice.

Love, Denise."

And it looks like
she sent pictures.

Oh, Anthony!

Oh, look at him!

Now, is that a
good-looking boy or what?

Oh, isn't that cute?

Oh. You know, Anthony,

I know your heart
was in the right spot,

but it has worked
out for the best.

Now you can be kind
of like a godfather.

Yeah.

Kind of like you and me.

Hey, don't you have to
pick up Savannah at 10?

Oh, yeah.

There's registration
at Emory today.

Could I have a
couple of hours off?

I'll do better than that.

Why don't you take
off the rest of the day?

Oh, thank you, Auntie Julia.

- Oh, hello, Anthony.
- Hi, Suzanne.

Here's $20.

- What's this for?
- My good deed for the day.

I'm tired.

I don't feel like going to that
"Hire the Minority" fundraiser.

You're a minority, so I'll
just give you some money.

Thank you, Auntie Suzanne.

What's wrong, Suzanne?

Doing all these good
deeds, that's what's wrong.

It takes up all my time.

My ends are all split,
my skin's all sallow.

Haven't had a lip wax
in I don't know how long.

I'm just so unhappy.

Suzanne?

I thought you might
want this back.

The highway patrol
dropped if off last night.

- My purse.
- Um-hmm.

They found it under
the seat of your car.

Not a scratch on it.

- So?
- So, don't you see?

Only two things
survived that wreck...

You and a $700 bag.

I think that's a sign
that you belong together.

You do?

Yes, I do.

And I do, too.

You know, Suzanne,
if you were intended

to spend your life
doing good deeds,

you probably wouldn't
have been born so shallow.

You know, you're right.

And, I mean, it isn't like
I haven't given it a try.

Nobody has tried harder.

I mean, for crying out loud,

you even made homemade soup.

I certainly don't want anymore
of your evening clothes.

Half the 4th grade
looks like Little Richard.

Oh, I could just
kiss all three of you.

You made me feel so much better.

Oh, there's so many
things I wanna do,

I don't know where to start.

Maybe in there. Excuse me.

If you need me, I'll
just be in the bathroom.

Bathroom?

Well, yes.

I have a lot of mirror
time to catch up on.

Closed-Captioned By J.R.
Media Services, Inc. Burbank, CA