Love Life (2020–…): Season 2, Episode 3 - Episode #2.3 - full transcript

[spacey music playing]

♪ ♪

- Shit. Um...hey, all,

I don't have a bottle opener.
I thought I did.

- Damn.
You got a lighter?

- I-I do somewhere, maybe,
but it's in one of these boxes,

and that's gonna
be a whole thing.

- Yeah. No, it's cool.

Well, this place is nice.

- It just feels
very divorcey in here.

- That's because
I got a divorce.



- No, no, no, no.

It feels like
I got the divorce.

Like, when I walked in,
it got on me,

like it's in me.
- Yogi, no. Come on.

It's gonna be fine, you know?
Clean slate.

You know, to be honest,

Emily didn't have
a great design sense.

She's a nice girl,
but, you know,

there were
so many fucking pillows.

- Okay, let's slow down there,
new money.

I mean, like,
you just leveled up

from having six roommates.

- Bro, I'm just trying
to give you a win.

It would take a lot more
than an emotional affair



to get me
to leave the West Village.

- Oh, God, I'm gonna miss
that location.

- I told him to stay with her.
Nobody listens to Yogi.

- Okay, Well, thanks
for your support, guys, uh...

[cell phone ringing]

Hey, do y'all wanna watch
a movie or something?

[cell phone continues ringing]

- Yo, what's up?

- Hey, bro, you get your
ticket to Michigan yet?

- Uh, mm, you know,

I-I don't think I can go.

- What are you busy with?
- [clicks tongue]

[exhales] Okay.
I don't want to go.

- Are you serious?
It's their 35th anniversary.

- Yeah, and I love them,
but if I go,

it's gonna be nonstop questions
about my divorce,

and I cannot be
in that environment right now.

The judgment, the shame--
I can't--I can't do it.

I'm out. I'm out.

- Marcus, Mom and Dad
got other shit going on.

They ain't worried about you.

Okay,
Mom is worried about you,

but she's always
been that way.

I'm bringing Keiko,
if that helps.

- How does that help me?

- You just better be
in Michigan next month.

They'll never forgive you
if you miss it.

- [whispering]
This place is fucking dark.

- [whispering]
Yeah. As fuck.

- Hey!

- That's my good side?
- Uh-huh.

- Okay,
get one where I'm laughing

and lost in the moment.

[laughing loudly]

- Can you look
at the road, please?

- Can you shut the fuck up
and let me get my shine on?

[phone vibrating]
- Tom Gilbert is calling again.

- His bitch ass can't manage
by his self for one day, baby.

- Okay. I'm gonna reject it.

- No, no, no. I got it.
I got it.

Yes.

Hi again, Tom.

It's an irrevocable trust.

She can't just change
the beneficiary.

Okay. Bye-bye.

Back to the business.
[both giggle]

Hold up. Diagonal.

Make sure you catch
my ear lobe.

- Oh, honey, your skin
is looking a little dry.

- What you trying to say?
I'm ashy?

- No, but did you use
the lotion that I made for you?

- I can't just use
strange lotions, boo.

- Well, you gotta
use something.

[Marcus chuckles]

- Oh, shit.
Destiny Mathis left a comment.

- Who?

- Destiny Mathis
from high school?

I used to tutor her
in geometry.

- Oh, my God. Destiny.

I used to call her Eternity,
remember?

- Yeah, I remember
she didn't like it.

- Well, she should be mad
at her parents, not me.

- ♪ Groove ♪

♪ And an atmosphere ♪

♪ That's sure
to please you ♪

♪ Ooh,
baby ♪

♪ ♪

♪ I gotta get you
home with me tonight ♪

♪ ♪

- They're here!
[laughing]

Hey!
- [laughs]

[both squealing]

narrator: For the first time
in nearly seven years,

Marcus was going home
without Emily

and he was bracing himself

for the inevitable
"I told you so's."

When his parents
had rejected Emily,

they had rejected him as well.

And as a result, he felt like
an outsider in his own family.

- Oh!

Oh, Benz look good
on you, kid.

- You know how I do.
[laughter]

Well, Mom and Dad,
this is my girlfriend, Keiko.

- Ida has told me
so much about you.

I'm so excited
to finally meet you.

- Keiko, pleasure to meet you.

I'm glad
you could make it down.

- Yes. We've been looking
forward to meeting you.

Ida doesn't bring
too many girls--

- Mom.
- Oh.

- [gasps]

Get over here, my baby.

- Hey, Mom.
- Oh, my goodness.

- Hey! [laughs]
- Hey!

- Good to see you.

So what's going on
with your hair?

Is this one of those
Brooklyn haircuts

where they don't do nothing,

but they still charge you
a hundred dollars?

- It is.
- Well, I like it.

It's natural.
- Thanks, Mom.

Happy anniversary.

- Happy anniversary.
- Happy anniversary.

Speaking of anniversaries,

this is to thank you
for inviting me

to celebrate with you.

- Oh, thank you.
[inhales]

Fancy soap.
- Handcrafted by me.

- That's real cute, babe.
- Kirby.

You and Marcus
get the luggage out, okay?

- Yes.
- Okay.

And you and Keiko
come with me.

- Ida, your Benz unlocked?
- Sorry.

[car chirps]

- Uh...you do know
it's a rental, right?

- Still impressive.

[laughter]

- Keiko, those soaps!
Really, really love them.

You know, you should sell them.
- Thank you.

I mean, it's more of a hobby,

but I've been thinking about
starting an Etsy business.

- That is such a great idea.

- Mm-mm, don't pump her up
like that.

She already have enough
of her homemade stuff

in my apartment already.

Essential oils, twine,
damn candle wax.

- Okay.
- Mm-mm.

- Well, maybe if I sold some of
it, you wouldn't have so much.

- Well, she got a point.

- Well, if you like it,
I love it.

- And you, did you get
everything squared away

with that Emily situation?

- My divorce?

Yeah. I just let her
keep whatever she wanted.

I mean, she bought
most of it anyway.

- Well, I hope you've taken her
off all the accounts.

The credit's
where they get you.

- Kirby, Marcus is an adult.

He knows how to handle
his affairs.

- You wouldn't know it
by looking at that hairline.

- [chuckles]

[cell phone buzzing]

- No, no, no, I wanna help.
- I can't wait for dessert.

[laughter]

[both murmuring
indistinctly]

- You are so lucky,
you know that?

- Happy anniversary to me!

[mellow R&B playing]

[indistinct chatter,
laughter]

♪ ♪

- ♪ I almost blew my mind ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Trying to make ♪

♪ You love me...♪

- Hey, I think I'm gonna head
into town for a little bit.

- But you just got home.
- I know.

I just wanted to unwind.

- Okay, honey, go ahead.
Have fun. Be safe.

- Thanks, Mom.

Ida, keys?

- Where you gotta go?

- Just out.

- You meeting up with Destiny.
Desperate ass.

- Destiny who?

- Uh, Destiny Mathis.

She's a friend of mine
from high school.

It's the girl I used to tutor.

- Destiny. Oh, she was
a sweet little thing.

And she had
a cute little figure too.

- Mom.
- What?

Okay.
Give her a hug for me.

- I will.

Keys?
- They're on the stand.

But if you scratch it,
I'ma beat your ass.

- Okay.

narrator: Marcus never felt
more like a New Yorker

than when he was in Michigan.

While his parents
were making him feel

like a shell
of his former self at home,

out in the world,

he embodied all of the swagger
of a superior coastal elite.

- Hey.
- Hey.

- Can I get a Bulleit, rocks?

- Oh, a top-shelf man.

[funky rock music playing]

♪ ♪

- What's up, smart guy?

[both chuckle]

- I can't believe you still
call me "smart guy."

- What? I love that nickname.

♪ He's a smart guy ♪

- Ah!

That theme song
ruined my life.

- Uh-uh; look, you were
a whole year younger than me,

teaching me geometry
and chemistry.

I needed to even
the playing field.

My ass was getting roasted.

- Well, I mean, if it makes you
feel any better,

I always looked forward
to our sessions.

- Oh!

[stiffly]
Well, I always looked forward

to our sessions, too, Marcus.

- All right. All right.
- [laughs]

- I don't remember you
being this cute

in high school though.

- Yeah, you either.

I'm kidding. I'm kidding.
- I know you are,

'cause I was the shit
in high school, okay?

- Yeah. You still dated
some bums though.

- A habit I am
still trying to break.

♪ ♪

So how long are you in town?

[Marcus and Destiny moaning]

[Destiny laughs]

- I was not expecting that.

- I'm glad you messaged me.
I really needed that tonight.

- Oh, me too.

- Okay.

Well, I'll call my Uber.

- You didn't drive?

- No, I got a boot on my car.

Long story.
- Do you want a ride?

- No. It says it's like
a minute away.

So...am I gonna see you again?

- Yeah. I-I'm just hanging
with my folks, but,

yeah, I'll hit you up.

- Better.

[cell phone buzzes]
It's here.

- All right.
- Mm-hmm.

- [small laugh]

narrator: After a brief
sex-induced moment of clarity

with Destiny,
Marcus felt like a fraud.

He had presented himself
to her

as the same studious,
good-humored Marcus,

not the recently divorced

and demoralized hot mess
with no furniture

that he actually was.

Though
he felt extremely guilty,

he would not call her.

His plan was to simply
slink back to Brooklyn

and hope that she wouldn't
one day curse him out.

-...crashing Maria's car.
Let's go to the core drill.

- Pushed out of bounds,
and the Pittsburgh...

- Oh, come on!

- A big game and 24 yards
on that run.

Paul's gotten blocking
from the blue line,

especially from Slater.

- Uncle Jovan.

- What it do, nephew?

Want some juice?

- No. No, I'm good.

Aren't you early?

- Your mother said
it was a all-day event.

I'm here all day.

- And the snap.
Dixon fades back.

- Oh, come on!

[scoffs]

Give me a hug.
- Oh, hey.

All right. All right.
Good to see you.

Good to see you.
- [chuckling]

I heard you split

with that bad
little white girl you was with.

- Yeah. Yeah, we split up.

- My boy Duane got a divorce
couple months back.

Tried to kill himself.

- Thanks, Uncle.

[cell phone buzzing]

-...three touchdowns
and no interceptions.

And Holey's been on fire.
Holey has four interceptions

on the year, guys, and only
been sacked eight times.

- Their outside lineman
is huge

on the Pittsburgh team.

And the center of the field...

[announcer continues
indistinctly]

- [groaning] Mom.

Mom, why did you invite Destiny
to the party this afternoon?

I told you
I didn't wanna bring anyone.

- Okay. I know that.

But I remembered
that we used to go to church

with that family.

So I called the mother,
we started talking,

and she told me
that Destiny was single.

- Oh, Jesus, Mom. Oh, my God.
- What?

I'm surprised
you didn't ask her yourself

after seeing her last night.

- Well, I--I just--
I didn't want to invite her

and now
it's gonna be awkward.

- Well, it doesn't have to be.

- Mom.

- [murmuring] Come.
Come on, you. Go on.

- Hey. Glad you're finally up.

Go make yourself decent
and then go to the basement

and bring up
those extra chairs.

- Okay, but--

[cellophane crinkling]

- Yo, you not trying to sell
that stuff

to my family today, huh?

- No. I made them as gifts.

- Gifts or samples?

- Gifts.

I mean, if someone
was interested, may...

- [scoffs]

- What?

[spacey music playing]

♪ ♪

narrator:
As Marcus stared down

the barrel of his adolescence,

he began to assess his life
one box at a time.

- "Mark Twain uses the N-word
over 200 times

"in 'Huckleberry Finn.'

I think that is
way too many times."

narrator:
Why did he move to New York?

What was it he was fleeing?

And why did he marry Emily,

only to neglect
and eventually divorce her?

Had he ever loved her?
Could he love anyone?

- Marcus, I asked for
those chairs over a hour ago.

- All right. Yeah. Sorry.

Sorry. I just got caught up.

- And that Destiny girl
is here.

[door closes]

[upbeat music playing]

♪ ♪

- Hey.

- I didn't know if guests
should bring things,

so I brought pie.

- Oh, that's great.
I love pie.

So, yeah, just...

- I just forgot the sticker.
So...

- Oh, no, it's fine.
No, it's very nice of you.

Welcome.
[laughs]

- Ooh!
- Hi.

Oh, I'm so glad you're here.
It's so nice to see you again.

- Oh, thank you, Ms. Donna.

Thank you for having me.
You look amazing.

- Oh, thank you.

Ah, I told you to bring
nothing but yourself

and you bought a pie.

How thoughtful.

Why don't you put it
on the table over there, okay?

Oh, she looks good.

- Mom, don't. Please.
- Don't be dramatic.

- Ooh, you invited Destiny.
- I didn't invite her. Mom did.

- I don't see
what the problem is.

You brought Keiko.

- 'Cause Keiko
is my girlfriend.

That's a very big difference,
Mommy.

[indistinct conversation]

Fuck. Fuck.

- Do not make
her feel unwelcome.

- I don't even--
- Mm-mm-mm.

- [groans

- I see you reeled in
a bad one, Nephew.

Big dogs gotta eat.
[chuckling]

♪ ♪

- So.
- So. Ha.

- She loves my soaps.

She wants to buy all of them.

Can you believe it?
My first order.

- No, Natasha is on a fixed
income and she broke.

I was surprised she didn't
try to hustle you first.

- That's so fucked up!
My gift.

Somebody put it in the trash.

- This is exactly
what I was trying to avoid.

I brought you here
so you could spend time with me

and my family,

not try to get
your line off the ground.

- Cool, great.

[soap thunks]

- [whispers] Damn.

- Boom.

I got a plug on
a contractor too.

Cuts me a deal.
- Dang, man.

I mean, like, my mom told me
you were in real estate,

but I didn't know
you had it like that.

- You kind of inspired me,
to be honest.

- Damn, for real?

- Fuck, no, man.
I was just trying to get paid.

- Wow!
- Uh...

I'm Destiny, by the way.

- Oh, snap. Sorry.

Vince, this is Destiny.

Destiny,
this is my cousin Vince.

- Hi.

- I'ma leave y'all to--
- Oh, no, no, no. Stay, man.

No. We cool.
- You sure?

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- So I see you finally got
some style in New York.

- Oh, come on, man,
I always could dress.

- No, no, no, no, no, man.

Remember,
I told you to stop wearing

them dumb-ass leather
trench coats.

- Oh, that was
for, like, one week.

- Was not. You're lying.

- All right, I'm out.
- Wait.

Hang on a second.
Wait, wait.

Wait, you're leaving?

- I've been here
for, like, two hours.

You said, like,
two words to me.

- Right. Um...

but can I--can I at least
give you a ride home?

My mom would kill me

if she saw you out there
waiting for a car.

- Whatever.

- Look, if it means
anything to you,

I really am sorry about today.

- Don't trip.

I'm over it.

- Cool.

[bounce music playing]
- Hey, hey, hey, hey!

What ya got, Tasha?
Whoo, whoo!

Come on, now!

♪ ♪

- ♪ Get in there!
Yeah, yeah ♪

♪ Get in there! ♪

♪ Get
in there! ♪

- So...
[exhales]

See you in another ten years?
- Ha. If you lucky.

[cell phone buzzes]

[brakes screech]
- Who is that?

- You gotta go.
You gotta--you gotta go now.

- Go? Go--
- You gotta go.

- Where? Why? What's going on?

- Hell, nah!
- What's happening?

- Hell, nah!

- Hey, are you dumb?
Go somewhere.

- I can't. He's got me pinned.

- Darnell,
what are you doing here?

Oh, shit.

Uh-uh, uh-uh, uh-uh-uh.

- Fuck that.
- No!

- Lord, Jesus.

[cheers and applause]
- Thank you.

[ahem]

Welcome, family and friends.

- Who the fuck
is this motherfucker?

- He is nobody, D.

He's a friend from high school.
He's harmless.

- To put it plainly...

I couldn't be a luckier man.

Donna, who would've thought
that the first time we met

at that musty-ass Detroit disco

that we'd end up married...

both tenured professors
at the same university...

And yes,
she is the smarter one.

[laughter]
- That's right.

- Could you just stop?
- We take a week off,

and now you fucking
with dark-skin Don Lemon.

Get the--
- Stop!

- Get out the fucking car.

- And look at this beautiful
family we have built together.

Ida, I can't even begin
to express what I've learned

from you over the years.

Your courage
and willingness to be authentic

in every situation
has made me a better man.

- Wait a minute. No.

But when you go to Six Flags
with your baby mama

and I'm upset,
then I'm being extra?

- Is that what you want
right now?

You know that's different.
- No, it's not, D.

I said, "Let's take TJ
to Six Flags."

And then you go with her.

- That's his mother.
- What am I?

Some bitch
he see now and then?

- Don't talk like that.
- Uh-uh.

Why can't I be something
to him too?

Why am I not good enough?

- Is that what this is about?

- And to my son Marcus.

Uh, where are you, Marcus?

- Where is he?

- You know that boy
think the world of you.

- Shut the fuck up, Darnell.
- Yo, I'm serious, girl.

Just the other day,
I tried taking the bikes out.

You know
what this boy said to me?

- What'd he say?

- He said, "I ain't biking
without Dez.

I want Dez."

I wasn't trying to be
disrespectful

with that Six Flag shit.

All this boy do is watch me
and Bianka fight.

I just wanted to have
some moments to look back on

when we felt like a family.

I'm sorry.
I shoulda talked to you first.

- No. No. Maybe...
[quietly] I overreacted.

- ♪ This day ♪

♪ This day ♪
- Missed you, sweetie.

- I missed you too, boo.
- You missed me?

- Yeah.
I love you.

- ♪ This day ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ Yeah...♪

♪ ♪

- [exhales]

- Where did you disappear to?

You need to go upstairs
and apologize to your father.

He gave a beautiful speech.
- Oh, my God.

[laughing] Are you fucking
kidding me with this?

- Excuse me?

- Mom, I missed Dad's speech

because I was taking home
the girl you invited.

- She's a nice girl.
I was just trying to help.

- Ha. Oh, my God.

Mom, why are you so desperate
to see me with somebody new?

I was with Emily
for like seven years,

and it's like that was nothing,
like it didn't even count.

- No, that is not true.
- Mom, you literally said,

"Do not cut off
all your options just yet"

the second I proposed.

- I just never thought
she was right for you.

- I know you didn't,

but what does it matter
what you think?

It's my life.

You're pushing me
to just get over it all.

"Ah, you're a free man.
You deserve a fresh start."

- You do.
- She is not disposable.

She was my wife.

And it ended because
of something I did.

- I didn't know that.
- Now you know.

Maybe you're right.

Maybe, um...

I just wanted
everyone to back off

so I could do my own thing.

But, Mom, I hurt her
and I hurt myself

and it is
a big old fucking mess.

- I'm sorry, baby.

Can I show you something?

- Yeah.
[both chuckle]

- Come here. Sit down.

[hopeful music playing]

- And to my son, Marcus.
Where are you, Marcus?

Jovan, my son is MIA.
You getting this?

- [laughing]

- To Marcus,
who has the biggest heart

of anyone I know.

We all go through a tough
season every now and then,

but just remember that life
is an annealing process.

If there's no pain,
then you're just sleepwalking.

You've had your knocks,

but only because you have
taken some swings, son.

We love you,
and we are there for you.

♪ ♪

- Thanks, Mom.

- I'm sorry about the Benz.

- You may enter.

Mm.

You're so dramatic.

[chuckles]

[mellow funk playing
in background]

♪ ♪

- Man, Keiko made
some good soaps.

- Yeah, I know. Take 'em home.

Take 'em all.

- Ah, shit. Is it over?

- [exhales]

100%.

You know, these young bisexual
girls with these dreams,

they just keep sucking me in.

But she was--she was so cute.

[both chuckle]

- Yeah, it was really sweet
to see Mom and Dad celebrate

their long haul, you know?

And sometimes I forget
that they're actual people

who love each other,

flaws and all.

- This weed is for
chilling purposes, okay?

Not for your
poetic ruminations.

- Yeah, you right.
You right.

Yeah, it'd be nice
to have what they have, though.

♪ ♪

- Yeah, it would be.

- ♪ Girl, it's all because
of you ♪

♪ ♪

♪ You've got me
trippin' out ♪

♪ Trippin' out
over you, babe ♪

♪ Over you, little mama ♪

♪ I'm tripping out ♪

♪ Trippin' out ♪

♪ Over you, come on ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Come on ♪

♪ It's a good feeling ♪

♪ Baby dear, come on ♪

♪ ♪

♪ All over you ♪