Sister, Sister (1994–1999): Season 4, Episode 2 - You Are So Beautiful - full transcript

Lisa and Ray set out to learn about the girls' biological parents.

Well, today

is the first day of school.

- Yeah, and I don't believe
- I'm saying this, but...

I can hardly wait!

See, this is gonna be our year.

Up till now, it's been...

- -Okay, I'll be the boy.
- -Okay.

"Well, hello, there,

typical male student

at Roosevelt high.

- Whose name did you write
- all over your notebook?"



-"Rhonda."

"And even if I bought you

a brand-new beemer

and more gold jewelry

than deion Sanders,

who would you dump me for

in a Detroit minute?"

-"Rhonda."

Well, you see,

that was last year.

-Now we're upperclassmen.

-We're mature.

We're sophisticated.

And who's gonna get



some serious competition?

Both: Rhonda!

- ♪ Talk about
- a two-way twister ♪

♪ shakin' up the family tree

with sibling synchronicity ♪

- ♪ never knew
- how much I missed ya ♪

♪ I ain't ever gonna

let you go! ♪

- ♪ Never knew
- how much I missed ya ♪

♪ I ain't ever gonna

let you go ♪

Oh, yeah... miss Rhonda:

- She better
- watch her back this year.

- Yeah, 'cause
- we're gonna get all the cuties.

Hi, Tia! Hi, tamera!

Both: Oh... hi!

So... how was your summer?

Uh... fine!

Really great.

How... how was yours?

Oh... not so good.

I mean, by our age

- you're supposed to have already
- been done growing, right?

But between July and August,

I just kind of, uh...

-Blew up!

Uhm, I'm sorry, but...

Do we know you?

-It's me! Rhonda!

♪ Happy birthday to me,

happy birthday to me ♪

-Whoo! Cake!

Well, well,

look at all that cake.

- What are you celebrating?
- Tuesday?

Hee-larious, ray.

- I'm just trying
- to pick out the right cake

For my birthday tomorrow.

You didn't forget, did you?

Uh... no! Of course not...

Forget your birthday.

- Don't be ridiculous.
- Did I forget last year?

-Yes.

-Exactly! But uhm...

- I made up for it this year
- by getting you something...

-Really special.

Ray!

-What'd you get me?

-Uhm... guess, guess!

Ooh, ray! I just knew

if I dropped enough hints,

you'd come through for mama.

- -You sure you can afford it?
- -God, I hope so.

What happened to Rhonda?

She used to be so pretty!

- Tia, you know,
- she was always better-looking

Than the rest of her family.

- I guess heredity
- finally caught up with her.

You know what, tamera?

You're right.

- Her father dropped her off
- at school once.

Huge, hairy guy.

- One big eye
- rolling around in his head.

-Tia... that was her mother.

Whoa...

Hey, tamera...

- That couldn't happen to us,
- could it?

Oh, Tia, don't be silly.

We have the best genes in town.

- I mean, look at our parents!
- They're gorgeous!

-Knock, knock!

We're adopted!

- -Mom!
- -Dad!

What? Girls, girls...

- What's the matter?
- What happened?

Uhm, mom...

- We need to know
- the truth about our genes.

-Oh, lord.

- I knew this would happen
- some day.

You'd better sit down.

All right, now...

This may come as a shock.

Go ahead, mom. Just say it.

Well...

-They're korean.

I got them three for a buck

at a racetrack swap meet...

- and I sewed in
- the little designer labels.

I'm sorry, honey,

- I just couldn't
- see shelling out $200

For a pair of designer jeans.

-Not even with Denzel in them.

Mom, we weren't

talking about pants.

-Oh... then neither was I.

Lisa, we were just

- wondering
- about our birth parents.

What they really looked like.

- Okay! Should I put these
- in the fridge

Or just dump them

in your feed bowl?

Uh-oh. What happened?

- Did they find out
- about their korean jeans?

- No, ray.
- Actually, our kids, they...

- They wanna know
- who their parents are.

What?

No... we already know that!

Dad, you're my dad.

Yeah! And, mom, you're my mom.

- We're just
- asking about our... you know,

Biological roots.

- The question is
- purely scientific.

- Is something wrong?
- 'Cause you never asked before.

- 'Cause we didn't
- wanna hurt your feelings.

- Like we are right now.
- Come on, Tia, this is useless.

- No, no, no, come on.
- You have every right to ask.

- It's not a problem.
- Is it, Lisa?

- Nope, nope, nope,
- nope, nope, nope!

-Yeah.

-Nooope.

- Okay, uh, sit down.
- Go ahead and ask.

Thanks. Well...

- We know they passed away
- right after we were born.

Yeah, but that's all we know.

- So, can you guys
- tell us anything else?

Nope.

None of that was bad

as I thought was gonna be.

Okay, now who wants cake?

- I got fudge mocha, cocoa-mocha,
- mocha-mocha-mocha...

Lisa...

Unfortunately, girls,

we don't know anything...

- Except that
- you were born in Florida.

What?! Weren't we born

here in Detroit?

Yeah. Our birth records

are at children's hospital.

- No. Only your medical records
- are there.

Mmm, oh...

I remember your first visit

to the doctor.

- Roomful of prune-faced
- squawking little babies.

I walked in with you.

You were so beautiful.

- The nurse looked at you
- and she said

"ooh, what a perfect child.

Who's your mama, sweetie?"

I said "I am. I'm her mama."

What about the adoption agency?

Can't they tell us anything?

- No! No, no, they're not
- allowed to do that, honey.

- Now, the file is sealed,
- the folder's closed.

Elvis has left the building.

I'm really sorry, girls.

- Yeah, well...
- You're okay now, right, honey?

- We don't need
- to talk about this anymore.

- Nope, nope, nope,
- nope, nope, nope!

I am not gonna

upset you anymore.

- It was silly to bring this up
- in the first place.

Yeah! It's okay, mom.

The subject is closed.

Good.

So...

- Are we really gonna
- give up on this?

- Both: Nope, nope, nope.
- Nope, nope, nope!

Hey, Tia! I found my baby box.

- Come on! Help me
- look for some clues!

Tamera, I've been thinking:

- You know,
- mom would be really hurt

- If she knew
- what we were doing.

So... let's just let it go.

Nuh-uh! Not this twin!

- If I'm gonna wake up
- looking like shanaynay,

- I'm gonna need
- a lot of make-up.

Tamera, that won't happen.

- I think we just overreacted,
- that's all.

But...

You know...

- I've always tried to picture
- what our real mom was like.

She was probably...

A nice, average,

fairly attractive lady.

Yeah... with exotic,

mysterious eyes.

And a really beautiful smile.

And incredible dark, wavy hair.

Yeah... and a really cute nose

with fabulous high cheekbones.

Both: That's her.

Man...

- I bet she was
- the coolest mom in the world.

Tia: Yeah...

- Tamera: I wonder what
- our lives would have been like

If she was still around.

I wish she could talk to us,

you know, just once,

- and tell us something
- about who she was.

Yeah... it's funny.

Just... just thinking about her

makes me feel so close to her.

Oh... come on, Tia.

Let's put this old junk away.

- Yeah!
- And get on with our lives.

- You know, this is really dumb,
- I mean...

There's nothing in here,

but teething rings

-and baby shoes.

-Yeah, and a blanket from...

"Sarasota baby hospital."

Sarasota?

Tamera, that's in Florida,

where we were born!

A clue!

I read something

about sarasota!

- Isn't it famous
- for something like...

- -Like millionaires?
- -Yeah! Yeah! Or movie stars...

"The greatest show on earth"?

That's what it's famous for!

It's the home of the circus!

Both: All right!

Both: The circus?

Oh, my gosh, Tia,

a little baby clown nose.

Look, look: "The property

of ringling brothers."

Oh, no, Tia...

-We're circus people.

No way.

Uh... way?

Both: Mom!

Well, if it isn't

the soon-to-be birthday girl.

What? Oh.

Oh, I forgot all about that.

What do you say

- we just table that sucker
- till next year?

Oh, what is it, Lisa?

- A little case
- of the birthday blues?

How about

a deluxe beauty makeover

at your favorite salon,

"the mighty afro-dite"?

- Hmm.
- I'm through with that dump.

Are you sure? I understand

- their gift certificates
- are non-refundable.

Yeah, I'm sure.

- That place is so out of date,
- their jet still has

- Rodney Allen rippey
- on the cover.

-Aw, Lisa, Lisa.

- Here, come on.
- No, no, no.

Oh, ray...

- There's no reason
- to be this down in the dumps.

There isn't?

-No!

It's just a birthday.

Everybody gets older.

- But you're not that old,
- exactly.

- I mean, you're a few years
- older than me, but...

You don't look it.

-Usually.

- Well, I mean,
- you look a little nasty

- In the morning sometimes,
- but...

- After you do
- whatever it is you do

- For three or four hours
- up there in the bathroom,

-you look okay!

-Feel better, huh?

-Yeah. I do now.

- Lisa, I thought
- women loved that kind of talk.

It works with my mom.

-You are a sad, sad little man.

- Now, look, I didn't mean
- to bite your head off.

- I'm just... I'm having
- an eensy little problem.

- It's just
- sort of nagging at me.

Oh? What?

- My baby,
- she don't love me no more, ray,

-you know?

- -No, no!
- -Aw, come on. Here, here.

No, it's true, ray!

- She wants her birth mother,
- she loves her,

And she wants her back.

- Are you kidding me?
- Tia adores you.

- Where did you
- get such a crazy idea?

I heard her say so.

- "Ooh, I bet mama
- was pretty."

"Ooh, I bet mama was perfect."

- And there I was,
- little miss nothing

Out in the hall

- with a tray
- full of nutter-butters.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Pull over!

E-nun-ci-ate.

Both: Why didn't you tell us?

-A-bout what?

This!

Well, well,

where did you find that?

- Dad, it was hidden
- at the bottom of my baby box.

- Why did you keep the truth
- from me?

- -Where?
- -Oh, here. Let me see that.

-Ew! Ooh...

- Who's that fat, hairy guy
- holding the baby?

Both: That's our mom!

Come again?

What are you talking about?

Dad, you don't have

to lie to us anymore.

- We know that's our birth mom
- in the picture.

We found all the evidence.

- Yeah, yeah,
- the baby blanket, the bottle.

- "The property
- of ringling brothers."

This is the most horrible thing

that could ever happen to us.

-Do I amuse you?

-Am I a clown?

Forgive me, girls,

but you're way off.

- You mean, that's not me
- in the picture?

Oh, that's you all right.

- The day I took you
- to the circus.

The circus?

Ray, that child's

barely a week old.

Two weeks exactly.

- I was so excited
- about being a daddy

- For the first time,
- I couldn't wait!

I also took you to the zoo

and the rodeo

and a few ball games

- and a really bad
- dinner theater production.

You mean,

that's not our mother?

We're not gonna be ugly?

Oh, for heaven's sake,

of course not!

Oh, is that why you were asking

- about your birth mother
- because...

- You were afraid of what
- you'd look like?

Well... yeah.

Oh, see, there you go, ray.

- You were all worried
- about nothing.

-What was I thinking about?

Girls, look, you are two

lovely young ladies

and that's not gonna change,

- except maybe
- you'll get more beautiful.

Now, go to bed

and stop worrying.

Oh...

Oh, I'm so glad that

that is all cleared up.

I tell you what,

tomorrow let's be bad.

- Let's go down to the mall
- and shop till we drop.

-My treat, my birthday.

Oh, what? What?

Why the long faces?

Oh, I don't know.

- -I guess we should be relieved.
- -But we're not.

You see...

- When we started
- finding those clues

-in that old baby box...

-we felt like finally

we were gonna know

who our birth mom was.

But... up till now, mom

I've only been able

to dream about her.

And, for a minute,

she was almost real

- and now
- she's just a dream again.

And, uhm...

- -That's not enough, is it?
- -No.

Not anymore.

We have to know who she was.

I'm sorry, mom, but we have to.

- I know.
- I understand, babies. I do.

-Good night, mom.

-Good night.

- Wow, down, simba.
- I only had one piece.

- I am not mad at you, ray.
- I am mad at me.

- I could just slap myself
- all around this room

And then back again.

- Wait, I'll go
- get the video camera.

- -I'm serious.
- -So am I.

Oh, ray. Oh!

- Well, I can't believe
- I'm saying this, but...

God help me...

I'm jealous.

- Tia is never going
- to let her mother go.

- Her birth mother?
- But she passed away years ago.

It doesn't matter.

She is very much alive

in Tia's heart

- and I can't
- compete with that, ray,

I just don't know how to.

Lisa, you're fighting a ghost!

That's what scares me.

- I mean, if I was fighting
- a flesh-and-blood woman

For my child, I'd win, but...

- The fact that she's not alive
- makes her...

Makes her bigger than life.

- Ha. She sure
- isn't bigger than you.

I mean, in Tia's eyes,

in her eyes!

- Lisa,
- you are a wonderful mother.

Oh, really?

Hurting my child.

- All she wants
- is a little information and...

Well, I'm not coming through.

- Well, how could you?
- You don't have any information.

Lisa?

Well, it was that old Bob

at the adoption agency.

That real blabbermouth?

- I could have
- got something out of him.

Wait a minute, I remember Bob.

- He never said more
- than two words to me.

- Hmm. Then you weren't
- wearing spike heels

-and a tank top.

- Well, you know,
- maybe he's still there.

- Why don't you call him
- and ask him?

No, no, I can't now.

I can't call over there.

- I'm not calling over there.
- I do not wanna listen...

Lisa, Lisa. Lisa!

- I don't care
- who her birth mother is.

You are her mother now.

Act like it.

Good morning.

Happy birthday?

I called the adoption agency.

Oh. And?

And... old Bob,

he was still there.

- As much
- of a blabbermouth as ever.

- 'Course, I did have
- to remind him

-about that tank top.

Racelle Gavin?

That was their mother's name.

- She was born
- right here in Detroit, ray.

- That's why
- you and I lucked out.

- She wanted her children
- raised right here

In her home town.

- Whoo.
- I don't know what to say.

- I mean, finding this out
- after all these years.

Mm-hmm. Well, there's more.

- He told me
- there was a picture of her

At this address.

Picture?

Uhm, I'm gonna tell the girls

to get dressed.

Lisa, this can't be right.

- The neighborhood
- is completely deserted.

- Are you sure
- you have the right address?

- Yeah, I'm sure.
- That old Bobby repeated it

Over and over and over.

-And over.

Girls, girls!

- Obviously
- there's no one around here.

But there's gotta be!

Look... I know how you two

got your hopes up, but...

- If there ever was a picture
- of racelle in there,

It's long gone now.

Lisa: No, it's not.

I think I found it.

Tia: It's beautiful.

Which one's racelle?

Maybe it's that one!

- Tamera:
- No, it's gotta be that one!

Tia: Or her, or...

Gosh, I can't believe this!

I'm looking right at her and...

I still don't know

which one she is.

Right. Her picture.

Racelle Gavin.

This is her picture.

She painted it.

Wow.

Our mom did that?

Yes, she did.

- And in a way it tells you
- more about her

Than any photo ever would.

It does?

Yeah, well, baby,

- don't you know
- what you're looking at?

- You're looking
- right into her heart.

Into your mama's heart.

She was a wonderful artist.

And the two of you

should be very proud.

'Cause the spirit

of that beautiful woman

is living right inside of you.

Thanks, Lisa.

I love you, mom.

Thank you, ray.

Happy birthday, Lisa.