Twisted Marriage Therapist (2023) Movie Script
1
[tense music]
[woman moaning]
[moaning continues]
-Ooh.
-[door opens]
[eerie music]
What's wrong?
[man] Nothing.
[moaning]
[moaning continues]
[heart pounding]
[sword unsheathes]
[intense music]
[groans]
[blood pattering]
[sword swishes]
[intense music]
[Yolanda]We must question
those who say divorce is death.
Particularly when we see
new life springing up
from so many who survive
the breach.
[audience cheering]
[audience] What up, Yo?
Freedom from
your relationship woes.
-And that's--
-[all] No cap!
Please take your seats.
Y'all are embarrassing me.
Welcome to this Yo Session.
I'm Dr. Yolanda Carver,
but you can call me Dr. Yo.
I'm so humbled
that you decided
to join me for this
speaking experience.
We have people tuning in
all the way from
Turks and Caicos,
Paris and London.
And in the good old US of A
we have people tuning in
from New Jersey,
California, Georgia,
and, oh, my, Montana!
[cheering]
[ominous music]
Tonight, I wanna talk
to you about
the elegance of disaster
and the beauty of the storm.
When a relationship
is secure,
rains can come,
and winds can blow and
beat against that relationship,
but that marriage will not fall
because that relationship
is built
on solid rock.
[Armeka laughs]
Okay, I'm home.
Got to go.
I thought you was going to
happy hour.
That is where I went.
And you're getting home
after 11:30?
You wanna check my phone?
See my receipts?
That's the same dress you had on
you when you was with him.
I'll burn it.
But every time
I leave the house,
you're suspicious.
It's been six months.
So six months is just a magic
number where I suppose to,
poof, get over it?
You didn't catch me.
I told you.
So I don't understand
the third degree.
You will never understand.
[mellow music]
Liam?
Liam, babe, what are you...
Babe, don't...
Babe, babe, wait, stop,
babe.
Baby, look at me.
[cries]
Can we at least try?
To see if we can heal from this?
[mellow music]
Babe.
[Yolanda]Rather than my divorce
disqualifying me
from being a successful
relationship counselor,
it gives me credibility in
these relationship streets.
The wreckage of my failed
marriage acts as scaffolding,
a temporary structure
that supports a building
and those working
to restore it.
So are y'all ready to start
restoring these relationships?
[up-tempo music]
I'll take another.
-Putting 'em away, aren't you?
-Keep up or keep quiet.
He'll take another, too.
Ah, remember that time
you convinced that private
to swallow the anal suppository?
And then we found him
passed out in the hooch?
You told him to do that.
I just, you know,
just agreed with you
to make it seem like
you were telling the truth.
Same thing, man.
And he still didn't crap
for a week!
[laughs]
Dude, you always laugh at that
story. What's getting to you?
What makes you think
something's wrong?
Body language.
And knowing you since bootcamp.
[Roy] When you are all
sulking around like this,
it's usually one of two things,
your business...
or your marriage.
Well...
Business is fine.
Bingo.
So what's going on?
Same old, same old?
[scoffs] The kind of love
I had for her...
I didn't even think
that kind of love existed.
Same way I felt.
Now look at me.
A little unsolicited advice.
Okay?
Don't go to marriage counseling.
It's an expensive mirage...
that didn't save my marriage.
And the counselor
that I told all my business to
turns around
and testifies against me
in our divorce hearing.
You see that negative energy
you're putting out?
That's why you're gonna be
single
for the rest of your life.
-Ooh!
-[laughs]
Hm.
She's obviously helped
a lot of people.
Yeah, looks like
a cross between
pop-psychology
and megachurch pastor.
Sprinkle in a little bit
internet andvoila!
Relationships
miraculously healed.
What do we have to lose?
And you said we could
at least try.
You know, maybe our expectations
are a little too high.
I'm gonna get us a drink.
Here she is!
Dr. Yo before the show!
[applause]
[audience whistling]
[intense music]
[cheering]
Make sure they're one of
the couples.
How am I supposed to do that?
You'll figure it out.
[tense music]
[door opens]
[door closes]
[audience cheering]
[applause]
[audience] What up, Yo?
It's time for your relationships
to grow.
-And that's--
-No cap!
[audience cheering]
Tonight, I wanna talk
about the danger of detractors.
Those people in your life
who are peeved because you're
taking the necessary steps
to clean up the mess
of your relationship.
But before I go any further,
I wanted to share something
that was on my heart backstage.
I felt led to give away
one full suite of my
relationship services
free of charge
to one
lucky couple.
[scattered applause]
Come on out here, Tonya.
Give it up for Tonya
the producer, y'all!
Tonya randomly selected
your ticket stubs,
matched those ticket numbers
with your names.
And I will choose the winning
couple from among three
that I'll interview
after the show.
So let's see if you and your boo
get chosen for consideration.
[tense music]
[laughs]
Yes!
[applause]
[laughs]
Ah!
[music continues]
[Yolanda] Congratulations
to all of those who were
chosen for consideration.
And I'll see you all backstage.
[applause]
You said we were just
coming here to listen.
Now we're sitting here
waiting to be interviewed.
How was I supposed to know
we were gonna get picked?
Well, we haven't
been picked yet.
I mean, she still
has to meet us.
This ain't what I signed up for.
I saw your reaction when
she talked about detractors.
You were feeling that.
I could see it in your face.
That's only 'cause me and Roy
were just talking about that.
-Roy!
-Yeah.
He thinks that just because his
marriage flopped after therapy
everybody else's
relationships doomed.
Babe,
look, I know Roy
is your best friend,
but you really have to take what
he says with a grain of salt.
Especially when it
comes to you and me.
[sighs]
Roy.
Thanks so much for coming.
I'll be in touch.
Liam and Armeka Jasper.
-Yes.
-Come on in.
[intense music]
You remind me of
my late best friend,
who I loved dearly.
My ex-husband was a marine.
Thank you for your service.
No thanks are necessary,
I appreciate the sentiment.
So what makes you two
the perfect couple?
We've been married
seven years, but
the last couple
have been... really rough.
And even though not everything
that's going wrong
is my fault,
the last six months
have been hard because...
I made the mistake of
stepping out on my husband.
I commend you.
Because too many men
would allow pride
and manfulness
to undermine the redemptive
power of reconciliation.
And thank you
for your transparency.
I know it's not
easy revealing
your worst mistake to someone
you're just getting to know.
You two are so cute you make me
believe in happily ever after.
-Hm.
-[line ringing]
[Tonya]Hello!
Please reach out to
the other two couples
on my behalf and thank them.
I think I've found my winners.
[instrumental music]
Now here's how I work.
We'll begin with a
getting-to-know-you session
with the two of you together.
Then I'll have one-on-one
sessions with each of you
to gain context and objectivity.
From then on,
all of our sessions will
take place in your home.
I call them
in-house observations.
I'm an empiricist,
which means
my methods are based on
what I experience and see,
rather than just theory.
This is the basis of
The Scientific Method.
I charge a lot for what I do
because I'm good at it.
[music continues]
But, Liam, I also understand
your trepidation.
This is something new.
Some would even say unorthodox.
But my unorthodoxy
is precisely
why I've been successful
as a clinician.
Let's do this. Sleep on it.
I'll give you 24 hours. And if
I don't hear from you by then,
I'll choose another couple.
Sound good?
[Armeka] If you make
that decision,
it's going to make your
situation exponentially worse.
You visit my house twice
and now you're some kind
of expert on my life? [laughs]
-You don't know me.
-Carlotta, I know men.
And if you do this,
I guarantee you he's going
to hit you again.
Well, then I guess
it's just a chance
I'm gonna have to take now,
isn't it?
Because if he can do it,
I can do it, too.
[Armeka sighs]
Know why social workers
have such high burnout rates?
-Not now, Ivy. Please.
-Because they get...
[both] Too emotionally involved
in the lives of their clients.
Yeah. This is about more
than Carlotta, isn't it?
It's about everything.
I love my job. It's just,
I hate the way it
makes me feel.
Constant exposure to trauma.
Poverty. Loss.
-It's a lot.
-Yeah.
Especially when you have
your own drama at home.
Hey, come here, come here.
Mhm.
[inhales sharply]
Ooh!
I needed that.
I haven't had a decent hug in--
Bet I know since when.
See, that's why
I never tell you anything.
You know anything you tell me
is safer than my search history.
Cross my heart and hope to die.
Okay, fine, maybe not die.
Not for, like, 40 years.
Maybe 50, if I'm healthy.
Ooh, that would make me 80.
Okay, fine, 60 years. But only
if I'm in my right mind. Oww!
That's for even mentioning it!
Liam and I are trying to...
work things out.
Well, that's a win, isn't it?
-I guess.
-Huh!
-And you wonder why I'm single.
-Mhm-hm. No.
Don't blame me
for your relationship woes.
You've been this way
since college.
Hm, try high school.
Because I can do bad
all by myself.
-Thank you very much.
-Mmm.
-Love you!
-Yeah, okay.
[laughs]
[sighs]
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah
You're not enjoying your food?
I made your favorite.
From scratch.
You made me choose that woman
because you're interested
in her.
My only interest is in you.
How about sappy public displays
of affection for once then?
Or a night on the town
as your girlfriend instead of
as your show producer?
My public persona is just that.
My private life
is all about you.
I got you something.
Open it.
[Yolanda] Platinum and diamonds
for the curious, cultivated,
amazing woman you are.
Let me see what it looks on.
As beautiful as
I knew it would be.
Thank you.
[Yolanda] In jewelry,
serpents mean rebirth,
healing, and guardianship.
in a nutshell.
[phone chimes]
You promised no more
devices at dinner.
Did you take your medication?
That has nothing to do
with what you promised.
[ominous music]
Take your hand off my phone
and take your medication.
That was a condition
of your release.
[phone chimes]
[chuckles]
[keypad clacking]
[music continues]
[Yolanda] Welcome to
the squared circle.
[door shuts]
We're meeting here so that
the two of you can work off
any anger or frustration you may
be feeling towards the other.
Glove up.
Here are the rules.
Before you land a punch,
you have to identify
what that punch represents.
-Right or left-handed?
-Right.
Let's make it a fair fight.
In the ring.
Ding-ding-ding!
[Liam sighs]
I'm not gonna hit my wife.
Not even with my weak hand.
If she wants to blow off
some steam, you know, she can--
Ah! Frustration.
Call it out before you
hit him, Armeka.
Babe, babe.
Disappointment. Ah!
Just calm... Chill.
Abandonment.
[grunting]
Babe...
-Think you know everything.
-Babe, come on.
[grunting]
Only one issue per blow.
Four words.
So I hit him four times.
[intense music]
Silence. Ah!
-[groans]
-[Yolanda] Stop!
Stop!
Babe, babe, babe.
Arme...
-You okay?
-Baby, baby.
You okay?
Baby, I'm sorry.
Leave me alone.
Are you good?
My scorecard says wife eight.
Husband one.
Wifey wins on points.
Hang on.
[tense music]
Now C-walk.
Chop, chop. Let's go.
[laughter]
[chuckles]
You're not exempt.
Loser has to dougie.
I'm not good at dougieing,
though.
Doctor's orders. Let's get it.
Hey...
[sighs]
[laughter]
All right, all right.
Let's bring it in.
I think I've identified the
areas we need to work on,
communication is number one.
Number two is intimacy.
And the third...
is trust.
These areas will be the basis
of each in-house observation.
And on the final visit,
I'll give my assessment
and a treatment model.
Now, apologies go around.
Babe, I'm...
I'm sorry for clocking you
like that.
It was my weak hand, and
thought it'd be a rabbit punch.
It's like I had a flashback.
What did you
flash back to, Liam?
For a second I felt like
I was back in the desert.
[tense music]
Come here.
[sighs]
Where is she at?
[snaps finger]
Now to make this
marriage official,
ours and yours.
[ominous music]
You can keep the pen.
The first of my gifts to you.
The second will be far more
valuable than a $50-pen.
A healed relationship.
[sighs]
[Yolanda] That was quite
the display of aggression
towards your husband
last week.
He's been emotionally
unavailable these
last few years.
And... we stopped having sex
after the second miscarriage.
Two miscarriages?
I'm so sorry.
Thanks.
But...
the way our relationship's
been going...
adding babies to...
this situation would've...
complicate an already
complicated situation.
I understand.
Do you harbor
any unresolved anger?
Even towards your own body?
All my life
I've wanted to have babies.
To feel them growing inside me.
Experiencing the whole
birthing process.
And...
when I couldn't do that...
I had to question
what that said about me...
as a woman.
What did you come up with?
Still figuring that out.
How long after the miscarriage
did the affair happen?
I don't know, uh,
a couple of months?
This wasn't some planned thing.
Okay, I-I didn't think
I would ever
cheat on my husband.
And I-I'm not blaming him
for what I did, but...
I just felt so alone.
What do you think the affair
said about you as a woman?
[sobs]
[mellow music]
It's okay.
I see you,
the pain you carry.
The frustration
of living with a man
who treats your only mistake
like a life sentence.
I want you to know that
I'm always be here for you.
In our sessions.
To ensure that the environment
is emotionally safe.
[ominous music]
[door shuts]
-This is beautiful.
-Thank you.
I used to lease an office
in Buckhead
before the pandemic
shut everything down.
But now that I've moved
my practice here,
I realized it's better for me
and for my patients.
I'll see you next week.
-See you next week.
-Great.
[intense music]
Are you spying on me?
I saw you two holding hands.
I don't owe you any explanations
for how I do my work.
And like I've told you,
when I have patients,
you stay out of sight.
Before the miscarriages
I feel like we were happy.
But after the second one,
I got concerned
I wasn't gonna get
what I wanted
most out of marriage.
[chuckles]
Two big headed boys.
Was love something
you wanted out of your marriage?
- Well, yeah.
-[Yolanda] But it was secondary?
To having kids?
-You have to think about it?
-Yeah, I mean no.
You're getting me mixed up.
Am I getting you mixed up,
or do you harbor latent anger
towards your wife because
she couldn't give you
the one thing you wanted,
two big headed boys?
Look, I'm not being silent
'cause I don't know.
I don't want you confusing
what I'm saying.
[Yolanda] Liam?
Your wife feels like you
emotionally abandoned her.
Which left her vulnerable
to do the very thing
that hurt you the most.
Master Sergeant Durrell Tarver.
Yes, my husband.
-Died in combat.
-Where'd he serve?
Afghanistan.
[Liam] Salute to him.
[sighs]
I did two tours.
Kabul and Kandahar.
[tense music]
I'm sorry for your loss.
Thanks for your kind words.
How would you describe
your combat experience?
I learned to survive,
and the best emotion
is no emotion at all.
[Yolanda] Emotions are a gift.
They allow us
to experience life.
So your healing lies in
your ability to feel again.
[music continues]
[Liam snoring softly]
[tense music]
[laughs]
[kisses]
[music continues]
[car door shuts]
[Liam] Are we ever gonna meet
in a normal place?
[Yolanda] What's more normal
than nature?
This is our version
of wilderness therapy.
[howls]
[Yolanda laughs]
We didn't even have to leave
Southwest Atlanta for it.
There's a lot of
office space in Southwest.
Beautiful stars.
You don't get that in
office spaces in Atlanta.
Wilderness therapy is perfect
for addressing
communication issues.
Because it forces you
to tune out the world
and just focus on each other.
So let's start with a
concentration exercise.
-Close your eyes.
-Come on, Yo. For real?
It's dark as hell out here.
We gotta close our eyes, too?
Can you just cooperate, babe?
Please?
I know we're just now
getting to know each other.
But I'm gonna need you
to trust me.
I know it's hard.
But just try. Okay?
A'ight.
You good?
Let's close our eyes.
Inhale through the nose.
[inhales deeply]
Hold it. Focusing on
the breath leaving your lungs.
Exhale through the mouth.
[exhales]
What do you hear?
-I hear peace.
-Mhm.
I hear Micheal.
-Michael?
-Myers.
He's coming to get us.
-Oh!
-Okay. Open your eyes.
I'm sorry.
I'm-I'm-I'm just playing.
Let, we can do it again.
I'll be serious.
We're going to move on
to something else now.
If you're not going
to be serious,
you're just wasting
everyone's time.
Just...
[Yolanda] Now for my
favorite exercise.
It's called Cute, Sexy, Fun.
The goal of this
is to force you to
recall the beauty of
your relationship.
You each have to say
something that you
find to be cute
about your spouse.
And then something sexy.
And then, something fun.
And, Liam,
we'll start with you,
since you are the one who
deep-sixed our first exercise.
-Of course.
-Mhm-hm.
[sighs]
-Start with cute?
-[Yolanda] That's right.
Well, as we all witnessed at
the boxing gym the other day,
my wife's not a very
good dancer.
No, no, I-I'm being serious.
My wife's not
a very good dancer...
but she looks
so cute when she does.
Matter of fact,
that's how we met.
It was my, it was my boy's
birthday party
and she knew his best friend.
I'll never forget it.
"Love On Top" was playing.
And babe was vibing hard.
[laughter]
It was nice.
She was in her zone.
Just enjoying the music,
you know,
without a thought of
anyone else in that room.
I was blown away.
And a little,
little scared
to approach her, too.
I didn't want to
interrupt her vibe.
I wanted to be a part of it.
Be a part of her.
No. It didn't matter
that she couldn't dance.
That was, that was
besides the point.
So, yeah.
-That's my cute.
-[Yolanda] Mhmm.
And that is so cute.
[Yolanda laughs]
-Yeah.
-Um...
My cute is...
Liam is
really old-fashioned.
Opening the door for me.
Helping me put on my coat.
Pulling the chair out for me.
I'd never experienced
anything like that before him.
I didn't know guys today
don't do those kinds of things.
And his friends used
to always try to clown him
for how he covered me.
But he didn't care
'cause it was all about me.
But then he...
he stopped doing
all of that after.
[tense music]
[rain pattering]
Oh, shit!
-Come here.
-Come on, y'all.
[grunts]
How about we call the rain
and the run our sexy and fun?
[laughs]
Works for me.
Let's call it a night.
How do you both feel?
I'm Gucci.
-Babe?
-[sighs]
It was nice to hear you
remember the good times.
Yeah.
You mind if I have a word
with Liam on my way out?
-Sure. Okay.
-Great.
Liam?
During our boxing exercise,
you experienced a flashback
that caused you
to strike your wife,
knocking her on the mat.
How'd you do on your
PTSD screening part
of getting discharge
from the service?
I don't think I want to
answer that.
And that's certainly your right.
However, I'm asking
because it's my job
to help you to get better.
And in my experience,
some military personnel
may have difficulty
understanding changes
in personal behavior.
Or how to cope with flashbacks
and emotional fatigue
that accompanies combat stress,
even years
after deployment, Liam.
I'll see you next week.
Wait.
[sighs]
When I was in, I didn't get help
'cause I didn't want
to lose my security clearance.
At discharge, I wasn't
completely honest because
I didn't want to be
stereotyped.
"Black man. Ex-military.
Proficient with firearms.
Prone to violence
'cause he got PTSD."
I can get you a prescription
that'll reduce the intensity
and frequency of the rage
and anxiety you experience.
Does Armeka know you were
dishonest at discharge?
Well, I wouldn't call it
dishonest.
Dishonest.
-Read it.
-I-I can see...
Dishonest.
"Disposed to lie. Prone to
behave in a fraudulent way."
Did you lie?
-Well...
-Let me ask in another way.
Did you tell the discharge
officer the truth?
So you defrauded
the US military.
Because you were afraid of
people making negative
assumptions of you.
With the affair
still fresh on your mind,
I'm concerned about heightened
vulnerability to triggers.
I don't have rage issues,
though.
[Yolanda]
I saw you in the ring, Liam.
Actions speak much louder
than words.
Just take the medicine.
It'll stay between us.
And you can call or text...
anytime.
[tense music]
[door closes]
Hey, s-so...
what did she want to
talk to you about?
Oh, just combat stress and...
and the flashback.
Hm.
[Yolanda]
Just take the medicine.
It'll stay between us.
[Armeka] Yeah, it's part
of the job, though.
[Armeka laughing]
[Armeka] I know.
[indistinct chatter]
[tense music]
[Armeka laughing]
[indistinct chatter]
[Armeka laughing]
[music continues]
[Armeka laughing]
[distorted laugh]
[Yolanda]
Defrauding the US military.
A crime punishable
by fines and jail.
[Armeka laughing]
Are you laughing at me?
[heartbeat]
Hold on a second, Ivy.
What are you talking about?
[Liam sighs]
Nothing.
[breathing shakily]
Are you okay?
Yeah.
You're sure?
Yeah, yeah.
Hmm.
Yeah.
[Armeka] Girl, I don't know.
Mm-mm.
[phone ringing]
[chuckles]
Hello?
[Liam]Medication's
got me feeling off.
Good evening.
[Liam]Right. Good evening.
Sorry for my lack of manners.
Good to hear from you.
Glad you called.
-H-hello?
-Yes, you feel off.
Your feelings.
They could very well
be related to the medication,
but more than likely
it's your own mania.
The thing is, how it takes
four to six weeks before
the medication becomes
effective in your system.
You haven't been taking it
long enough, Liam.
So my encouragement
is for you to push through.
These feeling are exactly
what this medication
is designed to assuage.
You have any other questions?
-You still there?
-Yes.
[sighs]
-No.
-[Yolanda]Great.
Then I'll see you next week.
But feel free call or text
if you need me before then.
Right.
Yeah, bye.
[shudders]
[Yolanda moans]
That feels great.
All work and no play makes
Dr. Yo a dull baddie.
-[Yolanda laughs]
-Babe, let's go dancing.
East Atlanta Strut's tonight.
I have so much work, I can't.
Fine!
I'll go by myself then.
I don't need my low-key boo
to shake my ass.
Aww.
-You're pouting.
-I have a right to.
No, you don't get to seduce
your way out of this one.
Fine. Go.
Shake your ass then.
I will.
And I'mma do it good, too.
Can't believe I left
my man for this.
-Excuse me?
-You heard me.
[ominous music]
You left your husband
because you wanted to.
-Say it.
-No.
You don't get to exercise
your power over me anymore.
I am the wind and the rain
that beat against
your contemptible marriage
and that loathsome excuse
for a husband
and showed you
that your union was worthless.
Couldn't stand up to the
pressures of life.
-So it collapsed!
-You're an emotional predator.
And you're ungrateful.
You should be thanking me.
Because if it weren't
for my grace
and my mercy,
you would still be down there
languishing in Wakeview.
[music continues]
[door slams]
[water pattering]
[mellow music]
Why are you in a bathrobe?
Spa rules.
You ready to get started,
or do you need a minute?
Great.
Liam, what's your favorite part
about Armeka's body?
-The nape of her neck.
-[Yolanda] Nice.
How about you, Armeka?
What's your favorite part
of Liam's body?
[Armeka chuckles]
-You know.
-Other than that.
His shoulders.
[Yolanda] They are nice.
All right, we'll start with you.
Go ahead and get comfortable.
[dramatic music]
Liam.
Pull Armeka's robe down
to her waist.
What's the matter?
It's not like I asked you
to strip her naked
and bump her while I watched.
That's a bit much, Yo.
Lighten up.
'Twas a joke.
Now, using only
your fingertips, explore her.
[music continues]
Find the softest spots of her.
Just the fingertips.
I want you to feel
the texture of her body.
Feel the contour.
-[Yolanda] And, Armeka...
-[Armeka] Yes.
Armeka, note in your mind
when he hits a sweet spot.
And in this case...
Goosebumps are a great thing.
[music continues]
[Armeka groans]
[Yolanda chuckles]
Like this.
[clears throat]
[Armeka moans]
[Armeka] Ooh, babe,
you should be taking notes.
Oh, he is.
[Armeka moans]
[Yolanda] And once you've
identified the sweet spots...
[Armeka moans]
Stimulate your favorite part
of her body.
[music intensifies]
[kisses]
[Armeka moans]
[both giggling]
[music continues]
Now kiss her.
[Armeka softly moans]
Taste her tongue.
What turned you on the most
before you got married?
[laughs]
[laughing]
I ain't sayin' that.
[laughs]
Well, somebody's gotta tell me.
We used to sneak away
to our bedroom for a quickie
when we had friends over.
I like that.
When's the last time
you had sex?
Well, okay.
That is the assignment.
Before next week.
No, we can't put a party
together in a week.
Yeah, but what you can do
is try.
You nasty.
-[laughs]
-Everyone is.
And that's the beauty
about sex.
It's as much spiritual mystery
as it is a physical fact.
So, doctor's orders,
before next week...
get your nasty back.
[ominous music]
One of us had troubled you
So, what inspired
this impromptu party, hmm?
We just thought that being
around our closest friends could
reignite some things
in us as a couple.
Okay. Sure.
[laughing]
Roy, ahem, you remember Ivy.
Oh, indeed, I do.
Hello, Ivy.
Nice to see you, Roy.
Is that literally
or hyperbole-ly?
[chuckles]
Well, that depends.
Depends on what?
Depends on what songs
you like to dance to
and how genuine
the conversation. Hmm?
[Armeka] Uh, o-okay.
Listen, I can't be
held responsible
for the actions and words
of this man.
And especially after
beer number three.
Oh, come on,
I thought we were brothers.
We are, you filthy,
dirt-encrusted,
camouflage-painted,
jar-head son of a bitch.
[upbeat music on stereo]
Hurrah! Marine Corps!
-[can crunching]
-Whoo!
[laughs]
Okay.
Oh. [snaps fingers]
This is my song.
[laughs]
Come on.
All interviews start
on the dance floor.
[Armeka chuckling]
Hmm.
You know, gotta give
Dr. Yo her flowers.
This was a great idea.
Yeah, it was.
So, are we really gonna do this?
Oh, I'm getting hot and bothered
just thinking about it.
-Yeah?
-Mm-mm.
Ooh. [laughs]
-Let's go.
-Mm-mm. Mm-mm.
-Ready?
-Ready.
[indistinct singing]
[Armeka laughs]
[chuckles]
[kisses]
-[door closes]
-Close the door.
[indistinct singing]
[Armeka moaning]
Music low-low
sipping slow-slow
Sometimes we chat
and sometimes we get down
No one knows busy tone
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
I like it
I like it I like it
The way you're
getting me excited
He's the one who
needs to be in check
How can I win this?
I like it
I like it I like it
The way you're
getting me excited
He's the one who
needs to be in check
How can I win this?
Like that like that
mm like that
How can I win this?
Like that like that
mm like that
How can I win this?
Like that like that
mm like that
How can I win this?
Like that like that
mm like that
Mm like that
mm like that
[upbeat music]
[vocalizing]
Like that
[gasping]
[eerie music]
[breathing heavily]
[Liam screams]
What's wrong?
Babe, what's wrong?
[ominous music]
Nothing.
[door creaking]
[door creaking]
[door closes]
[eerie music]
Man, I was seeing her.
What the fuck going on?
Givin' me the damn pills.
Kept me going
fuckin' crazy.
[crickets chirping]
[tense music]
Babe, what the fuck?
Don't do that.
You scared the shit out of me!
Why are you out here
talking to yourself?
No, just thinkin' out loud.
So, first, you scream,
and pretty much
kill the whole vibe
of the party.
Now you're out here
thinking out loud?
[sighs]
All right, baby, if I...
If I tell you something,
you promise you won't trip?
Really, babe?
I thought I seen somebody
outside that window.
Well, it's clearly
nobody out here, but...
Hmm.
Maybe we should go finish
what we started.
'Cause you're really
starting to creep me out. Okay?
-[Liam] Mm.
-So we're gonna...
[footsteps departing]
[ominous music]
[door opens]
[door closes]
[pills rattle]
[phone chimes]
Love Yo!
[Yolanda]
Freedom from your
relationship vows
and that's...
[all] No cap!
[all cheering]
Tonight, I decided
to be transparent.
I'm a survivor.
My ex-husband abused me through
psychological and
emotional manipulation,
otherwise known as gaslighting.
But it wasn't entirely
his fault.
He was psychologically
damaged in combat.
And after he came home...
[huffs]
He just wasn't the same.
Came home?
My husband died in combat.
[suspenseful music]
[keys clacking]
[mouse clicks]
[keyboard keys clacking]
[music intensifies]
[rattling]
Armeka!
[laughs]
Come up here.
[both laugh]
Liam is going to try to
discredit me
at our next meeting.
Because my assessment
is gonna pull the scabs off
of some of his
concerning behavior.
You've noticed strange things.
Haven't you?
[suspenseful music]
This is not unusual.
It's proof that the
process is working.
We're renovating.
And this is the part
where we tear down
that which is in need
of restoration.
Yes, it looks chaotic.
But that chaos
is what sets up the rebuild.
And the beautiful.
It's all gonna be okay.
I'll see you next week.
[ominous music]
What she just did to you,
she used to do to me.
Make you feel seen. Special.
Then she swallows you whole.
And manipulates you into
forgetting you have a brain.
And agency.
Excuse me? I'm-I'm sorry.
Who are you?
Her girlfriend.
Look at her.
Terrified of what
I'm gonna tell you.
[music continues]
To trust.
The subject of our final
in-house observation.
After this session,
I'll deliver my assessment
and then we'll talk about the
treatment plan I've devised.
Sound good?
Sure.
Okay.
Liam.
You know better than me that
every Marine
is first a rifleman.
The trust that you had on
the battlefield
for your comrades
is the same type of trust that
you need to have for Armeka
if you want to heal
your relationship.
Are you still a rifleman?
I'm certified at 500 yards
with every weapon in this house.
Rifles and handguns.
Excuse me.
How about you, you shoot?
That's his thing.
[Liam] You know, since
we're talking about the Marines,
I got a question.
About your ex-husband.
Baby, can you at least let her
finish before you interrupt?
Have you taken your medication?
[suspenseful music]
You really shouldn't be
mixing it with alcohol.
-Wait, what medication?
-You didn't tell your wife?
Now why would you ask me
that in front of her?
I'm not in the business
of keeping secrets.
And I will honor
my professional responsibilities
so that even under threat
I will not violate
my code of ethics.
But the burning question is,
are you being dishonest again?
Like when you were discharged
from the Marines?
You can make me out to be
the crazy one all you want.
But you're the one that's
got some explaining to do.
What would you like me
to explain, Liam?
Why isn't your husband
listed among
the war dead
in the National Archives?
[music continues]
You know what,
I won't be baited by you.
And damn sure, I ain't gonna be
disrespected by you.
-Can't do shit--
-Liam.
-Let him go. Let him go.
-Li--
That was starting to feel
emotionally unsafe.
Are you okay?
Has he ever exhibited
aggression towards you,
besides what happened
in the boxing ring?
[fire crackling]
I mean, the closest
we got to it was
an argument we had after
the second miscarriage.
Emotionally, he was being
an ass, so I snapped!
I pulled away from him
and...
-Stop.
-[Armeka]Hit the wall.
The hospital called the police
as soon as we arrived.
Even though I told them
that Liam hadn't hit me.
He spent a night in jail and...
I don't think he ever
forgave me for that.
As your doctor,
here are my orders.
Stress relief in the form
of music and dance.
You and me.
Besides, you shouldn't be here
when he gets home.
He'll probably need to cool off.
Before we get to that...
your show producer
basically accosted me
saying that she
was your girlfriend
and that you were controlling.
Ethically and legally,
there are certain things
I can't say because
she's a former patient.
What I can say is that
she's declining lately.
She's somehow convinced
that we're dating.
And I have shared
personal details
about myself that I probably
never should have.
Like what?
Like how I used to live my life
trying to be
Little Miss Perfect.
Crossed every T,
dotting every I.
I was a virgin until
my senior year in college.
And what did that get me?
[sword unsheathes]
Something inside me broke...
[suspenseful music]
when I saw my best friend
choose my husband over me.
And after we professed
our love for each other.
[ominous music]
[Yolanda] I had no choice.
I had to put that
relationship to death.
[grunts]
Unrequited love is a bitch.
And so was she.
But...
from that tragedy
sprang new life.
A new career. New identity.
That's actually inspiring.
In a disturbing kind of way.
Wonderful.
Now can we go have
some fun, please?
[glasses clink]
[suspenseful music]
[car doors slam]
[car engine starts]
[Armeka gasps]
[clatters]
[car door opens]
[car door closes]
[indistinct chatter]
[Yolanda] Go home.
Right now.
[ominous music]
[car door opens]
[car door shuts]
I-I think we should just
c-call it a night.
No. We shouldn't.
I'm sorry you
had to witness that.
Tonya is an exceptionally
capable and beautiful woman.
She was working at the local
cable access channel
when I promoted her
to produce my show.
Because I recognized her talent
when no one else did.
But isn't that
a conflict of interest?
To hire a patient
as your producer?
In my practice,
I avoid even the appearance
of impropriety.
She was no longer under my care
when I hired her.
I wait at least two years
prior seeking any communication
with any of my former patients.
This process, it just
drains me emotionally.
Makes me so vulnerable,
because I give
so much of myself
and sometimes...
like you just witnessed...
It has scary consequences.
It's gonna hurt me to put to
death my relationship
with Tonya.
But... I don't have
any other choice.
So, uh...
[suspenseful music]
Believe me,
I know how you feel.
How about you take
your own advice?
Have some fun.
Hmm? Doctor's orders.
[chuckles]
You are so right.
-Okay.
-[car engine starts]
[engine revving]
[upbeat music]
-First two shots are on me.
-ID's please.
'Cause neither of you look
old enough to be drinking.
Ooh, you are as cute
as you are kind.
You look like a Buttery Nipple
or a Blow Job to me.
Buttery Nipple.
How'd you guess?
I read people for a living.
Four Buttery Nipples, please.
-Lickety-split.
-Great.
Mmm.
Your name is different
on your license.
My professional name
is Yolanda Carver.
Lassandra Tarver is the name
I had when I was married.
Those names aren't even close.
Jamie Foxx's real name
is Eric Bishop.
Nicki Minaj, Onika Miraj.
At least hers rhyme
like mine though.
You know, us women,
we can become spicy.
[giggles]
Here you go, ladies.
-To you.
-And you.
[glasses clinking]
[music continues]
[sighs]
Your turn.
-Uh, to restoration.
-To restoration.
Mmm.
[both laughing]
Mmm.
[man on TV]
It's 65 in Metro, Atlanta,
and here comes
that front on Sunday.
But we should be dry
till the weekend
when the Dodgers head
into town to play the Braves.
[clicks]
[upbeat music]
Ooh, that's my song.
[both chuckle]
[laughing]
Hey she's a blasting girl
oh yeah
She's fire yeah
[laughing]
Relax.
Follow me.
[pop song playing]
[ominous music]
[music continues]
[music fades]
[door opens]
[door closes]
[bag thuds]
[switch clicks]
[gasping]
Where you been?
[sighs]
You scared the crap out of me.
I was with Yolanda.
Ya'll hanging out now?
[sighs]
Liam, please.
I've had enough
out of you for one night.
I'm sorry for losing
my temper like I did.
What are you doing
sitting here in the dark?
I don't wanna do
counseling no more.
[sighs]
[inhales]
Then what will we do?
We fix our marriage ourselves.
I googled "fix your marriage..."
and I discovered the 2-2-2 rule.
Every two weeks
we have a date night.
And every two months,
we have a weekend getaway.
And every two years
we go on vacation for a week.
Baby, it is not that simple.
Let's just start, baby.
[sighs]
Come on. Let me put this on you.
[mellow music]
You gotta trust me, baby.
Liam.
[Armeka grunts]
Cooked it all myself.
Babe, it's 2:00 in the morning.
You don't like it?
[grunts]
[retching]
Oh, oh, babe.
[belching]
[tap water running]
What y'all drink?
[indistinct chatter]
[phone ringing]
Why is she calling you so late?
Probably to make sure I'm okay.
Why wouldn't you be okay with
your husband in your home?
Baby, I don't know why
she's calling.
Oh, I'll ask her.
-Just give me the phone.
-Hey, no.
-G-give me.
-Liam.
-Let go.
-Give me the phone.
-[phone beeps]
-Don't, let it go.
[Yolanda] Armeka.
[grunts]
Armeka! Are you okay?
Are you safe? Can you hear me?
[ominous music]
[female dispatcher]911,
where's your emergency?
32 Story Street.
This is Dr. Yolanda Carver.
I'm a counselor registered
with the department.
[female dispatcher]Dr. Carver,
how can I help you?
I need emergency intervention
for a patient
who's getting attacked
by her husband right now.
He has guns in the home
and he suffers from PTSD.
[female dispatcher]
A unit is on the way.
Thank you.
Can you transfer me to evidence?
[female dispatcher]
One moment, please.
Babe, you all right?
Okay. Baby, listen,
all I was trying to do was
cook you some dinner
and apologize to you tonight,
okay? I-I'm so sorry.
-[groans]
-Babe.
[siren wailing]
You have another bruise
on your face.
-What?
-I'm sorry, I--
Look, I'm sorry, babe.
Let me help you up, baby.
[groans]
Come on, baby.
-[knocking on door]
-[officer] Police, open up!
[banging on door]
[door slams]
[ominous music]
Step away from your wife.
This is just a misunderstanding.
[officer]
Step away from your wife.
We can discuss
whatever you like.
He didn't do anything,
I-I fell.
[officer] Step away
from your wife now
so this doesn't
escalate any further.
Put your gun down.
I do not feel safe.
This is the last time
I'm gonna ask you.
Step away from your wife!
Please, please. I'm begging you,
please just do it.
Just do what
they're telling you.
Please. Liam.
Get on your knees.
[tense music]
He didn't do anything.
[Armeka] He didn't hit me.
I'm trying to tell you.
Listen to me!
Liam, baby, don't worry.
Liam, baby, I'm coming, okay?
Liam, baby, I'm gonna
be right there.
Don't worry, okay? I'm coming.
[sobbing]
[ominous music]
He hit you.
No! He didn't hit me!
You called the police?
-On my husband?
-He was attacking you.
He wasn't attacking me!
We were fighting over the phone!
He could've been killed!
Just calm down and we can talk.
-I'm shaking.
-Shh.
I will always advocate
for your safety and well-being.
But I'm bound by my oath
to report mental health crises
when I see them.
And what Liam needs is help,
not jail.
What are you talking about,
jail?
Let's sit down.
[suspenseful music]
Liam defrauded the US military
by lying about his mental health
to get an honorable discharge.
So he can either serve a
two-week sentence in the brig
and surrender
his honorable discharge.
Or he can be
involuntarily committed
to a mental health facility
for a minimum of 48 hours
for observation.
[sobbing]
I know. I know.
[eerie music]
Mr. Jasper keeps
multiple weapons in the home,
rifles and handguns,
he's refused to take
the medication prescribed
to treat his severe
anxiety disorder,
and the violent outbursts
he has towards his wife.
I've personally witnessed his
assaultive behavior
on two occasions.
The most recent of which
necessitated
the emergency intervention
which brings me
before this court.
May I approach the bench,
Your Honor?
You may.
[ominous music]
[Yolanda] His wife revealed
that when Mr. Jasper
was arrested for
assaulting her two years ago,
he forced her to lie
to get him out of jail.
And you witnessed
another assault last night?
That is correct.
So this is a
criminal matter, doctor.
[sighs]
What are you doing
in my courtroom?
If it pleases the court,
Mr. Jasper was
psychologically injured
with serving his country.
So he needs mercy,
not judgment.
That being said, he is a danger
to himself and to others.
He needs treatment,
Your Honor.
And as you can see there,
his wife
has already signed off
on the commission.
[music continues]
[doorbell rings]
[door opens]
[birds chirping]
For you.
No, thank you.
[door closes]
Have you eaten anything?
I brought fried chicken
and potato salad.
Why were you having sidebar
conversations with my husband
and didn't tell me things
were going left?
-Let's sit down.
-Let's not.
Because what you did was foul.
I made the difficult decision
to not share anything with you
because I was concerned about
the potential for violence.
And the moment you
would've said anything to him,
he would've known
I was the one who told you.
I'm not afraid of my husband.
Most victims of abuse aren't.
Until it's too late.
Do you remember the warning
I gave you after
my last Yo Session?
That was because
he told me things
in confidence that
I had yet to tell you.
And my plan was to bring
everything out in the open
at our last meeting,
as part of my final assessment,
but we never made it that far.
I see these things play out
all of the time, Armeka.
Around the world,
the vast majority
of women are killed
by intimate partners.
I'm a social worker.
I know the stats.
If you're not gonna
eat anything,
can you at least try to rest?
Guess I can have some.
I haven't eaten anything
since yesterday.
I'll make you a plate.
Then we can go check on Liam.
After he's assessed, we should
be able to communicate with him.
[ominous music]
[indistinct chatter]
Why am I in handcuffs?
Why are you in handcuffs,
Mr. Jasper?
You're saying as
if I put them on myself.
Can you just remove these and
I'll answer your questions?
Of course I can.
But this is not about ability,
power or skill,
as the definition
of "can" suggests.
This is about gauging
your capacity to accept
responsibility.
So, Mr. Jasper,
I'll ask you again.
Why are you in cuffs?
What are you writing?
I ask the questions.
And honest answers will go
a long way
in determining when
or if, I execute my will
on your behalf.
I want a lawyer.
This isn't a criminal matter,
Mr. Jasper,
unless you make it so.
Custodial questioning
isn't bound
by the 5th of 6th Amendments,
or any provision in
the Georgia State Constitution.
Are you refusing to answer
my questions?
Mr. Jasper?
I-don't-know
why I was put in handcuffs.
Dr. Yo is tryin' to set me up.
She conspired with the police.
She's trying to steal my wife.
"Steal his wife."
And what do you mean by,
"steal your wife?"
[sighs]
That is a lurid
and patently misogynistic charge
against a well-respected
clinician.
Now unless you can provide
evidence for your allegation,
we'll get back
to a more pressing issue.
Which is your pattern
of assaulting your wife.
In seven years of marriage, I've
never laid a hand on my wife.
Well, actually, there's one time
by accident.
-We was boxing.
-Boxing.
Yeah, she backed me into
a corner and I had a flashback.
-A flashback?
-Yes.
And to what do you attribute
this flashback, Mr. Jasper?
[suspenseful music]
I have a right to remain silent.
And I have a right
to keep you here
for as long
as it takes for you
to be accountable
for your actions.
And to no longer be a danger
to yourself or others.
Is there anything else you'd
like to share...
Mr. Jasper?
I concur with the doctor
that you should be held
for observation
for a minimum of 48 hours.
You-you got this wrong, okay?
You can't just keep me
here for no reason!
[door shuts]
[mouths]
-Thank you.
-You want something to drink?
There's, um, cranberry juice
in the fridge.
[bottle clinking]
You know that
this too shall pass.
-You want some hot sauce?
-Of course.
[both chuckling]
[suspenseful music]
[clattering]
[pouring]
Thank you.
[footsteps approaching]
[eerie music]
[indistinct whispers]
[tense music]
[music continues]
[door opens]
Why am I the only one
in here in cuffs?
The cuffs come off,
but only if you ask nicely
and under control.
I did two tours in Afghanistan.
Honorably discharged--
And obtaining that discharge
under false pretenses
is what landed you here.
-That's a lie!
-Too loud, mate.
It was quiet
before you got here.
Keep your British nose out of
American business, Union Jack.
Make yourself comfortable,
Mr. Jasper.
You're gonna be here
for a while.
[clock ticking]
[eerie music]
[clattering]
Mind if I sit?
Prayin'?
Minding my business.
Being lonely in here
is neither healthy nor wise.
I won't be here long.
That's what they all say.
[tense music]
[birds chirping]
[sighs]
[gasps]
Good morning.
I made you breakfast.
Wait, wait!
It's, it's morning?
Relax,
I didn't want to dirty
any dishes.
I made you turkey bacon,
cheese grits,
and cinnamon spice coffee.
I seasoned it with love.
[eerie music]
You were only supposed to
be in here for 48 hours.
But your refusal to comply
has already added another day.
You can't take my wife!
[laughs]
I already have her.
And by the time you're out
of here, we'll be long gone.
[scoffs]
Mr. Jasper...
Hmm.
When you get out of here
is entirely up to you.
[ominous music]
[dramatic music]
[gasps]
[Yolanda] From that tragedy
sprang a new life.
A new career. New identity.
[gasping]
[keys clacking]
-Oh, my..
-What are you doing?
I thought you said
you were divorced.
But this says your husband
was murdered.
Facts can be stubborn things.
And the devil
sometimes speaks the truth.
Did you?
Did I what?
Kill your husband.
I want you out of my house.
Sorry.
I'm here to stay.
[grunts]
[grunting]
You chose the difficult path.
When all you had to do
was choose me.
[door slams]
[tense music]
[groaning]
[clattering]
[gasps]
[breathing heavily]
Do you love me?
I want to make you happy.
[grunts]
Do-you-love-me?
Yes.
Good.
I love you too.
But I'll only untie you
for you to show me
how much you love me.
[light buzzing]
[thudding]
[grunts]
[choking]
I never should've been in here.
[thudding]
[sirens wailing]
[clattering]
[both grunt]
[panting]
[indistinct radio chatter]
[intense music]
[panting]
[zapping]
[grunts]
[gunshots]
[tires screeching]
Fuck!
Are you gonna be my good girl?
I'll flay you without
hesitation if you misbehave.
From the moment I saw you,
you were her.
So you choosing me...
it gives us a chance
at redemption.
I'll be everything to you...
that she never was.
[grunts]
[Armeka screams]
[clanking]
[both grunting]
[grunts]
[thudding]
You don't have the balls, bitch.
[grunts]
[whimpering]
[van tires screeching]
-Armeka!
-Liam! Baby! Baby! Baby.
[crying]
Oh, God. [sobs]
[grunts]
[all grunting]
[thudding]
[grunting]
[sirens wailing]
[grunts]
[instrumental music]
Well...
this officially completes
our first 2-2-2 rule.
[chuckling]
Yeah. And how fitting.
On one week vacay,
baby Armeka's on the way.
Well, it could be
a big-headed boy. Or two.
[Liam] We can settle,
when we get home.
Just get the ultrasound.
[Armeka] I think
I wanna be surprised.
Babe, but what if I wanna know?
My body, my choice.
It gets no arguments
out of me.
[chuckles]
[moans]
[exhales]
Welcome to this Yo Session.
I'm Dr. Yolanda Carver,
but you all can call me...
Dr. Yo.
I am so humbled
that you decided to join me
for this speaking experience.
How many of you are in here
for killing your mate?
Good.
Because today
I'm gonna be talking
about the delicate balance
between redemption...
and revenge.
[intense music]
Cry before me
If you've been sensing
that for me
You'd be wise
to slow it down
No rush if it's promising
Join up and babe...
Your lovin' it comes
to those who take time
Yeah-yeah-yeah
[indistinct lyrics]
Making those
good decisions
I like it I like it
I like it
The way you're
getting me excited
He's the one who
needs to be in check
How can I win this?
Like that like that
mm like that
How can I win this?
Like that like that
mm like that
Oh how can I win this?
Like that like that
mm like that
How can I win this?
Mm like that
mm like that
Oh yeah yeah
Givin' my best to the best
no drama
Keeping my cash
on the cash like armor
Hot on my sleeve
and I'm hot like sauna
I know he can't breathe
when I come around
Music low-low
sipping slow-slow
Sometimes we chat
and sometimes we get down
No one knows
busy tone
Yeah
I like it
I like it I like it
The way you get me excited
He's the one who
needs to be in check
How can I win this?
I like it
I like it I like it
The way you get me excited
He's the one who
needs to be in check
How can I win this?
[tense music]
[woman moaning]
[moaning continues]
-Ooh.
-[door opens]
[eerie music]
What's wrong?
[man] Nothing.
[moaning]
[moaning continues]
[heart pounding]
[sword unsheathes]
[intense music]
[groans]
[blood pattering]
[sword swishes]
[intense music]
[Yolanda]We must question
those who say divorce is death.
Particularly when we see
new life springing up
from so many who survive
the breach.
[audience cheering]
[audience] What up, Yo?
Freedom from
your relationship woes.
-And that's--
-[all] No cap!
Please take your seats.
Y'all are embarrassing me.
Welcome to this Yo Session.
I'm Dr. Yolanda Carver,
but you can call me Dr. Yo.
I'm so humbled
that you decided
to join me for this
speaking experience.
We have people tuning in
all the way from
Turks and Caicos,
Paris and London.
And in the good old US of A
we have people tuning in
from New Jersey,
California, Georgia,
and, oh, my, Montana!
[cheering]
[ominous music]
Tonight, I wanna talk
to you about
the elegance of disaster
and the beauty of the storm.
When a relationship
is secure,
rains can come,
and winds can blow and
beat against that relationship,
but that marriage will not fall
because that relationship
is built
on solid rock.
[Armeka laughs]
Okay, I'm home.
Got to go.
I thought you was going to
happy hour.
That is where I went.
And you're getting home
after 11:30?
You wanna check my phone?
See my receipts?
That's the same dress you had on
you when you was with him.
I'll burn it.
But every time
I leave the house,
you're suspicious.
It's been six months.
So six months is just a magic
number where I suppose to,
poof, get over it?
You didn't catch me.
I told you.
So I don't understand
the third degree.
You will never understand.
[mellow music]
Liam?
Liam, babe, what are you...
Babe, don't...
Babe, babe, wait, stop,
babe.
Baby, look at me.
[cries]
Can we at least try?
To see if we can heal from this?
[mellow music]
Babe.
[Yolanda]Rather than my divorce
disqualifying me
from being a successful
relationship counselor,
it gives me credibility in
these relationship streets.
The wreckage of my failed
marriage acts as scaffolding,
a temporary structure
that supports a building
and those working
to restore it.
So are y'all ready to start
restoring these relationships?
[up-tempo music]
I'll take another.
-Putting 'em away, aren't you?
-Keep up or keep quiet.
He'll take another, too.
Ah, remember that time
you convinced that private
to swallow the anal suppository?
And then we found him
passed out in the hooch?
You told him to do that.
I just, you know,
just agreed with you
to make it seem like
you were telling the truth.
Same thing, man.
And he still didn't crap
for a week!
[laughs]
Dude, you always laugh at that
story. What's getting to you?
What makes you think
something's wrong?
Body language.
And knowing you since bootcamp.
[Roy] When you are all
sulking around like this,
it's usually one of two things,
your business...
or your marriage.
Well...
Business is fine.
Bingo.
So what's going on?
Same old, same old?
[scoffs] The kind of love
I had for her...
I didn't even think
that kind of love existed.
Same way I felt.
Now look at me.
A little unsolicited advice.
Okay?
Don't go to marriage counseling.
It's an expensive mirage...
that didn't save my marriage.
And the counselor
that I told all my business to
turns around
and testifies against me
in our divorce hearing.
You see that negative energy
you're putting out?
That's why you're gonna be
single
for the rest of your life.
-Ooh!
-[laughs]
Hm.
She's obviously helped
a lot of people.
Yeah, looks like
a cross between
pop-psychology
and megachurch pastor.
Sprinkle in a little bit
internet andvoila!
Relationships
miraculously healed.
What do we have to lose?
And you said we could
at least try.
You know, maybe our expectations
are a little too high.
I'm gonna get us a drink.
Here she is!
Dr. Yo before the show!
[applause]
[audience whistling]
[intense music]
[cheering]
Make sure they're one of
the couples.
How am I supposed to do that?
You'll figure it out.
[tense music]
[door opens]
[door closes]
[audience cheering]
[applause]
[audience] What up, Yo?
It's time for your relationships
to grow.
-And that's--
-No cap!
[audience cheering]
Tonight, I wanna talk
about the danger of detractors.
Those people in your life
who are peeved because you're
taking the necessary steps
to clean up the mess
of your relationship.
But before I go any further,
I wanted to share something
that was on my heart backstage.
I felt led to give away
one full suite of my
relationship services
free of charge
to one
lucky couple.
[scattered applause]
Come on out here, Tonya.
Give it up for Tonya
the producer, y'all!
Tonya randomly selected
your ticket stubs,
matched those ticket numbers
with your names.
And I will choose the winning
couple from among three
that I'll interview
after the show.
So let's see if you and your boo
get chosen for consideration.
[tense music]
[laughs]
Yes!
[applause]
[laughs]
Ah!
[music continues]
[Yolanda] Congratulations
to all of those who were
chosen for consideration.
And I'll see you all backstage.
[applause]
You said we were just
coming here to listen.
Now we're sitting here
waiting to be interviewed.
How was I supposed to know
we were gonna get picked?
Well, we haven't
been picked yet.
I mean, she still
has to meet us.
This ain't what I signed up for.
I saw your reaction when
she talked about detractors.
You were feeling that.
I could see it in your face.
That's only 'cause me and Roy
were just talking about that.
-Roy!
-Yeah.
He thinks that just because his
marriage flopped after therapy
everybody else's
relationships doomed.
Babe,
look, I know Roy
is your best friend,
but you really have to take what
he says with a grain of salt.
Especially when it
comes to you and me.
[sighs]
Roy.
Thanks so much for coming.
I'll be in touch.
Liam and Armeka Jasper.
-Yes.
-Come on in.
[intense music]
You remind me of
my late best friend,
who I loved dearly.
My ex-husband was a marine.
Thank you for your service.
No thanks are necessary,
I appreciate the sentiment.
So what makes you two
the perfect couple?
We've been married
seven years, but
the last couple
have been... really rough.
And even though not everything
that's going wrong
is my fault,
the last six months
have been hard because...
I made the mistake of
stepping out on my husband.
I commend you.
Because too many men
would allow pride
and manfulness
to undermine the redemptive
power of reconciliation.
And thank you
for your transparency.
I know it's not
easy revealing
your worst mistake to someone
you're just getting to know.
You two are so cute you make me
believe in happily ever after.
-Hm.
-[line ringing]
[Tonya]Hello!
Please reach out to
the other two couples
on my behalf and thank them.
I think I've found my winners.
[instrumental music]
Now here's how I work.
We'll begin with a
getting-to-know-you session
with the two of you together.
Then I'll have one-on-one
sessions with each of you
to gain context and objectivity.
From then on,
all of our sessions will
take place in your home.
I call them
in-house observations.
I'm an empiricist,
which means
my methods are based on
what I experience and see,
rather than just theory.
This is the basis of
The Scientific Method.
I charge a lot for what I do
because I'm good at it.
[music continues]
But, Liam, I also understand
your trepidation.
This is something new.
Some would even say unorthodox.
But my unorthodoxy
is precisely
why I've been successful
as a clinician.
Let's do this. Sleep on it.
I'll give you 24 hours. And if
I don't hear from you by then,
I'll choose another couple.
Sound good?
[Armeka] If you make
that decision,
it's going to make your
situation exponentially worse.
You visit my house twice
and now you're some kind
of expert on my life? [laughs]
-You don't know me.
-Carlotta, I know men.
And if you do this,
I guarantee you he's going
to hit you again.
Well, then I guess
it's just a chance
I'm gonna have to take now,
isn't it?
Because if he can do it,
I can do it, too.
[Armeka sighs]
Know why social workers
have such high burnout rates?
-Not now, Ivy. Please.
-Because they get...
[both] Too emotionally involved
in the lives of their clients.
Yeah. This is about more
than Carlotta, isn't it?
It's about everything.
I love my job. It's just,
I hate the way it
makes me feel.
Constant exposure to trauma.
Poverty. Loss.
-It's a lot.
-Yeah.
Especially when you have
your own drama at home.
Hey, come here, come here.
Mhm.
[inhales sharply]
Ooh!
I needed that.
I haven't had a decent hug in--
Bet I know since when.
See, that's why
I never tell you anything.
You know anything you tell me
is safer than my search history.
Cross my heart and hope to die.
Okay, fine, maybe not die.
Not for, like, 40 years.
Maybe 50, if I'm healthy.
Ooh, that would make me 80.
Okay, fine, 60 years. But only
if I'm in my right mind. Oww!
That's for even mentioning it!
Liam and I are trying to...
work things out.
Well, that's a win, isn't it?
-I guess.
-Huh!
-And you wonder why I'm single.
-Mhm-hm. No.
Don't blame me
for your relationship woes.
You've been this way
since college.
Hm, try high school.
Because I can do bad
all by myself.
-Thank you very much.
-Mmm.
-Love you!
-Yeah, okay.
[laughs]
[sighs]
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah
You're not enjoying your food?
I made your favorite.
From scratch.
You made me choose that woman
because you're interested
in her.
My only interest is in you.
How about sappy public displays
of affection for once then?
Or a night on the town
as your girlfriend instead of
as your show producer?
My public persona is just that.
My private life
is all about you.
I got you something.
Open it.
[Yolanda] Platinum and diamonds
for the curious, cultivated,
amazing woman you are.
Let me see what it looks on.
As beautiful as
I knew it would be.
Thank you.
[Yolanda] In jewelry,
serpents mean rebirth,
healing, and guardianship.
in a nutshell.
[phone chimes]
You promised no more
devices at dinner.
Did you take your medication?
That has nothing to do
with what you promised.
[ominous music]
Take your hand off my phone
and take your medication.
That was a condition
of your release.
[phone chimes]
[chuckles]
[keypad clacking]
[music continues]
[Yolanda] Welcome to
the squared circle.
[door shuts]
We're meeting here so that
the two of you can work off
any anger or frustration you may
be feeling towards the other.
Glove up.
Here are the rules.
Before you land a punch,
you have to identify
what that punch represents.
-Right or left-handed?
-Right.
Let's make it a fair fight.
In the ring.
Ding-ding-ding!
[Liam sighs]
I'm not gonna hit my wife.
Not even with my weak hand.
If she wants to blow off
some steam, you know, she can--
Ah! Frustration.
Call it out before you
hit him, Armeka.
Babe, babe.
Disappointment. Ah!
Just calm... Chill.
Abandonment.
[grunting]
Babe...
-Think you know everything.
-Babe, come on.
[grunting]
Only one issue per blow.
Four words.
So I hit him four times.
[intense music]
Silence. Ah!
-[groans]
-[Yolanda] Stop!
Stop!
Babe, babe, babe.
Arme...
-You okay?
-Baby, baby.
You okay?
Baby, I'm sorry.
Leave me alone.
Are you good?
My scorecard says wife eight.
Husband one.
Wifey wins on points.
Hang on.
[tense music]
Now C-walk.
Chop, chop. Let's go.
[laughter]
[chuckles]
You're not exempt.
Loser has to dougie.
I'm not good at dougieing,
though.
Doctor's orders. Let's get it.
Hey...
[sighs]
[laughter]
All right, all right.
Let's bring it in.
I think I've identified the
areas we need to work on,
communication is number one.
Number two is intimacy.
And the third...
is trust.
These areas will be the basis
of each in-house observation.
And on the final visit,
I'll give my assessment
and a treatment model.
Now, apologies go around.
Babe, I'm...
I'm sorry for clocking you
like that.
It was my weak hand, and
thought it'd be a rabbit punch.
It's like I had a flashback.
What did you
flash back to, Liam?
For a second I felt like
I was back in the desert.
[tense music]
Come here.
[sighs]
Where is she at?
[snaps finger]
Now to make this
marriage official,
ours and yours.
[ominous music]
You can keep the pen.
The first of my gifts to you.
The second will be far more
valuable than a $50-pen.
A healed relationship.
[sighs]
[Yolanda] That was quite
the display of aggression
towards your husband
last week.
He's been emotionally
unavailable these
last few years.
And... we stopped having sex
after the second miscarriage.
Two miscarriages?
I'm so sorry.
Thanks.
But...
the way our relationship's
been going...
adding babies to...
this situation would've...
complicate an already
complicated situation.
I understand.
Do you harbor
any unresolved anger?
Even towards your own body?
All my life
I've wanted to have babies.
To feel them growing inside me.
Experiencing the whole
birthing process.
And...
when I couldn't do that...
I had to question
what that said about me...
as a woman.
What did you come up with?
Still figuring that out.
How long after the miscarriage
did the affair happen?
I don't know, uh,
a couple of months?
This wasn't some planned thing.
Okay, I-I didn't think
I would ever
cheat on my husband.
And I-I'm not blaming him
for what I did, but...
I just felt so alone.
What do you think the affair
said about you as a woman?
[sobs]
[mellow music]
It's okay.
I see you,
the pain you carry.
The frustration
of living with a man
who treats your only mistake
like a life sentence.
I want you to know that
I'm always be here for you.
In our sessions.
To ensure that the environment
is emotionally safe.
[ominous music]
[door shuts]
-This is beautiful.
-Thank you.
I used to lease an office
in Buckhead
before the pandemic
shut everything down.
But now that I've moved
my practice here,
I realized it's better for me
and for my patients.
I'll see you next week.
-See you next week.
-Great.
[intense music]
Are you spying on me?
I saw you two holding hands.
I don't owe you any explanations
for how I do my work.
And like I've told you,
when I have patients,
you stay out of sight.
Before the miscarriages
I feel like we were happy.
But after the second one,
I got concerned
I wasn't gonna get
what I wanted
most out of marriage.
[chuckles]
Two big headed boys.
Was love something
you wanted out of your marriage?
- Well, yeah.
-[Yolanda] But it was secondary?
To having kids?
-You have to think about it?
-Yeah, I mean no.
You're getting me mixed up.
Am I getting you mixed up,
or do you harbor latent anger
towards your wife because
she couldn't give you
the one thing you wanted,
two big headed boys?
Look, I'm not being silent
'cause I don't know.
I don't want you confusing
what I'm saying.
[Yolanda] Liam?
Your wife feels like you
emotionally abandoned her.
Which left her vulnerable
to do the very thing
that hurt you the most.
Master Sergeant Durrell Tarver.
Yes, my husband.
-Died in combat.
-Where'd he serve?
Afghanistan.
[Liam] Salute to him.
[sighs]
I did two tours.
Kabul and Kandahar.
[tense music]
I'm sorry for your loss.
Thanks for your kind words.
How would you describe
your combat experience?
I learned to survive,
and the best emotion
is no emotion at all.
[Yolanda] Emotions are a gift.
They allow us
to experience life.
So your healing lies in
your ability to feel again.
[music continues]
[Liam snoring softly]
[tense music]
[laughs]
[kisses]
[music continues]
[car door shuts]
[Liam] Are we ever gonna meet
in a normal place?
[Yolanda] What's more normal
than nature?
This is our version
of wilderness therapy.
[howls]
[Yolanda laughs]
We didn't even have to leave
Southwest Atlanta for it.
There's a lot of
office space in Southwest.
Beautiful stars.
You don't get that in
office spaces in Atlanta.
Wilderness therapy is perfect
for addressing
communication issues.
Because it forces you
to tune out the world
and just focus on each other.
So let's start with a
concentration exercise.
-Close your eyes.
-Come on, Yo. For real?
It's dark as hell out here.
We gotta close our eyes, too?
Can you just cooperate, babe?
Please?
I know we're just now
getting to know each other.
But I'm gonna need you
to trust me.
I know it's hard.
But just try. Okay?
A'ight.
You good?
Let's close our eyes.
Inhale through the nose.
[inhales deeply]
Hold it. Focusing on
the breath leaving your lungs.
Exhale through the mouth.
[exhales]
What do you hear?
-I hear peace.
-Mhm.
I hear Micheal.
-Michael?
-Myers.
He's coming to get us.
-Oh!
-Okay. Open your eyes.
I'm sorry.
I'm-I'm-I'm just playing.
Let, we can do it again.
I'll be serious.
We're going to move on
to something else now.
If you're not going
to be serious,
you're just wasting
everyone's time.
Just...
[Yolanda] Now for my
favorite exercise.
It's called Cute, Sexy, Fun.
The goal of this
is to force you to
recall the beauty of
your relationship.
You each have to say
something that you
find to be cute
about your spouse.
And then something sexy.
And then, something fun.
And, Liam,
we'll start with you,
since you are the one who
deep-sixed our first exercise.
-Of course.
-Mhm-hm.
[sighs]
-Start with cute?
-[Yolanda] That's right.
Well, as we all witnessed at
the boxing gym the other day,
my wife's not a very
good dancer.
No, no, I-I'm being serious.
My wife's not
a very good dancer...
but she looks
so cute when she does.
Matter of fact,
that's how we met.
It was my, it was my boy's
birthday party
and she knew his best friend.
I'll never forget it.
"Love On Top" was playing.
And babe was vibing hard.
[laughter]
It was nice.
She was in her zone.
Just enjoying the music,
you know,
without a thought of
anyone else in that room.
I was blown away.
And a little,
little scared
to approach her, too.
I didn't want to
interrupt her vibe.
I wanted to be a part of it.
Be a part of her.
No. It didn't matter
that she couldn't dance.
That was, that was
besides the point.
So, yeah.
-That's my cute.
-[Yolanda] Mhmm.
And that is so cute.
[Yolanda laughs]
-Yeah.
-Um...
My cute is...
Liam is
really old-fashioned.
Opening the door for me.
Helping me put on my coat.
Pulling the chair out for me.
I'd never experienced
anything like that before him.
I didn't know guys today
don't do those kinds of things.
And his friends used
to always try to clown him
for how he covered me.
But he didn't care
'cause it was all about me.
But then he...
he stopped doing
all of that after.
[tense music]
[rain pattering]
Oh, shit!
-Come here.
-Come on, y'all.
[grunts]
How about we call the rain
and the run our sexy and fun?
[laughs]
Works for me.
Let's call it a night.
How do you both feel?
I'm Gucci.
-Babe?
-[sighs]
It was nice to hear you
remember the good times.
Yeah.
You mind if I have a word
with Liam on my way out?
-Sure. Okay.
-Great.
Liam?
During our boxing exercise,
you experienced a flashback
that caused you
to strike your wife,
knocking her on the mat.
How'd you do on your
PTSD screening part
of getting discharge
from the service?
I don't think I want to
answer that.
And that's certainly your right.
However, I'm asking
because it's my job
to help you to get better.
And in my experience,
some military personnel
may have difficulty
understanding changes
in personal behavior.
Or how to cope with flashbacks
and emotional fatigue
that accompanies combat stress,
even years
after deployment, Liam.
I'll see you next week.
Wait.
[sighs]
When I was in, I didn't get help
'cause I didn't want
to lose my security clearance.
At discharge, I wasn't
completely honest because
I didn't want to be
stereotyped.
"Black man. Ex-military.
Proficient with firearms.
Prone to violence
'cause he got PTSD."
I can get you a prescription
that'll reduce the intensity
and frequency of the rage
and anxiety you experience.
Does Armeka know you were
dishonest at discharge?
Well, I wouldn't call it
dishonest.
Dishonest.
-Read it.
-I-I can see...
Dishonest.
"Disposed to lie. Prone to
behave in a fraudulent way."
Did you lie?
-Well...
-Let me ask in another way.
Did you tell the discharge
officer the truth?
So you defrauded
the US military.
Because you were afraid of
people making negative
assumptions of you.
With the affair
still fresh on your mind,
I'm concerned about heightened
vulnerability to triggers.
I don't have rage issues,
though.
[Yolanda]
I saw you in the ring, Liam.
Actions speak much louder
than words.
Just take the medicine.
It'll stay between us.
And you can call or text...
anytime.
[tense music]
[door closes]
Hey, s-so...
what did she want to
talk to you about?
Oh, just combat stress and...
and the flashback.
Hm.
[Yolanda]
Just take the medicine.
It'll stay between us.
[Armeka] Yeah, it's part
of the job, though.
[Armeka laughing]
[Armeka] I know.
[indistinct chatter]
[tense music]
[Armeka laughing]
[indistinct chatter]
[Armeka laughing]
[music continues]
[Armeka laughing]
[distorted laugh]
[Yolanda]
Defrauding the US military.
A crime punishable
by fines and jail.
[Armeka laughing]
Are you laughing at me?
[heartbeat]
Hold on a second, Ivy.
What are you talking about?
[Liam sighs]
Nothing.
[breathing shakily]
Are you okay?
Yeah.
You're sure?
Yeah, yeah.
Hmm.
Yeah.
[Armeka] Girl, I don't know.
Mm-mm.
[phone ringing]
[chuckles]
Hello?
[Liam]Medication's
got me feeling off.
Good evening.
[Liam]Right. Good evening.
Sorry for my lack of manners.
Good to hear from you.
Glad you called.
-H-hello?
-Yes, you feel off.
Your feelings.
They could very well
be related to the medication,
but more than likely
it's your own mania.
The thing is, how it takes
four to six weeks before
the medication becomes
effective in your system.
You haven't been taking it
long enough, Liam.
So my encouragement
is for you to push through.
These feeling are exactly
what this medication
is designed to assuage.
You have any other questions?
-You still there?
-Yes.
[sighs]
-No.
-[Yolanda]Great.
Then I'll see you next week.
But feel free call or text
if you need me before then.
Right.
Yeah, bye.
[shudders]
[Yolanda moans]
That feels great.
All work and no play makes
Dr. Yo a dull baddie.
-[Yolanda laughs]
-Babe, let's go dancing.
East Atlanta Strut's tonight.
I have so much work, I can't.
Fine!
I'll go by myself then.
I don't need my low-key boo
to shake my ass.
Aww.
-You're pouting.
-I have a right to.
No, you don't get to seduce
your way out of this one.
Fine. Go.
Shake your ass then.
I will.
And I'mma do it good, too.
Can't believe I left
my man for this.
-Excuse me?
-You heard me.
[ominous music]
You left your husband
because you wanted to.
-Say it.
-No.
You don't get to exercise
your power over me anymore.
I am the wind and the rain
that beat against
your contemptible marriage
and that loathsome excuse
for a husband
and showed you
that your union was worthless.
Couldn't stand up to the
pressures of life.
-So it collapsed!
-You're an emotional predator.
And you're ungrateful.
You should be thanking me.
Because if it weren't
for my grace
and my mercy,
you would still be down there
languishing in Wakeview.
[music continues]
[door slams]
[water pattering]
[mellow music]
Why are you in a bathrobe?
Spa rules.
You ready to get started,
or do you need a minute?
Great.
Liam, what's your favorite part
about Armeka's body?
-The nape of her neck.
-[Yolanda] Nice.
How about you, Armeka?
What's your favorite part
of Liam's body?
[Armeka chuckles]
-You know.
-Other than that.
His shoulders.
[Yolanda] They are nice.
All right, we'll start with you.
Go ahead and get comfortable.
[dramatic music]
Liam.
Pull Armeka's robe down
to her waist.
What's the matter?
It's not like I asked you
to strip her naked
and bump her while I watched.
That's a bit much, Yo.
Lighten up.
'Twas a joke.
Now, using only
your fingertips, explore her.
[music continues]
Find the softest spots of her.
Just the fingertips.
I want you to feel
the texture of her body.
Feel the contour.
-[Yolanda] And, Armeka...
-[Armeka] Yes.
Armeka, note in your mind
when he hits a sweet spot.
And in this case...
Goosebumps are a great thing.
[music continues]
[Armeka groans]
[Yolanda chuckles]
Like this.
[clears throat]
[Armeka moans]
[Armeka] Ooh, babe,
you should be taking notes.
Oh, he is.
[Armeka moans]
[Yolanda] And once you've
identified the sweet spots...
[Armeka moans]
Stimulate your favorite part
of her body.
[music intensifies]
[kisses]
[Armeka moans]
[both giggling]
[music continues]
Now kiss her.
[Armeka softly moans]
Taste her tongue.
What turned you on the most
before you got married?
[laughs]
[laughing]
I ain't sayin' that.
[laughs]
Well, somebody's gotta tell me.
We used to sneak away
to our bedroom for a quickie
when we had friends over.
I like that.
When's the last time
you had sex?
Well, okay.
That is the assignment.
Before next week.
No, we can't put a party
together in a week.
Yeah, but what you can do
is try.
You nasty.
-[laughs]
-Everyone is.
And that's the beauty
about sex.
It's as much spiritual mystery
as it is a physical fact.
So, doctor's orders,
before next week...
get your nasty back.
[ominous music]
One of us had troubled you
So, what inspired
this impromptu party, hmm?
We just thought that being
around our closest friends could
reignite some things
in us as a couple.
Okay. Sure.
[laughing]
Roy, ahem, you remember Ivy.
Oh, indeed, I do.
Hello, Ivy.
Nice to see you, Roy.
Is that literally
or hyperbole-ly?
[chuckles]
Well, that depends.
Depends on what?
Depends on what songs
you like to dance to
and how genuine
the conversation. Hmm?
[Armeka] Uh, o-okay.
Listen, I can't be
held responsible
for the actions and words
of this man.
And especially after
beer number three.
Oh, come on,
I thought we were brothers.
We are, you filthy,
dirt-encrusted,
camouflage-painted,
jar-head son of a bitch.
[upbeat music on stereo]
Hurrah! Marine Corps!
-[can crunching]
-Whoo!
[laughs]
Okay.
Oh. [snaps fingers]
This is my song.
[laughs]
Come on.
All interviews start
on the dance floor.
[Armeka chuckling]
Hmm.
You know, gotta give
Dr. Yo her flowers.
This was a great idea.
Yeah, it was.
So, are we really gonna do this?
Oh, I'm getting hot and bothered
just thinking about it.
-Yeah?
-Mm-mm.
Ooh. [laughs]
-Let's go.
-Mm-mm. Mm-mm.
-Ready?
-Ready.
[indistinct singing]
[Armeka laughs]
[chuckles]
[kisses]
-[door closes]
-Close the door.
[indistinct singing]
[Armeka moaning]
Music low-low
sipping slow-slow
Sometimes we chat
and sometimes we get down
No one knows busy tone
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
I like it
I like it I like it
The way you're
getting me excited
He's the one who
needs to be in check
How can I win this?
I like it
I like it I like it
The way you're
getting me excited
He's the one who
needs to be in check
How can I win this?
Like that like that
mm like that
How can I win this?
Like that like that
mm like that
How can I win this?
Like that like that
mm like that
How can I win this?
Like that like that
mm like that
Mm like that
mm like that
[upbeat music]
[vocalizing]
Like that
[gasping]
[eerie music]
[breathing heavily]
[Liam screams]
What's wrong?
Babe, what's wrong?
[ominous music]
Nothing.
[door creaking]
[door creaking]
[door closes]
[eerie music]
Man, I was seeing her.
What the fuck going on?
Givin' me the damn pills.
Kept me going
fuckin' crazy.
[crickets chirping]
[tense music]
Babe, what the fuck?
Don't do that.
You scared the shit out of me!
Why are you out here
talking to yourself?
No, just thinkin' out loud.
So, first, you scream,
and pretty much
kill the whole vibe
of the party.
Now you're out here
thinking out loud?
[sighs]
All right, baby, if I...
If I tell you something,
you promise you won't trip?
Really, babe?
I thought I seen somebody
outside that window.
Well, it's clearly
nobody out here, but...
Hmm.
Maybe we should go finish
what we started.
'Cause you're really
starting to creep me out. Okay?
-[Liam] Mm.
-So we're gonna...
[footsteps departing]
[ominous music]
[door opens]
[door closes]
[pills rattle]
[phone chimes]
Love Yo!
[Yolanda]
Freedom from your
relationship vows
and that's...
[all] No cap!
[all cheering]
Tonight, I decided
to be transparent.
I'm a survivor.
My ex-husband abused me through
psychological and
emotional manipulation,
otherwise known as gaslighting.
But it wasn't entirely
his fault.
He was psychologically
damaged in combat.
And after he came home...
[huffs]
He just wasn't the same.
Came home?
My husband died in combat.
[suspenseful music]
[keys clacking]
[mouse clicks]
[keyboard keys clacking]
[music intensifies]
[rattling]
Armeka!
[laughs]
Come up here.
[both laugh]
Liam is going to try to
discredit me
at our next meeting.
Because my assessment
is gonna pull the scabs off
of some of his
concerning behavior.
You've noticed strange things.
Haven't you?
[suspenseful music]
This is not unusual.
It's proof that the
process is working.
We're renovating.
And this is the part
where we tear down
that which is in need
of restoration.
Yes, it looks chaotic.
But that chaos
is what sets up the rebuild.
And the beautiful.
It's all gonna be okay.
I'll see you next week.
[ominous music]
What she just did to you,
she used to do to me.
Make you feel seen. Special.
Then she swallows you whole.
And manipulates you into
forgetting you have a brain.
And agency.
Excuse me? I'm-I'm sorry.
Who are you?
Her girlfriend.
Look at her.
Terrified of what
I'm gonna tell you.
[music continues]
To trust.
The subject of our final
in-house observation.
After this session,
I'll deliver my assessment
and then we'll talk about the
treatment plan I've devised.
Sound good?
Sure.
Okay.
Liam.
You know better than me that
every Marine
is first a rifleman.
The trust that you had on
the battlefield
for your comrades
is the same type of trust that
you need to have for Armeka
if you want to heal
your relationship.
Are you still a rifleman?
I'm certified at 500 yards
with every weapon in this house.
Rifles and handguns.
Excuse me.
How about you, you shoot?
That's his thing.
[Liam] You know, since
we're talking about the Marines,
I got a question.
About your ex-husband.
Baby, can you at least let her
finish before you interrupt?
Have you taken your medication?
[suspenseful music]
You really shouldn't be
mixing it with alcohol.
-Wait, what medication?
-You didn't tell your wife?
Now why would you ask me
that in front of her?
I'm not in the business
of keeping secrets.
And I will honor
my professional responsibilities
so that even under threat
I will not violate
my code of ethics.
But the burning question is,
are you being dishonest again?
Like when you were discharged
from the Marines?
You can make me out to be
the crazy one all you want.
But you're the one that's
got some explaining to do.
What would you like me
to explain, Liam?
Why isn't your husband
listed among
the war dead
in the National Archives?
[music continues]
You know what,
I won't be baited by you.
And damn sure, I ain't gonna be
disrespected by you.
-Can't do shit--
-Liam.
-Let him go. Let him go.
-Li--
That was starting to feel
emotionally unsafe.
Are you okay?
Has he ever exhibited
aggression towards you,
besides what happened
in the boxing ring?
[fire crackling]
I mean, the closest
we got to it was
an argument we had after
the second miscarriage.
Emotionally, he was being
an ass, so I snapped!
I pulled away from him
and...
-Stop.
-[Armeka]Hit the wall.
The hospital called the police
as soon as we arrived.
Even though I told them
that Liam hadn't hit me.
He spent a night in jail and...
I don't think he ever
forgave me for that.
As your doctor,
here are my orders.
Stress relief in the form
of music and dance.
You and me.
Besides, you shouldn't be here
when he gets home.
He'll probably need to cool off.
Before we get to that...
your show producer
basically accosted me
saying that she
was your girlfriend
and that you were controlling.
Ethically and legally,
there are certain things
I can't say because
she's a former patient.
What I can say is that
she's declining lately.
She's somehow convinced
that we're dating.
And I have shared
personal details
about myself that I probably
never should have.
Like what?
Like how I used to live my life
trying to be
Little Miss Perfect.
Crossed every T,
dotting every I.
I was a virgin until
my senior year in college.
And what did that get me?
[sword unsheathes]
Something inside me broke...
[suspenseful music]
when I saw my best friend
choose my husband over me.
And after we professed
our love for each other.
[ominous music]
[Yolanda] I had no choice.
I had to put that
relationship to death.
[grunts]
Unrequited love is a bitch.
And so was she.
But...
from that tragedy
sprang new life.
A new career. New identity.
That's actually inspiring.
In a disturbing kind of way.
Wonderful.
Now can we go have
some fun, please?
[glasses clink]
[suspenseful music]
[car doors slam]
[car engine starts]
[Armeka gasps]
[clatters]
[car door opens]
[car door closes]
[indistinct chatter]
[Yolanda] Go home.
Right now.
[ominous music]
[car door opens]
[car door shuts]
I-I think we should just
c-call it a night.
No. We shouldn't.
I'm sorry you
had to witness that.
Tonya is an exceptionally
capable and beautiful woman.
She was working at the local
cable access channel
when I promoted her
to produce my show.
Because I recognized her talent
when no one else did.
But isn't that
a conflict of interest?
To hire a patient
as your producer?
In my practice,
I avoid even the appearance
of impropriety.
She was no longer under my care
when I hired her.
I wait at least two years
prior seeking any communication
with any of my former patients.
This process, it just
drains me emotionally.
Makes me so vulnerable,
because I give
so much of myself
and sometimes...
like you just witnessed...
It has scary consequences.
It's gonna hurt me to put to
death my relationship
with Tonya.
But... I don't have
any other choice.
So, uh...
[suspenseful music]
Believe me,
I know how you feel.
How about you take
your own advice?
Have some fun.
Hmm? Doctor's orders.
[chuckles]
You are so right.
-Okay.
-[car engine starts]
[engine revving]
[upbeat music]
-First two shots are on me.
-ID's please.
'Cause neither of you look
old enough to be drinking.
Ooh, you are as cute
as you are kind.
You look like a Buttery Nipple
or a Blow Job to me.
Buttery Nipple.
How'd you guess?
I read people for a living.
Four Buttery Nipples, please.
-Lickety-split.
-Great.
Mmm.
Your name is different
on your license.
My professional name
is Yolanda Carver.
Lassandra Tarver is the name
I had when I was married.
Those names aren't even close.
Jamie Foxx's real name
is Eric Bishop.
Nicki Minaj, Onika Miraj.
At least hers rhyme
like mine though.
You know, us women,
we can become spicy.
[giggles]
Here you go, ladies.
-To you.
-And you.
[glasses clinking]
[music continues]
[sighs]
Your turn.
-Uh, to restoration.
-To restoration.
Mmm.
[both laughing]
Mmm.
[man on TV]
It's 65 in Metro, Atlanta,
and here comes
that front on Sunday.
But we should be dry
till the weekend
when the Dodgers head
into town to play the Braves.
[clicks]
[upbeat music]
Ooh, that's my song.
[both chuckle]
[laughing]
Hey she's a blasting girl
oh yeah
She's fire yeah
[laughing]
Relax.
Follow me.
[pop song playing]
[ominous music]
[music continues]
[music fades]
[door opens]
[door closes]
[bag thuds]
[switch clicks]
[gasping]
Where you been?
[sighs]
You scared the crap out of me.
I was with Yolanda.
Ya'll hanging out now?
[sighs]
Liam, please.
I've had enough
out of you for one night.
I'm sorry for losing
my temper like I did.
What are you doing
sitting here in the dark?
I don't wanna do
counseling no more.
[sighs]
[inhales]
Then what will we do?
We fix our marriage ourselves.
I googled "fix your marriage..."
and I discovered the 2-2-2 rule.
Every two weeks
we have a date night.
And every two months,
we have a weekend getaway.
And every two years
we go on vacation for a week.
Baby, it is not that simple.
Let's just start, baby.
[sighs]
Come on. Let me put this on you.
[mellow music]
You gotta trust me, baby.
Liam.
[Armeka grunts]
Cooked it all myself.
Babe, it's 2:00 in the morning.
You don't like it?
[grunts]
[retching]
Oh, oh, babe.
[belching]
[tap water running]
What y'all drink?
[indistinct chatter]
[phone ringing]
Why is she calling you so late?
Probably to make sure I'm okay.
Why wouldn't you be okay with
your husband in your home?
Baby, I don't know why
she's calling.
Oh, I'll ask her.
-Just give me the phone.
-Hey, no.
-G-give me.
-Liam.
-Let go.
-Give me the phone.
-[phone beeps]
-Don't, let it go.
[Yolanda] Armeka.
[grunts]
Armeka! Are you okay?
Are you safe? Can you hear me?
[ominous music]
[female dispatcher]911,
where's your emergency?
32 Story Street.
This is Dr. Yolanda Carver.
I'm a counselor registered
with the department.
[female dispatcher]Dr. Carver,
how can I help you?
I need emergency intervention
for a patient
who's getting attacked
by her husband right now.
He has guns in the home
and he suffers from PTSD.
[female dispatcher]
A unit is on the way.
Thank you.
Can you transfer me to evidence?
[female dispatcher]
One moment, please.
Babe, you all right?
Okay. Baby, listen,
all I was trying to do was
cook you some dinner
and apologize to you tonight,
okay? I-I'm so sorry.
-[groans]
-Babe.
[siren wailing]
You have another bruise
on your face.
-What?
-I'm sorry, I--
Look, I'm sorry, babe.
Let me help you up, baby.
[groans]
Come on, baby.
-[knocking on door]
-[officer] Police, open up!
[banging on door]
[door slams]
[ominous music]
Step away from your wife.
This is just a misunderstanding.
[officer]
Step away from your wife.
We can discuss
whatever you like.
He didn't do anything,
I-I fell.
[officer] Step away
from your wife now
so this doesn't
escalate any further.
Put your gun down.
I do not feel safe.
This is the last time
I'm gonna ask you.
Step away from your wife!
Please, please. I'm begging you,
please just do it.
Just do what
they're telling you.
Please. Liam.
Get on your knees.
[tense music]
He didn't do anything.
[Armeka] He didn't hit me.
I'm trying to tell you.
Listen to me!
Liam, baby, don't worry.
Liam, baby, I'm coming, okay?
Liam, baby, I'm gonna
be right there.
Don't worry, okay? I'm coming.
[sobbing]
[ominous music]
He hit you.
No! He didn't hit me!
You called the police?
-On my husband?
-He was attacking you.
He wasn't attacking me!
We were fighting over the phone!
He could've been killed!
Just calm down and we can talk.
-I'm shaking.
-Shh.
I will always advocate
for your safety and well-being.
But I'm bound by my oath
to report mental health crises
when I see them.
And what Liam needs is help,
not jail.
What are you talking about,
jail?
Let's sit down.
[suspenseful music]
Liam defrauded the US military
by lying about his mental health
to get an honorable discharge.
So he can either serve a
two-week sentence in the brig
and surrender
his honorable discharge.
Or he can be
involuntarily committed
to a mental health facility
for a minimum of 48 hours
for observation.
[sobbing]
I know. I know.
[eerie music]
Mr. Jasper keeps
multiple weapons in the home,
rifles and handguns,
he's refused to take
the medication prescribed
to treat his severe
anxiety disorder,
and the violent outbursts
he has towards his wife.
I've personally witnessed his
assaultive behavior
on two occasions.
The most recent of which
necessitated
the emergency intervention
which brings me
before this court.
May I approach the bench,
Your Honor?
You may.
[ominous music]
[Yolanda] His wife revealed
that when Mr. Jasper
was arrested for
assaulting her two years ago,
he forced her to lie
to get him out of jail.
And you witnessed
another assault last night?
That is correct.
So this is a
criminal matter, doctor.
[sighs]
What are you doing
in my courtroom?
If it pleases the court,
Mr. Jasper was
psychologically injured
with serving his country.
So he needs mercy,
not judgment.
That being said, he is a danger
to himself and to others.
He needs treatment,
Your Honor.
And as you can see there,
his wife
has already signed off
on the commission.
[music continues]
[doorbell rings]
[door opens]
[birds chirping]
For you.
No, thank you.
[door closes]
Have you eaten anything?
I brought fried chicken
and potato salad.
Why were you having sidebar
conversations with my husband
and didn't tell me things
were going left?
-Let's sit down.
-Let's not.
Because what you did was foul.
I made the difficult decision
to not share anything with you
because I was concerned about
the potential for violence.
And the moment you
would've said anything to him,
he would've known
I was the one who told you.
I'm not afraid of my husband.
Most victims of abuse aren't.
Until it's too late.
Do you remember the warning
I gave you after
my last Yo Session?
That was because
he told me things
in confidence that
I had yet to tell you.
And my plan was to bring
everything out in the open
at our last meeting,
as part of my final assessment,
but we never made it that far.
I see these things play out
all of the time, Armeka.
Around the world,
the vast majority
of women are killed
by intimate partners.
I'm a social worker.
I know the stats.
If you're not gonna
eat anything,
can you at least try to rest?
Guess I can have some.
I haven't eaten anything
since yesterday.
I'll make you a plate.
Then we can go check on Liam.
After he's assessed, we should
be able to communicate with him.
[ominous music]
[indistinct chatter]
Why am I in handcuffs?
Why are you in handcuffs,
Mr. Jasper?
You're saying as
if I put them on myself.
Can you just remove these and
I'll answer your questions?
Of course I can.
But this is not about ability,
power or skill,
as the definition
of "can" suggests.
This is about gauging
your capacity to accept
responsibility.
So, Mr. Jasper,
I'll ask you again.
Why are you in cuffs?
What are you writing?
I ask the questions.
And honest answers will go
a long way
in determining when
or if, I execute my will
on your behalf.
I want a lawyer.
This isn't a criminal matter,
Mr. Jasper,
unless you make it so.
Custodial questioning
isn't bound
by the 5th of 6th Amendments,
or any provision in
the Georgia State Constitution.
Are you refusing to answer
my questions?
Mr. Jasper?
I-don't-know
why I was put in handcuffs.
Dr. Yo is tryin' to set me up.
She conspired with the police.
She's trying to steal my wife.
"Steal his wife."
And what do you mean by,
"steal your wife?"
[sighs]
That is a lurid
and patently misogynistic charge
against a well-respected
clinician.
Now unless you can provide
evidence for your allegation,
we'll get back
to a more pressing issue.
Which is your pattern
of assaulting your wife.
In seven years of marriage, I've
never laid a hand on my wife.
Well, actually, there's one time
by accident.
-We was boxing.
-Boxing.
Yeah, she backed me into
a corner and I had a flashback.
-A flashback?
-Yes.
And to what do you attribute
this flashback, Mr. Jasper?
[suspenseful music]
I have a right to remain silent.
And I have a right
to keep you here
for as long
as it takes for you
to be accountable
for your actions.
And to no longer be a danger
to yourself or others.
Is there anything else you'd
like to share...
Mr. Jasper?
I concur with the doctor
that you should be held
for observation
for a minimum of 48 hours.
You-you got this wrong, okay?
You can't just keep me
here for no reason!
[door shuts]
[mouths]
-Thank you.
-You want something to drink?
There's, um, cranberry juice
in the fridge.
[bottle clinking]
You know that
this too shall pass.
-You want some hot sauce?
-Of course.
[both chuckling]
[suspenseful music]
[clattering]
[pouring]
Thank you.
[footsteps approaching]
[eerie music]
[indistinct whispers]
[tense music]
[music continues]
[door opens]
Why am I the only one
in here in cuffs?
The cuffs come off,
but only if you ask nicely
and under control.
I did two tours in Afghanistan.
Honorably discharged--
And obtaining that discharge
under false pretenses
is what landed you here.
-That's a lie!
-Too loud, mate.
It was quiet
before you got here.
Keep your British nose out of
American business, Union Jack.
Make yourself comfortable,
Mr. Jasper.
You're gonna be here
for a while.
[clock ticking]
[eerie music]
[clattering]
Mind if I sit?
Prayin'?
Minding my business.
Being lonely in here
is neither healthy nor wise.
I won't be here long.
That's what they all say.
[tense music]
[birds chirping]
[sighs]
[gasps]
Good morning.
I made you breakfast.
Wait, wait!
It's, it's morning?
Relax,
I didn't want to dirty
any dishes.
I made you turkey bacon,
cheese grits,
and cinnamon spice coffee.
I seasoned it with love.
[eerie music]
You were only supposed to
be in here for 48 hours.
But your refusal to comply
has already added another day.
You can't take my wife!
[laughs]
I already have her.
And by the time you're out
of here, we'll be long gone.
[scoffs]
Mr. Jasper...
Hmm.
When you get out of here
is entirely up to you.
[ominous music]
[dramatic music]
[gasps]
[Yolanda] From that tragedy
sprang a new life.
A new career. New identity.
[gasping]
[keys clacking]
-Oh, my..
-What are you doing?
I thought you said
you were divorced.
But this says your husband
was murdered.
Facts can be stubborn things.
And the devil
sometimes speaks the truth.
Did you?
Did I what?
Kill your husband.
I want you out of my house.
Sorry.
I'm here to stay.
[grunts]
[grunting]
You chose the difficult path.
When all you had to do
was choose me.
[door slams]
[tense music]
[groaning]
[clattering]
[gasps]
[breathing heavily]
Do you love me?
I want to make you happy.
[grunts]
Do-you-love-me?
Yes.
Good.
I love you too.
But I'll only untie you
for you to show me
how much you love me.
[light buzzing]
[thudding]
[grunts]
[choking]
I never should've been in here.
[thudding]
[sirens wailing]
[clattering]
[both grunt]
[panting]
[indistinct radio chatter]
[intense music]
[panting]
[zapping]
[grunts]
[gunshots]
[tires screeching]
Fuck!
Are you gonna be my good girl?
I'll flay you without
hesitation if you misbehave.
From the moment I saw you,
you were her.
So you choosing me...
it gives us a chance
at redemption.
I'll be everything to you...
that she never was.
[grunts]
[Armeka screams]
[clanking]
[both grunting]
[grunts]
[thudding]
You don't have the balls, bitch.
[grunts]
[whimpering]
[van tires screeching]
-Armeka!
-Liam! Baby! Baby! Baby.
[crying]
Oh, God. [sobs]
[grunts]
[all grunting]
[thudding]
[grunting]
[sirens wailing]
[grunts]
[instrumental music]
Well...
this officially completes
our first 2-2-2 rule.
[chuckling]
Yeah. And how fitting.
On one week vacay,
baby Armeka's on the way.
Well, it could be
a big-headed boy. Or two.
[Liam] We can settle,
when we get home.
Just get the ultrasound.
[Armeka] I think
I wanna be surprised.
Babe, but what if I wanna know?
My body, my choice.
It gets no arguments
out of me.
[chuckles]
[moans]
[exhales]
Welcome to this Yo Session.
I'm Dr. Yolanda Carver,
but you all can call me...
Dr. Yo.
I am so humbled
that you decided to join me
for this speaking experience.
How many of you are in here
for killing your mate?
Good.
Because today
I'm gonna be talking
about the delicate balance
between redemption...
and revenge.
[intense music]
Cry before me
If you've been sensing
that for me
You'd be wise
to slow it down
No rush if it's promising
Join up and babe...
Your lovin' it comes
to those who take time
Yeah-yeah-yeah
[indistinct lyrics]
Making those
good decisions
I like it I like it
I like it
The way you're
getting me excited
He's the one who
needs to be in check
How can I win this?
Like that like that
mm like that
How can I win this?
Like that like that
mm like that
Oh how can I win this?
Like that like that
mm like that
How can I win this?
Mm like that
mm like that
Oh yeah yeah
Givin' my best to the best
no drama
Keeping my cash
on the cash like armor
Hot on my sleeve
and I'm hot like sauna
I know he can't breathe
when I come around
Music low-low
sipping slow-slow
Sometimes we chat
and sometimes we get down
No one knows
busy tone
Yeah
I like it
I like it I like it
The way you get me excited
He's the one who
needs to be in check
How can I win this?
I like it
I like it I like it
The way you get me excited
He's the one who
needs to be in check
How can I win this?