Being Mary Jane (2013) s04e17 Episode Script
Feeling Lost
1 MARY JANE: Previously, on "Being Mary Jane" How many zeroes do we think Mary Jane's producerbae has? But Miss Mary Jane Paul is definitely not dating down.
Is it really so bad that people know that you have $30 million? How did you know it was $30 million? This is wrong.
MARY JANE: #JustinKissedALotOfFrogs? What is this? KARA: Justin's ex-girlfriend, apparently.
This is Simone? HELEN: Please, don't go.
I'm not going anywhere.
This is for you.
I'm going to Paris.
Tonight.
Garrett's sending you to cover the hacking story? I asked to go.
Ooh I got a moon for you AALIYAH: [LAUGHING.]
You know, for your first warehouse party in Bushwick, you didn't embarrass me too much.
Girl, I still party like it's 1999.
You sure do with that Will Smith reference.
It's actually a Prince reference.
Damn millennials.
Oh, yeah.
Justin's flowers are still looking good.
[SIGHS.]
The flowers you sent.
Hey, you have to keep the romance alive somehow.
Yeah, well, unfortunately, it has not detracted from #JustinKissedALotOfFrogs.
Ohhh How's Justin taking it? It has been radio silence since he got to Paris.
I'm justafraid that I'm making matters worse, you know, especially for his ex.
What if they find her? What if she's reading these? You know what? Let melet me What are you doing? Apologizing and telling him to warn her.
Hm, he says she has no digital footprint.
Who was he dating Dave Chappelle? Please tell me you didn't text him that? What's he saying? He sent me a link.
AALIYAH: What? "Simone Norton, 32, succumbed to her battle with cancer in 2010.
" Justin's ex who's getting dragged on social media is dead? Oh, my God It's that bitch from the Dugout Club, the one always winking at him when he goes up to the deck.
That's who he's with, isn't he? Sexy Sasha? - Yes! - No.
- No? - Carmelo's hittin' that.
Yeah? Then which hoe is it, 'cause I know he's with one of those hoes, so, which one is it? Which one is it? He would tell me if he was cheating.
I would know.
I would know.
He wouldn't be dodging me like this.
"I would know.
" You know what? That's not an answer.
You know what, you need to leave right now, and don't come back here until you find him! [RAPPING ON DOOR.]
You can come out now.
[LAUGHING.]
I deserve an Oscar for that performance.
Oh, gosh, thanks.
I owe you big time.
Why on earth didn't you just tell him that you were busy tonight prepping for your "GDU" interview? [SCOFFS.]
My boys don't care about that.
The only thing they care about is me playing out on that field.
So, what, are you gonna play forever to appease them? Of course not.
I'm gonna get out while I'm on top.
Yeah, now with all these eyes on you, Orlando, and you and your teammates taking a stand on immigration It's the perfect time to pivot.
I know.
Yes.
Hey, you said that Gumbel's producers asked about me, right? They sure did.
Do you think you can get them to watch my segment? [LAUGHS.]
Sure.
Are you ready for that? It'd be huge, right? I think you'd be the next Gumbel, for crying out loud.
Talk to them.
Invite them over to "GDU.
" I'll talk to Marco.
Good, because I'm tired of lying for your ass.
You wanted this, papi, okay, so this is on you.
[KISSES.]
MARY JANE: Hey, Kara, I know how Justin got his money.
- KARA: Oh.
The plot thickens.
- MARY JANE: Mm-hm.
His ex-girlfriend.
- She died? - Yeah.
She left him stock options at a multi-billion dollar tech start-up, - that she founded.
- Oh.
She's a genius and, apparently, a saint.
It says she was on the board of several charities and volunteered a lot.
Okay, whoopie-Doo.
She had standing room only at her funeral.
Oh.
In a church that seats thousands.
We have a show to do.
We don't have time to compare you to a dead woman.
Oh.
AARON: ¡Ay, caramba! [MARIACHI MUSIC.]
Whose idea was it to do this racist segment again? AARON: Ah! Wow! That was fantastic! And you can catch Mario and his Mariachi Band on "Dancing Around the World.
" Season 12 premieres next Tuesday at 10:00 pm on CTS.
Oh, it's a shame Justin's gonna miss this.
You're not gonna watch it without him, are ya? Well, I have to, otherwise, you're gonna ruin it for me.
AARON: [CHUCKLES.]
Oh, and he's doing such important work in Paris.
That hacking story will not go away.
And I'll be speaking with the reporter that broke that story via satellite later on this morning.
But, first, we're gonna talk to Hollywood A-Lister Jessie Lords about her tips for raising kids in the age of entitlement.
All that, and more, on "Great Day USA.
" Uh, Mary Jane, your story about voter suppression, we've gotta cut it.
Uh, the, uh, the dance segment, uh, went on too long.
Okay, great, we'll dance a two-step while basic human rights are violated.
Uh, but the, uh, Jessie Lords interview, that's still a go.
Oh, fantastic.
Oh, and, uh, great job working in the Justin banter.
Keep that up.
Yeah, uh, Garrett, about that.
I don't know if I wanna keep doing it.
Don't you think it's kind of old news by now? Oh, you can't stop the train once it's been picking up steam.
Garrett, if I keep talking about my relationship on air, I'm not gonna have a relationship.
You know what I mean? Look, uh, we haven't seen numbers like this since Yeah, since Ronda's departure, right, yeah.
Yeah, so, we've gotta milk this cow until the thing runs dry.
- Got it? - [LAUGHS.]
KARA: I'm sure you must have had some kind of help.
If I had a ghost writer, it wouldn't have taken me two years to write the damn thing.
[LAUGHS.]
I can't imagine how you managed with your crazy schedule.
Jessie, hi.
Mary Jane Paul.
Mary Jane.
Nice to meet you.
I've gotta say, I devoured your book in record time.
You don't have to do that pretend to be genuinely interested.
It's okay.
No, Iwhen I do an interview, I do the research.
I mean, I read cover to cover.
An advice guide for parents? - Yeah.
- [LAUGHING.]
Did you tweet about it or I'm sorry, it's just that I noticed that you are always out there on Twitter, and it is one of the things I warn parents against.
Some of us use social media for our jobs.
But I did appreciate you promoting selflessness over narcissism.
- You did read it.
- I did.
Excuse me, Miss Lords, I can take you to the Green Room.
Great.
Nice to meet you.
[LAUGHS.]
Okay, uh I'm not sure, but I believe that woman just threw a whole hell of a lot of shade at me like blot-out-the-sun shade.
All right, well, we haven't confirmed it yet, but Ty heard that sh she's dating Lee.
[CHORTLES.]
You've gotta be freakin' kidding me.
KARA: No.
That's why the woman was so salty.
Lee wouldn't talk shit about you like that, like would he? All he'd have to do is talk to you.
Okay, well she could be salty with everybody.
KARA: Yeah.
Mary Jane, I can't believe that they're throwing this at me now.
MARY JANE: Throwing what at you? The Jessie Lords interview.
Apparently, they want me to do it.
Oh! [CHORTLES.]
Salty.
The bitch is salty.
Look who's salty.
Her! She has to follow me.
[CHORTLES.]
I'd be salty, too.
[CHORTLING.]
Hey, morning, Dad.
Morning, Son.
PATRICK: [SIGHS.]
Mom on strike or something? She's not here.
Your mother and I decided to take some time apart.
Y'all finally had it out about that leak in the guest room, didn't you? I told you to call a repairman.
No, no, it's not about the leak, son.
What's goin' on? I think you should ask your mother.
MARY JANE: [LAUGHS.]
Jessie, look, I know why you requested Emma for the interview.
Obviously, Lee gave you all the dirt about me, so No, no.
Look, there are two sides to every story.
Hold on, hold on.
I didn't ask for Emma.
The producer guy Garrett said he wanted to pair me with a correspondent who has kids.
Right.
Emma has kids.
Lee hasn't said much about you at all, actually.
I think he worked through all his issues with his comedy routine.
Right, yeah, that's par for the course, right? I'm sure half of New York has heard about our break up right now.
Well, that audience is about to get a lot wider.
- What do you mean? - It all happened so fast.
You know, one minute he's doing stand-up about you, the next, he is selling a pilot to a major studio.
That's Hollywood for you, huh? Wait, wait, I'm sorry.
What? Holdhold hold up, Jessie.
So, uh, Lee is making a TV show - Yes.
- about our break up.
Yes.
- - KARA: What'd I miss? [LAUGHS.]
We are in full crisis mode.
Uh-oh, don't tell me another bomb was dropped on you.
Oh, it's like World War III up in this bitch.
Lee wrote a TV pilot based on his stand-up about our break up.
What? Are you kidding me? Even the assistants at CAA are buzzing.
They claim your character said, "Tell me you love me" on the first night.
Who's gonna buy that? [SQUEAKY.]
Uhuhuh Okay, well, no one will believe it's true.
Anyway, let's just figure this out.
II just wanna step out of the spotlight, and I keep getting pulled back in.
Honey, you're a celebrity.
There's no stepping out for you.
Well, maybe the show won't go, and I won't have to talk about it.
Oh, no, the rumor mill is in full effect.
It's already generating publicity.
So, what do I do? How do I get in front of the story? Control the narrative.
Look, your story with Lee's gonna be told with our without you.
So, I tell the story first.
In fact, Ryan Seacrest has been asking for an interview.
All you have to do is congratulate Lee on his ability to find the humor in a mundane break up.
KARA: Hmmm AALIYAH: Or you could do a statement.
No Seacrest.
I want my core audience to know how I get down.
So, let's do the interview with The Breakfast Club.
Yeah, yeah, and then let the other media outlets pick it up.
I can do this because I genuinely wish Lee well.
Yeah, honey, you know, I I'm sure you feel that way.
But this is Shock Jock radio.
Yeah.
And they're gonna bait you to dish the dirt.
I'm a journalist.
I know how to play the game.
All right.
I'll set it up.
But we should definitely run through talking points before you go on.
You know me.
I'm always prepared.
I will have them so wrapped tightly around my little finger, they're gonna think I'm the saint.
Oh, um, Orlando's here.
I'm sorry, baby girl, I wish I could help more, but, you know what? Your public image is in good hands with this little smart one right here.
Okay.
Hey! [LAUGHING.]
[KISSES.]
There'll be plenty of time for that soon.
Right now, we have to work on your segment.
You know what? You're gonna kill it in the ratings.
Everybody's talking about how brave you and your teammates are.
- Really? - Yep.
I figured everyone would just think we were ripping off Colin Kaepernick's protest.
Oh, please.
If every Latino player did what you're doing, you'd be getting calls from world leaders.
I'm just trying to figure out how to retire, not start a civil war.
- Oh.
Does that mean you - Spoke to Marco? Yeah, and he's down with it.
- The segment.
- Mmhm.
And retirement.
Yes.
Once I told him it's what I wanted, he got it.
I'm so proud of you.
[LAUGHING.]
What about Gumbel's people? Are they coming? Oh, they sure are.
Big things are gonna happen for us, papi.
You can't put me back on the board.
Look, I know I went too far with that interview with the school board member, but I can learn from my mistakes.
All I'm asking for is one story.
With what you pulled, getting benched was an act of mercy.
I'm sorry.
If there's anything that I can do to convince you, I'll do it.
I appreciate that, but for now, my decision stands.
[SCOFFS.]
Mmm! That's 15 stiches for your bitches, playboy.
- [LAUGHING.]
- Put the phone down, old man.
Get ready to get your ass whooped.
Come on.
- Hmmm - JOVAN: [LAUGHS.]
- Twenty.
- Oh All right.
All right.
Damn.
If you ever gonna talk smack, now's your chance, brother.
Talking smack doesn't make you better at anything.
Practice does.
Fifteen.
So, you play this a lot, huh? Every addict needs his diversions.
Yeah, so, even after all that time, you still worried that people look at you differently? Ten, old boy.
You know, I lost some friends along the way, but my family stuck by me.
That's all that matters.
Wish my family was like that.
Well, the thing is other people can support you, too.
It doesn't matter if it's your kin or not.
What matters is you get the support you need however it comes.
What I'm trying to say is I got your back.
It doesn't mean I won't stop whoopin' your ass - at this game, though.
- JOVAN: [LAUGHS.]
Dominoes, son! BOTH: [LAUGHING.]
I'll be in your ear the whole time.
Whatever you need, I'm gonna talk to you.
I'll guide you.
Oh, what's Hamptons doing with Agent Smith over there? KARA: [LAUGHS.]
Dani's fans called Garrett out online for benching her.
So, he's feeling a little threatened.
Whoa, she sicced her rabid supporters on him? - That's gangsta.
- KARA: [LAUGHS.]
Well, I can't prove it.
But she's definitely not denouncing it.
"Garrett Keswick is an alt-left libtard "who should stick to modeling J.
Crew - and stay out of fake news.
" - KARA: [LAUGHS.]
What? That's it? We covered a dance show and a celebrity self-help book today.
Political extremism is definitely - new territory for him.
- ORLANDO: [LAUGHS.]
You should tell him try being a Black woman on TV.
Ha! Or any woman with an opinion.
MARY JANE: Lesley Jones' trolls make his look like Christmas elves.
If she'd got a bodyguard every time somebody threatened to drive a spike up her vagina, she'd have an army.
KARA: Oh, what's got you all up in arms, girl? MARY JANE: So, I got ahold of Lee's script.
Oh, was it worse than you thought? Let's just say my character makes Cookie Lyon's look like a Sunday school teacher.
Hold on one second, MJ.
There's something I need to tell you.
- Should I let you go? - KARA: No, no, no.
[KNOCK AT DOOR.]
Is Marco coming to join us again for dinner? No, that's what I'm trying to tell you.
MARY JANE: What's going on? Hi.
Can I help you? Orlando! [LAUGHING.]
ORLANDO: Oh.
Kara, I want you to meet mi mamá.
Oh.
[LAUGHS.]
MARY JANE: Kara? Mary Jane, I've gotta call you back.
Orlando's mother just walked in.
MARY JANE: Holy shit! PATRICK: Mom, dessert is on its way.
Are you gonna tell me what's going on or what? Well, what did your father tell you? He told me to talk to you.
[HEAVY SIGH.]
Before I was with your father, I fell in love with a young serviceman and that man was Frank.
Dad's friend who just showed up? That's right.
It has been 44 years since I've laid eyes on Frank.
I just never expected those feelings to come rushing back.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
You're not saying you're not steppin' out on dad? Oh, it's more complicated than that.
If you were so in love, how'd you and dad end up together? Your father was a good man, and he always cared for me.
That doesn't answer my question.
Patrick, you've gotta understand that this was a different time, the '70s.
Now when Frank re-enlisted, I was in a bind.
A bind? And your father stepped up.
What kind of bind? Pregnant? Oh, man, I don't wanna hear this.
- But, Patrick - [HEAVY SIGH.]
Paul will always be your father.
Always.
But Frank he's your blood.
Blood?! - Patrick.
- Look, no! - Patrick.
- No! No! No! [GASPING.]
I'm sorry.
Delphine.
Oh, my goodness.
It's so great to meet you.
DELPHINE & KARA: [LAUGHING.]
DELPHINE: Well, we would have met sooner, but Orlando might have mentioned I was out in Miami the past few months helping my sister with her newborn.
Oh, my goodness, you have a sister with a newborn? - Yes! - Wow.
[LAUGHS.]
- So cute.
- Mm-hm.
But Marco tells me you're the woman behind my son speaking on all these sports shows.
Kara's a great producer.
Well, if everything works out, Orlando's gonna be the face of a new show very soon.
Are you? Well, something more to celebrate this afternoon.
This afternoon? Oh, I hope you don't mind.
I planned a little reunion celebration at the park in our neighborhood.
I always like to do it whenever Orlando's been away for a stretch.
It'll be fun.
I'm sure you'll be very surprised to see where Orlando came from.
[LAUGHING.]
I'm already surprised.
- To Orlando.
- To Orlando.
[GLASSES CLINKING.]
[LOUD SMOOCH.]
Mr.
Lagos! Mr.
Lagos! Will you sign my ball? Yeah, sure.
It's like watching a whole team of little Orlandos.
I wish he would make a team of mini-Orlandos himself, you know what I mean? [CHUCKLES.]
I already have two of my own.
They're teenagers.
They live back in Atlanta with their father.
Your kids aren't here with you? I go back and forth.
That's why I don't see you at the games.
Well, I have to work, you know? Too bad.
I never missed any of Orlando's games when he was a boy.
Wow.
Really? Gosh, that's great.
I knew he was born to play baseball from the time he was old enough to hold a bat.
Wow, that young, huh? In high school he got distracted by girls here and there.
But you kept him on track, huh? And that's why I'm here.
To keep him on track? My son won't be retiring from baseball any time soon.
KARA: [CHUCKLING.]
Hi, papi! [BLOWS KISSES.]
Estoy triste y llorando Abandonado, estoy triste y llorando You saw those kids' faces today.
They look up to me.
And they will still look up to you when you're a broadcaster.
Wearing a suit and tie on TV ain't inspiring not to those kids.
Orlando, they have a much better chance of wearing a suit and tie than they do baseball cleats.
Hey, papi, you don't think I see how envious you look when you see those guys at Sports Center doing what you wanna be doing, huh? But what if it doesn't work out? Look at Tiki Barber.
He went for it and now where is he? I know it's a big risk, baby, but listen to me.
Look how far you have come, huh? I remember when you first got in front of an anchor desk.
You could barely get two words out.
- [LAUGHING.]
- Come on.
And look at you.
What? You've got major networks knocking on your door.
Are you gonna choke? Look, I'm not choking.
It Do you want this? Huh? Hm? Well, what about you? If I remember correctly, I'm not the only person who is trying to get somewhere.
- You had big plans, too.
- Yeah, I know, I know.
I've been a little gun shy since I got back to "GDU.
" And, meanwhile, Justin's making all the moves.
- Well - Mama? I can start to plan my future, if you agree to go through with the segment tomorrow.
- Game on.
- Game on.
All right, and do you know what? Why don't we invite Delphine so she can watch you in action.
Okay.
[KISSES.]
Kara! Kara! And you must be Mary Jane Paul! [LAUGHING.]
MARY JANE: Oh! DELPHINE: Ohhhh ¡Ay, qué Linda estás! It is so great to meet a real, live, famous person! Oh, girl, I put my heels on one at a time, like everybody else.
[LAUGHING.]
Begrudgingly.
Hi, I'm Aaliyah, Mary Jane's publicist.
And I'm Ty, her hairstylist.
So, does Orlando get his own stylist and publicist, too? If he knocks this segment out of the park, he just may.
KARA: Delphine, I thought maybe we could do a little quick tour around the place, you know, show you how everything operates.
Sounds good.
I really need to caffeinate here.
It's way too early for me.
Oh, it's right over there.
Help yourself.
Yeah.
Mm-hm.
MARY JANE: This is genius.
She'sshe's basically you.
I have nothing in common with that woman.
[GASPS.]
Thanks, mama! - See? - KARA: Stop it.
Delphine! We're gonna go look at the control room, okay? Yeah.
Yeah.
AALIYAH: They even walk alike.
MARY JANE: It's so creepy.
Are you ready to prep for the interview? Oh, to the bat cave.
Okay, the goal is to make me look good.
I wanna be as clean as a Sunday school teacher.
- Got it? - Got it.
I'll play Charlamagne, and you be you.
Now I know you can handle the softballs, so, let's get right to the dirt.
Is it true? Are you the girlfriend in Lee's new sitcom? First, let me point out that this is loosely based on our relationship, and that there are some creative licenses to be taken into account on these types of projects.
So, you're not mad at being portrayed like a hoe? That'swhat? That's what you took away from the script? It's a potential question that could come up.
- Back to the interview.
- Okay.
So, is it opinion or fact? You know there's two sides to every story.
Did you step out on your man, your loyal man, your black unicorn? Okay, first of all, he wasn't a unicorn, okay, and we were practically broken up When you cheated.
There is always a reason for why we do what we do.
I jumped into things with Lee, but I was still dealing with a broken mindset from years of heartbreak from past relationships.
Okay, that just sounds like you're not taking responsibility for your actions.
I'm happy for Lee, you know, I really am.
But let's admit his project is trafficking in the same tired-ass tropes that Black women are crazy.
Black women are promiscuous.
Black women are angry.
But have Black men ever taken responsibility for driving us to that? We live in a society thatthat treats us like we're the bottom of the barrel when it comes to romance.
Couple that with having to constantly prove ourselves as worthy enough, right? Be confident, baby girl, but not intimidating.
Be smart, but not emasculating.
Never enough, but too much.
Too damn much all at the same damn time.
Men are encouraged to objectify our bodies, but the second we search for sexual satisfaction, oh, baby, we are called whores.
Okay, Mary Jane, I think we should stop right there.
I don't think you're ready for this interview.
Look, somebody needs to say this and it it might as well be me.
I'm qualified.
[LAUGHS.]
Okay, but you're all over the place right now.
I mean, you're heated, emotional, defensive.
Girl, you sound bitter.
And you sound like everybody else.
What? When they talk about Black women nobody ever asks H-How? Why? Why do they feel like this? Look atlook at my relationship.
I was tempted to cheat on Lee before Justin.
Never did it.
But how did I get to that point? Is it because I I think I don't deserve a guy like Lee? I mean, and if that's the case, what the hell does that say about my relationship with Justin? Look, um I know you have a lot of your mind right now.
Well, yeah.
But if you say any of this during the interview, people will think you're crazy.
As your friend.
Don't get it twisted.
Right now, you are my publicist, not my friend.
Can you get this done, Aaliyah, or do I need to find someone else? I always get the job done and I will.
But remember why you hired me in the first place.
I'm not a yes woman.
So, if that's the kind of company you wanna keep, I might not be right for the job.
So my son wears make-up now? It's just part of being on camera, ma.
I don't want him looking foolish.
Didn't you say you wanted him to have a stylist? To do his hair, not to make him look like a girl.
KARA: You know what? Michael Strahan is not complaining, and he's making $20 million on "GMA" right now.
Twenty million dollars? - Mm-hm.
And he's more recognizable now than he ever was in the NFL.
Don't worry, your boy's in good hands.
- I got him.
- ORLANDO: Yes, I am.
KARA: Uh, you know what? Why don't I have Hopper take you to the Green Room.
They have tons of snacks.
It's a wonderful room.
Hey, Hopper, um, can you take Delphine - to the Green Room for me? - Sure.
Okay? Show her around a little bit.
- I'll see you in a bit.
- DELPHINE: [BLOWS KISS.]
- GARRETT: Uh, Kara? - Yeah? I need to speak with you and Orlando before the segment.
- Okay.
Yeah.
- Sure.
How would you two feel if, uh, Dani sat in on Orlando's interview? No, Garrett.
You're just doing this because the trolls are getting to you, and it's not the way to handle it.
I think this is the perfect place to put Dani's brand of celebrity to good use, and it will also be approaching the story from both sides of the debate.
- Garrett? - Mm? If you give in to Dani's demands, you empower her trolls.
Wait, Dani.
She's the conservative one, right? - KARA: Yes.
- GARRETT: Mm-hm.
I think it'd be a good idea to have her ask me some questions.
Oh, no.
No, no, no.
She will tear you apart.
Well, thanks for the vote of confidence.
Look, Dani knows that she'll have to keep her, um, opinions in check.
KARA: Yeah, if she would have known that, you wouldn't have had to bench her.
And, besides, Orlando's completely not prepared for this kind of an interview.
Yeah, but if I can take her on, that will embolden the protest.
[HEAVY SIGH.]
Gosh.
Garrett, will you give us a minute? Uh, yeah, of course.
[CLEARS THROAT.]
- Okay.
- It's fine.
No.
I have to ask.
Are you looking for a way to sabotage this interview to give your mother what she wants? Damn, Kara.
Have a little faith.
Okay, but Bryant Gumbel's producers are in there right now.
Your whole future is riding on this.
I'll survive.
Okay.
["GREAT DAY USA" THEME MUSIC.]
In today's political environment, "protest" has become an everyday word, and now it's hitting the baseball diamond as some of the top Latino players are refusing to stand during the National Anthem, and one of those players is here with us today New York second baseman, Orlando Lagos.
Orlando, thank you for being here.
Thank you for having me.
Orlando tell us uh, your team's doing really great right now.
Why do this? We're standing up because we believe that Latinos are being unfairly targeted for deportation.
Come on, you can tell me.
You hate America, don't you? Who is this bitch? You don't wanna know.
DANI: But, really, do you think that this is the right way to make a change? I do.
I do.
It doesn't mean that it's the only way.
Um, you can donate money to the ACLU and other organizations, but it seems that sitting gets people's attention a lot quicker.
So, do you mean that you're out to seek attention at the cost of your own patriotism? Well, I'm patriotic, I Let met just step in and say that I think that we can all be patriotic and still have concerns for our government.
- Right.
- DANI: Of course.
But sitting down during your nation's anthem? Some Americans would say that would be the equivalent of flag burning.
Which is legal, isn't it? Yeah, ISIS does it all the time, but does that make it right? Did she just compare my son to a terrorist? Mmm-hmm-hmm.
ORLANDO: The protest has nothing to do with terrorism.
I wanna talk to him.
Orlando? Listen, you need to change the conversation right now.
Okay? Talk about your upbringing, your version of America.
Talk to her about your mom.
Dani, you like Ronald Reagan, right? He was a great Republican.
And what about his stance on immigration? See, my mother was one of three million people granted amnesty back in '86 when he passed his Immigration Reform and Control Act.
But it's not 1986.
We have terrorists streaming into our country now.
No, it certainly isn't, but that was a time when even the most Conservative politician saw immigration for what it is a humanitarian issue.
My mother risked her life because she believed the words on the Statue of Liberty.
But she did break the law.
Yes, but if Reagan had looked at it that way, I wouldn't be sitting here today.
Because your mom would have been deported.
Exactly.
But if she can defy those odds, and crawl her way to a better life, well, then certainly I can weather sitting before a game and dealing with internet trolls.
See, in my mind, standing up for an America that models the words "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free," that's the most patriotic thing I can do.
Inspiring.
How would your mom feel about you besmirching a country that she worked so hard to get to? Some people would say the fact you don't realize your privilege is the greatest tragedy of all.
We all live with privilege, Dani.
At least I'm trying to use mine for good.
[BELL RINGS.]
FLOOR MANAGER: And we're clear.
Kara.
Kara.
You know, I always hoped Orlando would be like Bo Jackson dominating two pro sports at the same time.
Delphine, I know this is But this is even better.
I mean, what I just saw was one big contact sport.
And that little firecracker was as scary as any linebacker.
[LAUGHING.]
Yeah.
But he held his own.
And he seemed to enjoy doing it.
KARA: [LAUGHS.]
So? ALL: [LAUGHING.]
You were amazing.
Orlando, a player is nothing without his coaches, and this lady here is a damn good coach.
I wouldn't be here, if it wasn't for her.
[KISSES.]
Hey, congratulations.
I just heard Orlando kick Dani's ass back to Ponca City.
Yes, he did.
You know it feels so good to fight for the important stuff and win, you know? But, listen, we have to talk about your Breakfast Club interview.
Mm-hm, Aaliyah just told me about your little prep session.
She needs to be scheduling the interview, not running to you.
Don't be mad at her.
- She called me crazy.
- Well, you are crazy.
I can say that, and you can say that, but she has not earned the right to say that.
Look, just go easy on her.
We both know that she's smart as a whip.
You know, she's pretty much been right about everything, Mary Jane.
All this stuff that you're dealing with, like Simone's death, and Lee's ex, and the TV show and and Justin being gone, this is all getting in your head and you're spiraling.
- It's that obvious? - Yes.
You need to focus on yourself, and what you care about your work.
My work wearing sombreros and making up fake love stories about my boyfriend? We need to get back to the real Mary Jane, hm, the old Mary Jane.
Well, yeah, I would love that.
I would love to do a deep dive in a into an important story like we used to.
But the problem is we signed up for morning TV where fluff always wins.
Well, then, you know what? Let's get us a prime time special, huh, a one-hour in-depth story about something you really care about.
That would be amazing.
But it takes most anchors years before they get something like that.
You just leave that to me.
In the meantime, you need to apologize to Aaliyah.
Uh-huh, uh-huh.
[SIGHING.]
[DOG BARKING IN DISTANCE.]
PAUL SR.
: Where have you been? You movin' out, too? Why didn't you tell me? [TSKS.]
I raised you as my own son.
Thatthat that's all that matters.
That's not all that matters! This was your mother's secret to tell, not mine.
My entire lie is a lie.
A lie that you created.
Why would you do this to me, huh? I'm in just as much pain as you are, Son.
Don't! Don't call me that! Don't call me son.
You don't think that I'm not mad that she chose that degenerate addict over me? What? Frank was an addict, too? [SCOFFS.]
Alcohol.
Gambling.
Who knows what? What? All these years, I struggled with drugs, and you nearly disowned me because of it, you didn't think to tell me it was in my blood this entire time? That would not have helped.
It would be just another excuse.
What are you telling me? I am still your father.
- [TSKS.]
- [LABORED BREATHING.]
And I'm just as mad at her as you are.
[LABORED BREATHING.]
[TSKS.]
[LABORED BREATHING.]
Oh, Aaliyah.
You were right.
Is it too late to cancel the interview? Oh, I'm sure I can find a way out of it.
You really don't wanna do it now? No, um, and I owe you an apology.
I was too harsh before.
You don't have to apologize.
No, I do, 'cause even when this place forces me into survival mode, I still want to be your mentor, not a tyrant.
I don't need yes people or just a publicist.
I want a friend, someone who's gonna be honest with me.
That someone is you.
I appreciate that.
I also decided no more MJ-Justin updates.
I get it.
What's good for the brand, ain't always good for you.
You read my mind.
Oh, sorry I was so rough on your boyfriend earlier.
Oh, pffft! I think he held his own.
- Really? - Mm-hm.
That's not what my peeps are sayin'.
[LAUGHING.]
You realize you just proved me right.
What are you talking about? Orlando did great and Dani's trolls stopped trolling.
I don't have to pay for bodyguards.
It's a win-win all around.
- Not for you.
- Huh? You created a monster.
Her fans are going nuts tweeting about how she creamed Orlando.
[HEAVY SIGH.]
That doesn't make sense.
Red and blue watch the same debate, and see it two very different ways.
[SIGHING.]
I hate politics.
I warned you, Garrett.
You gave in to the terrorists.
Hmph.
What should we do? Let me handle it.
I can help keep Dani at bay.
How? [LAUGHING.]
A producer never reveals her secrets.
But if I pull this off, I need something from you.
[GROANING.]
What is it? I wanna do a prime time show with Mary Jane, one night, in the Fall.
But that's a big ask.
Hey, you're the guy hand-picked to run the show before turning 30.
I'm sure you have futures up your sleeve.
- Hmph.
- KARA: [LAUGHS.]
Okay, if you contain Dani, I'll do my best to make it happen.
Great.
Thank you.
- Mm-hm.
MARY JANE: I can't believe you did it.
Are you doubting my negotiation skills? Never.
But now we can get back to doing the stories that really matter.
Only with a much wider audience.
- Pffft! - KARA: [LAUGHS.]
The idea of doing this interview has got me thinking a lot about the past.
But if I'm being brutally honest, I mean, I've tanked every relationship I've ever had, and I don't know why.
Well, mama, that's that's a question only you can answer.
I've been looking and searching to find a way - Hi, I'm Patrick.
- ALL: Hi, Patrick.
And I'm a drug addict.
[SIGHING.]
I've been sober one year, two months, and one week, but [SIGHS.]
lately, I've been wanting to get high more than I ever have in a long, long time.
[CHUCKLES.]
I was just starting to get my life in order, but I got some bad news that sent me into a tailspin.
I always felt like an outcast in my own family, and now I see [QUIET LAUGH.]
there might be a reason for that.
[EXHALES.]
I thought I was lost before.
[EXHALES.]
But now [QUIET LAUGH.]
[EXHALES.]
I'm so far gone, I don't know if I'll ever get back.
Keep believing Your weapon don't retrieve it [DOORBELL RINGS.]
If you can see that Reward you will receive it Keep believing Your weapon don't retrieve it Hopper, it's 9:30.
Uh, yeah, these came for you after you left, so I thought I'd drop 'em by.
Did Aaliyah send them? Uh, no, they're from Justin.
If you can see that - Careful.
- Oh, it's heavy.
- Got it? - Yeah.
Thank you.
Can you close my door? - Yeah.
- Thanks.
Your weapon don't retrieve it If you can see that Reward you will receive it Keep believing Your weapon don't retrieve it Ahhhh! [GIGGLING.]
Reward you will receive it Keep believing Your weapon don't retrieve it If you can see that Reward you will receive it Keep believing
Is it really so bad that people know that you have $30 million? How did you know it was $30 million? This is wrong.
MARY JANE: #JustinKissedALotOfFrogs? What is this? KARA: Justin's ex-girlfriend, apparently.
This is Simone? HELEN: Please, don't go.
I'm not going anywhere.
This is for you.
I'm going to Paris.
Tonight.
Garrett's sending you to cover the hacking story? I asked to go.
Ooh I got a moon for you AALIYAH: [LAUGHING.]
You know, for your first warehouse party in Bushwick, you didn't embarrass me too much.
Girl, I still party like it's 1999.
You sure do with that Will Smith reference.
It's actually a Prince reference.
Damn millennials.
Oh, yeah.
Justin's flowers are still looking good.
[SIGHS.]
The flowers you sent.
Hey, you have to keep the romance alive somehow.
Yeah, well, unfortunately, it has not detracted from #JustinKissedALotOfFrogs.
Ohhh How's Justin taking it? It has been radio silence since he got to Paris.
I'm justafraid that I'm making matters worse, you know, especially for his ex.
What if they find her? What if she's reading these? You know what? Let melet me What are you doing? Apologizing and telling him to warn her.
Hm, he says she has no digital footprint.
Who was he dating Dave Chappelle? Please tell me you didn't text him that? What's he saying? He sent me a link.
AALIYAH: What? "Simone Norton, 32, succumbed to her battle with cancer in 2010.
" Justin's ex who's getting dragged on social media is dead? Oh, my God It's that bitch from the Dugout Club, the one always winking at him when he goes up to the deck.
That's who he's with, isn't he? Sexy Sasha? - Yes! - No.
- No? - Carmelo's hittin' that.
Yeah? Then which hoe is it, 'cause I know he's with one of those hoes, so, which one is it? Which one is it? He would tell me if he was cheating.
I would know.
I would know.
He wouldn't be dodging me like this.
"I would know.
" You know what? That's not an answer.
You know what, you need to leave right now, and don't come back here until you find him! [RAPPING ON DOOR.]
You can come out now.
[LAUGHING.]
I deserve an Oscar for that performance.
Oh, gosh, thanks.
I owe you big time.
Why on earth didn't you just tell him that you were busy tonight prepping for your "GDU" interview? [SCOFFS.]
My boys don't care about that.
The only thing they care about is me playing out on that field.
So, what, are you gonna play forever to appease them? Of course not.
I'm gonna get out while I'm on top.
Yeah, now with all these eyes on you, Orlando, and you and your teammates taking a stand on immigration It's the perfect time to pivot.
I know.
Yes.
Hey, you said that Gumbel's producers asked about me, right? They sure did.
Do you think you can get them to watch my segment? [LAUGHS.]
Sure.
Are you ready for that? It'd be huge, right? I think you'd be the next Gumbel, for crying out loud.
Talk to them.
Invite them over to "GDU.
" I'll talk to Marco.
Good, because I'm tired of lying for your ass.
You wanted this, papi, okay, so this is on you.
[KISSES.]
MARY JANE: Hey, Kara, I know how Justin got his money.
- KARA: Oh.
The plot thickens.
- MARY JANE: Mm-hm.
His ex-girlfriend.
- She died? - Yeah.
She left him stock options at a multi-billion dollar tech start-up, - that she founded.
- Oh.
She's a genius and, apparently, a saint.
It says she was on the board of several charities and volunteered a lot.
Okay, whoopie-Doo.
She had standing room only at her funeral.
Oh.
In a church that seats thousands.
We have a show to do.
We don't have time to compare you to a dead woman.
Oh.
AARON: ¡Ay, caramba! [MARIACHI MUSIC.]
Whose idea was it to do this racist segment again? AARON: Ah! Wow! That was fantastic! And you can catch Mario and his Mariachi Band on "Dancing Around the World.
" Season 12 premieres next Tuesday at 10:00 pm on CTS.
Oh, it's a shame Justin's gonna miss this.
You're not gonna watch it without him, are ya? Well, I have to, otherwise, you're gonna ruin it for me.
AARON: [CHUCKLES.]
Oh, and he's doing such important work in Paris.
That hacking story will not go away.
And I'll be speaking with the reporter that broke that story via satellite later on this morning.
But, first, we're gonna talk to Hollywood A-Lister Jessie Lords about her tips for raising kids in the age of entitlement.
All that, and more, on "Great Day USA.
" Uh, Mary Jane, your story about voter suppression, we've gotta cut it.
Uh, the, uh, the dance segment, uh, went on too long.
Okay, great, we'll dance a two-step while basic human rights are violated.
Uh, but the, uh, Jessie Lords interview, that's still a go.
Oh, fantastic.
Oh, and, uh, great job working in the Justin banter.
Keep that up.
Yeah, uh, Garrett, about that.
I don't know if I wanna keep doing it.
Don't you think it's kind of old news by now? Oh, you can't stop the train once it's been picking up steam.
Garrett, if I keep talking about my relationship on air, I'm not gonna have a relationship.
You know what I mean? Look, uh, we haven't seen numbers like this since Yeah, since Ronda's departure, right, yeah.
Yeah, so, we've gotta milk this cow until the thing runs dry.
- Got it? - [LAUGHS.]
KARA: I'm sure you must have had some kind of help.
If I had a ghost writer, it wouldn't have taken me two years to write the damn thing.
[LAUGHS.]
I can't imagine how you managed with your crazy schedule.
Jessie, hi.
Mary Jane Paul.
Mary Jane.
Nice to meet you.
I've gotta say, I devoured your book in record time.
You don't have to do that pretend to be genuinely interested.
It's okay.
No, Iwhen I do an interview, I do the research.
I mean, I read cover to cover.
An advice guide for parents? - Yeah.
- [LAUGHING.]
Did you tweet about it or I'm sorry, it's just that I noticed that you are always out there on Twitter, and it is one of the things I warn parents against.
Some of us use social media for our jobs.
But I did appreciate you promoting selflessness over narcissism.
- You did read it.
- I did.
Excuse me, Miss Lords, I can take you to the Green Room.
Great.
Nice to meet you.
[LAUGHS.]
Okay, uh I'm not sure, but I believe that woman just threw a whole hell of a lot of shade at me like blot-out-the-sun shade.
All right, well, we haven't confirmed it yet, but Ty heard that sh she's dating Lee.
[CHORTLES.]
You've gotta be freakin' kidding me.
KARA: No.
That's why the woman was so salty.
Lee wouldn't talk shit about you like that, like would he? All he'd have to do is talk to you.
Okay, well she could be salty with everybody.
KARA: Yeah.
Mary Jane, I can't believe that they're throwing this at me now.
MARY JANE: Throwing what at you? The Jessie Lords interview.
Apparently, they want me to do it.
Oh! [CHORTLES.]
Salty.
The bitch is salty.
Look who's salty.
Her! She has to follow me.
[CHORTLES.]
I'd be salty, too.
[CHORTLING.]
Hey, morning, Dad.
Morning, Son.
PATRICK: [SIGHS.]
Mom on strike or something? She's not here.
Your mother and I decided to take some time apart.
Y'all finally had it out about that leak in the guest room, didn't you? I told you to call a repairman.
No, no, it's not about the leak, son.
What's goin' on? I think you should ask your mother.
MARY JANE: [LAUGHS.]
Jessie, look, I know why you requested Emma for the interview.
Obviously, Lee gave you all the dirt about me, so No, no.
Look, there are two sides to every story.
Hold on, hold on.
I didn't ask for Emma.
The producer guy Garrett said he wanted to pair me with a correspondent who has kids.
Right.
Emma has kids.
Lee hasn't said much about you at all, actually.
I think he worked through all his issues with his comedy routine.
Right, yeah, that's par for the course, right? I'm sure half of New York has heard about our break up right now.
Well, that audience is about to get a lot wider.
- What do you mean? - It all happened so fast.
You know, one minute he's doing stand-up about you, the next, he is selling a pilot to a major studio.
That's Hollywood for you, huh? Wait, wait, I'm sorry.
What? Holdhold hold up, Jessie.
So, uh, Lee is making a TV show - Yes.
- about our break up.
Yes.
- - KARA: What'd I miss? [LAUGHS.]
We are in full crisis mode.
Uh-oh, don't tell me another bomb was dropped on you.
Oh, it's like World War III up in this bitch.
Lee wrote a TV pilot based on his stand-up about our break up.
What? Are you kidding me? Even the assistants at CAA are buzzing.
They claim your character said, "Tell me you love me" on the first night.
Who's gonna buy that? [SQUEAKY.]
Uhuhuh Okay, well, no one will believe it's true.
Anyway, let's just figure this out.
II just wanna step out of the spotlight, and I keep getting pulled back in.
Honey, you're a celebrity.
There's no stepping out for you.
Well, maybe the show won't go, and I won't have to talk about it.
Oh, no, the rumor mill is in full effect.
It's already generating publicity.
So, what do I do? How do I get in front of the story? Control the narrative.
Look, your story with Lee's gonna be told with our without you.
So, I tell the story first.
In fact, Ryan Seacrest has been asking for an interview.
All you have to do is congratulate Lee on his ability to find the humor in a mundane break up.
KARA: Hmmm AALIYAH: Or you could do a statement.
No Seacrest.
I want my core audience to know how I get down.
So, let's do the interview with The Breakfast Club.
Yeah, yeah, and then let the other media outlets pick it up.
I can do this because I genuinely wish Lee well.
Yeah, honey, you know, I I'm sure you feel that way.
But this is Shock Jock radio.
Yeah.
And they're gonna bait you to dish the dirt.
I'm a journalist.
I know how to play the game.
All right.
I'll set it up.
But we should definitely run through talking points before you go on.
You know me.
I'm always prepared.
I will have them so wrapped tightly around my little finger, they're gonna think I'm the saint.
Oh, um, Orlando's here.
I'm sorry, baby girl, I wish I could help more, but, you know what? Your public image is in good hands with this little smart one right here.
Okay.
Hey! [LAUGHING.]
[KISSES.]
There'll be plenty of time for that soon.
Right now, we have to work on your segment.
You know what? You're gonna kill it in the ratings.
Everybody's talking about how brave you and your teammates are.
- Really? - Yep.
I figured everyone would just think we were ripping off Colin Kaepernick's protest.
Oh, please.
If every Latino player did what you're doing, you'd be getting calls from world leaders.
I'm just trying to figure out how to retire, not start a civil war.
- Oh.
Does that mean you - Spoke to Marco? Yeah, and he's down with it.
- The segment.
- Mmhm.
And retirement.
Yes.
Once I told him it's what I wanted, he got it.
I'm so proud of you.
[LAUGHING.]
What about Gumbel's people? Are they coming? Oh, they sure are.
Big things are gonna happen for us, papi.
You can't put me back on the board.
Look, I know I went too far with that interview with the school board member, but I can learn from my mistakes.
All I'm asking for is one story.
With what you pulled, getting benched was an act of mercy.
I'm sorry.
If there's anything that I can do to convince you, I'll do it.
I appreciate that, but for now, my decision stands.
[SCOFFS.]
Mmm! That's 15 stiches for your bitches, playboy.
- [LAUGHING.]
- Put the phone down, old man.
Get ready to get your ass whooped.
Come on.
- Hmmm - JOVAN: [LAUGHS.]
- Twenty.
- Oh All right.
All right.
Damn.
If you ever gonna talk smack, now's your chance, brother.
Talking smack doesn't make you better at anything.
Practice does.
Fifteen.
So, you play this a lot, huh? Every addict needs his diversions.
Yeah, so, even after all that time, you still worried that people look at you differently? Ten, old boy.
You know, I lost some friends along the way, but my family stuck by me.
That's all that matters.
Wish my family was like that.
Well, the thing is other people can support you, too.
It doesn't matter if it's your kin or not.
What matters is you get the support you need however it comes.
What I'm trying to say is I got your back.
It doesn't mean I won't stop whoopin' your ass - at this game, though.
- JOVAN: [LAUGHS.]
Dominoes, son! BOTH: [LAUGHING.]
I'll be in your ear the whole time.
Whatever you need, I'm gonna talk to you.
I'll guide you.
Oh, what's Hamptons doing with Agent Smith over there? KARA: [LAUGHS.]
Dani's fans called Garrett out online for benching her.
So, he's feeling a little threatened.
Whoa, she sicced her rabid supporters on him? - That's gangsta.
- KARA: [LAUGHS.]
Well, I can't prove it.
But she's definitely not denouncing it.
"Garrett Keswick is an alt-left libtard "who should stick to modeling J.
Crew - and stay out of fake news.
" - KARA: [LAUGHS.]
What? That's it? We covered a dance show and a celebrity self-help book today.
Political extremism is definitely - new territory for him.
- ORLANDO: [LAUGHS.]
You should tell him try being a Black woman on TV.
Ha! Or any woman with an opinion.
MARY JANE: Lesley Jones' trolls make his look like Christmas elves.
If she'd got a bodyguard every time somebody threatened to drive a spike up her vagina, she'd have an army.
KARA: Oh, what's got you all up in arms, girl? MARY JANE: So, I got ahold of Lee's script.
Oh, was it worse than you thought? Let's just say my character makes Cookie Lyon's look like a Sunday school teacher.
Hold on one second, MJ.
There's something I need to tell you.
- Should I let you go? - KARA: No, no, no.
[KNOCK AT DOOR.]
Is Marco coming to join us again for dinner? No, that's what I'm trying to tell you.
MARY JANE: What's going on? Hi.
Can I help you? Orlando! [LAUGHING.]
ORLANDO: Oh.
Kara, I want you to meet mi mamá.
Oh.
[LAUGHS.]
MARY JANE: Kara? Mary Jane, I've gotta call you back.
Orlando's mother just walked in.
MARY JANE: Holy shit! PATRICK: Mom, dessert is on its way.
Are you gonna tell me what's going on or what? Well, what did your father tell you? He told me to talk to you.
[HEAVY SIGH.]
Before I was with your father, I fell in love with a young serviceman and that man was Frank.
Dad's friend who just showed up? That's right.
It has been 44 years since I've laid eyes on Frank.
I just never expected those feelings to come rushing back.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
You're not saying you're not steppin' out on dad? Oh, it's more complicated than that.
If you were so in love, how'd you and dad end up together? Your father was a good man, and he always cared for me.
That doesn't answer my question.
Patrick, you've gotta understand that this was a different time, the '70s.
Now when Frank re-enlisted, I was in a bind.
A bind? And your father stepped up.
What kind of bind? Pregnant? Oh, man, I don't wanna hear this.
- But, Patrick - [HEAVY SIGH.]
Paul will always be your father.
Always.
But Frank he's your blood.
Blood?! - Patrick.
- Look, no! - Patrick.
- No! No! No! [GASPING.]
I'm sorry.
Delphine.
Oh, my goodness.
It's so great to meet you.
DELPHINE & KARA: [LAUGHING.]
DELPHINE: Well, we would have met sooner, but Orlando might have mentioned I was out in Miami the past few months helping my sister with her newborn.
Oh, my goodness, you have a sister with a newborn? - Yes! - Wow.
[LAUGHS.]
- So cute.
- Mm-hm.
But Marco tells me you're the woman behind my son speaking on all these sports shows.
Kara's a great producer.
Well, if everything works out, Orlando's gonna be the face of a new show very soon.
Are you? Well, something more to celebrate this afternoon.
This afternoon? Oh, I hope you don't mind.
I planned a little reunion celebration at the park in our neighborhood.
I always like to do it whenever Orlando's been away for a stretch.
It'll be fun.
I'm sure you'll be very surprised to see where Orlando came from.
[LAUGHING.]
I'm already surprised.
- To Orlando.
- To Orlando.
[GLASSES CLINKING.]
[LOUD SMOOCH.]
Mr.
Lagos! Mr.
Lagos! Will you sign my ball? Yeah, sure.
It's like watching a whole team of little Orlandos.
I wish he would make a team of mini-Orlandos himself, you know what I mean? [CHUCKLES.]
I already have two of my own.
They're teenagers.
They live back in Atlanta with their father.
Your kids aren't here with you? I go back and forth.
That's why I don't see you at the games.
Well, I have to work, you know? Too bad.
I never missed any of Orlando's games when he was a boy.
Wow.
Really? Gosh, that's great.
I knew he was born to play baseball from the time he was old enough to hold a bat.
Wow, that young, huh? In high school he got distracted by girls here and there.
But you kept him on track, huh? And that's why I'm here.
To keep him on track? My son won't be retiring from baseball any time soon.
KARA: [CHUCKLING.]
Hi, papi! [BLOWS KISSES.]
Estoy triste y llorando Abandonado, estoy triste y llorando You saw those kids' faces today.
They look up to me.
And they will still look up to you when you're a broadcaster.
Wearing a suit and tie on TV ain't inspiring not to those kids.
Orlando, they have a much better chance of wearing a suit and tie than they do baseball cleats.
Hey, papi, you don't think I see how envious you look when you see those guys at Sports Center doing what you wanna be doing, huh? But what if it doesn't work out? Look at Tiki Barber.
He went for it and now where is he? I know it's a big risk, baby, but listen to me.
Look how far you have come, huh? I remember when you first got in front of an anchor desk.
You could barely get two words out.
- [LAUGHING.]
- Come on.
And look at you.
What? You've got major networks knocking on your door.
Are you gonna choke? Look, I'm not choking.
It Do you want this? Huh? Hm? Well, what about you? If I remember correctly, I'm not the only person who is trying to get somewhere.
- You had big plans, too.
- Yeah, I know, I know.
I've been a little gun shy since I got back to "GDU.
" And, meanwhile, Justin's making all the moves.
- Well - Mama? I can start to plan my future, if you agree to go through with the segment tomorrow.
- Game on.
- Game on.
All right, and do you know what? Why don't we invite Delphine so she can watch you in action.
Okay.
[KISSES.]
Kara! Kara! And you must be Mary Jane Paul! [LAUGHING.]
MARY JANE: Oh! DELPHINE: Ohhhh ¡Ay, qué Linda estás! It is so great to meet a real, live, famous person! Oh, girl, I put my heels on one at a time, like everybody else.
[LAUGHING.]
Begrudgingly.
Hi, I'm Aaliyah, Mary Jane's publicist.
And I'm Ty, her hairstylist.
So, does Orlando get his own stylist and publicist, too? If he knocks this segment out of the park, he just may.
KARA: Delphine, I thought maybe we could do a little quick tour around the place, you know, show you how everything operates.
Sounds good.
I really need to caffeinate here.
It's way too early for me.
Oh, it's right over there.
Help yourself.
Yeah.
Mm-hm.
MARY JANE: This is genius.
She'sshe's basically you.
I have nothing in common with that woman.
[GASPS.]
Thanks, mama! - See? - KARA: Stop it.
Delphine! We're gonna go look at the control room, okay? Yeah.
Yeah.
AALIYAH: They even walk alike.
MARY JANE: It's so creepy.
Are you ready to prep for the interview? Oh, to the bat cave.
Okay, the goal is to make me look good.
I wanna be as clean as a Sunday school teacher.
- Got it? - Got it.
I'll play Charlamagne, and you be you.
Now I know you can handle the softballs, so, let's get right to the dirt.
Is it true? Are you the girlfriend in Lee's new sitcom? First, let me point out that this is loosely based on our relationship, and that there are some creative licenses to be taken into account on these types of projects.
So, you're not mad at being portrayed like a hoe? That'swhat? That's what you took away from the script? It's a potential question that could come up.
- Back to the interview.
- Okay.
So, is it opinion or fact? You know there's two sides to every story.
Did you step out on your man, your loyal man, your black unicorn? Okay, first of all, he wasn't a unicorn, okay, and we were practically broken up When you cheated.
There is always a reason for why we do what we do.
I jumped into things with Lee, but I was still dealing with a broken mindset from years of heartbreak from past relationships.
Okay, that just sounds like you're not taking responsibility for your actions.
I'm happy for Lee, you know, I really am.
But let's admit his project is trafficking in the same tired-ass tropes that Black women are crazy.
Black women are promiscuous.
Black women are angry.
But have Black men ever taken responsibility for driving us to that? We live in a society thatthat treats us like we're the bottom of the barrel when it comes to romance.
Couple that with having to constantly prove ourselves as worthy enough, right? Be confident, baby girl, but not intimidating.
Be smart, but not emasculating.
Never enough, but too much.
Too damn much all at the same damn time.
Men are encouraged to objectify our bodies, but the second we search for sexual satisfaction, oh, baby, we are called whores.
Okay, Mary Jane, I think we should stop right there.
I don't think you're ready for this interview.
Look, somebody needs to say this and it it might as well be me.
I'm qualified.
[LAUGHS.]
Okay, but you're all over the place right now.
I mean, you're heated, emotional, defensive.
Girl, you sound bitter.
And you sound like everybody else.
What? When they talk about Black women nobody ever asks H-How? Why? Why do they feel like this? Look atlook at my relationship.
I was tempted to cheat on Lee before Justin.
Never did it.
But how did I get to that point? Is it because I I think I don't deserve a guy like Lee? I mean, and if that's the case, what the hell does that say about my relationship with Justin? Look, um I know you have a lot of your mind right now.
Well, yeah.
But if you say any of this during the interview, people will think you're crazy.
As your friend.
Don't get it twisted.
Right now, you are my publicist, not my friend.
Can you get this done, Aaliyah, or do I need to find someone else? I always get the job done and I will.
But remember why you hired me in the first place.
I'm not a yes woman.
So, if that's the kind of company you wanna keep, I might not be right for the job.
So my son wears make-up now? It's just part of being on camera, ma.
I don't want him looking foolish.
Didn't you say you wanted him to have a stylist? To do his hair, not to make him look like a girl.
KARA: You know what? Michael Strahan is not complaining, and he's making $20 million on "GMA" right now.
Twenty million dollars? - Mm-hm.
And he's more recognizable now than he ever was in the NFL.
Don't worry, your boy's in good hands.
- I got him.
- ORLANDO: Yes, I am.
KARA: Uh, you know what? Why don't I have Hopper take you to the Green Room.
They have tons of snacks.
It's a wonderful room.
Hey, Hopper, um, can you take Delphine - to the Green Room for me? - Sure.
Okay? Show her around a little bit.
- I'll see you in a bit.
- DELPHINE: [BLOWS KISS.]
- GARRETT: Uh, Kara? - Yeah? I need to speak with you and Orlando before the segment.
- Okay.
Yeah.
- Sure.
How would you two feel if, uh, Dani sat in on Orlando's interview? No, Garrett.
You're just doing this because the trolls are getting to you, and it's not the way to handle it.
I think this is the perfect place to put Dani's brand of celebrity to good use, and it will also be approaching the story from both sides of the debate.
- Garrett? - Mm? If you give in to Dani's demands, you empower her trolls.
Wait, Dani.
She's the conservative one, right? - KARA: Yes.
- GARRETT: Mm-hm.
I think it'd be a good idea to have her ask me some questions.
Oh, no.
No, no, no.
She will tear you apart.
Well, thanks for the vote of confidence.
Look, Dani knows that she'll have to keep her, um, opinions in check.
KARA: Yeah, if she would have known that, you wouldn't have had to bench her.
And, besides, Orlando's completely not prepared for this kind of an interview.
Yeah, but if I can take her on, that will embolden the protest.
[HEAVY SIGH.]
Gosh.
Garrett, will you give us a minute? Uh, yeah, of course.
[CLEARS THROAT.]
- Okay.
- It's fine.
No.
I have to ask.
Are you looking for a way to sabotage this interview to give your mother what she wants? Damn, Kara.
Have a little faith.
Okay, but Bryant Gumbel's producers are in there right now.
Your whole future is riding on this.
I'll survive.
Okay.
["GREAT DAY USA" THEME MUSIC.]
In today's political environment, "protest" has become an everyday word, and now it's hitting the baseball diamond as some of the top Latino players are refusing to stand during the National Anthem, and one of those players is here with us today New York second baseman, Orlando Lagos.
Orlando, thank you for being here.
Thank you for having me.
Orlando tell us uh, your team's doing really great right now.
Why do this? We're standing up because we believe that Latinos are being unfairly targeted for deportation.
Come on, you can tell me.
You hate America, don't you? Who is this bitch? You don't wanna know.
DANI: But, really, do you think that this is the right way to make a change? I do.
I do.
It doesn't mean that it's the only way.
Um, you can donate money to the ACLU and other organizations, but it seems that sitting gets people's attention a lot quicker.
So, do you mean that you're out to seek attention at the cost of your own patriotism? Well, I'm patriotic, I Let met just step in and say that I think that we can all be patriotic and still have concerns for our government.
- Right.
- DANI: Of course.
But sitting down during your nation's anthem? Some Americans would say that would be the equivalent of flag burning.
Which is legal, isn't it? Yeah, ISIS does it all the time, but does that make it right? Did she just compare my son to a terrorist? Mmm-hmm-hmm.
ORLANDO: The protest has nothing to do with terrorism.
I wanna talk to him.
Orlando? Listen, you need to change the conversation right now.
Okay? Talk about your upbringing, your version of America.
Talk to her about your mom.
Dani, you like Ronald Reagan, right? He was a great Republican.
And what about his stance on immigration? See, my mother was one of three million people granted amnesty back in '86 when he passed his Immigration Reform and Control Act.
But it's not 1986.
We have terrorists streaming into our country now.
No, it certainly isn't, but that was a time when even the most Conservative politician saw immigration for what it is a humanitarian issue.
My mother risked her life because she believed the words on the Statue of Liberty.
But she did break the law.
Yes, but if Reagan had looked at it that way, I wouldn't be sitting here today.
Because your mom would have been deported.
Exactly.
But if she can defy those odds, and crawl her way to a better life, well, then certainly I can weather sitting before a game and dealing with internet trolls.
See, in my mind, standing up for an America that models the words "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free," that's the most patriotic thing I can do.
Inspiring.
How would your mom feel about you besmirching a country that she worked so hard to get to? Some people would say the fact you don't realize your privilege is the greatest tragedy of all.
We all live with privilege, Dani.
At least I'm trying to use mine for good.
[BELL RINGS.]
FLOOR MANAGER: And we're clear.
Kara.
Kara.
You know, I always hoped Orlando would be like Bo Jackson dominating two pro sports at the same time.
Delphine, I know this is But this is even better.
I mean, what I just saw was one big contact sport.
And that little firecracker was as scary as any linebacker.
[LAUGHING.]
Yeah.
But he held his own.
And he seemed to enjoy doing it.
KARA: [LAUGHS.]
So? ALL: [LAUGHING.]
You were amazing.
Orlando, a player is nothing without his coaches, and this lady here is a damn good coach.
I wouldn't be here, if it wasn't for her.
[KISSES.]
Hey, congratulations.
I just heard Orlando kick Dani's ass back to Ponca City.
Yes, he did.
You know it feels so good to fight for the important stuff and win, you know? But, listen, we have to talk about your Breakfast Club interview.
Mm-hm, Aaliyah just told me about your little prep session.
She needs to be scheduling the interview, not running to you.
Don't be mad at her.
- She called me crazy.
- Well, you are crazy.
I can say that, and you can say that, but she has not earned the right to say that.
Look, just go easy on her.
We both know that she's smart as a whip.
You know, she's pretty much been right about everything, Mary Jane.
All this stuff that you're dealing with, like Simone's death, and Lee's ex, and the TV show and and Justin being gone, this is all getting in your head and you're spiraling.
- It's that obvious? - Yes.
You need to focus on yourself, and what you care about your work.
My work wearing sombreros and making up fake love stories about my boyfriend? We need to get back to the real Mary Jane, hm, the old Mary Jane.
Well, yeah, I would love that.
I would love to do a deep dive in a into an important story like we used to.
But the problem is we signed up for morning TV where fluff always wins.
Well, then, you know what? Let's get us a prime time special, huh, a one-hour in-depth story about something you really care about.
That would be amazing.
But it takes most anchors years before they get something like that.
You just leave that to me.
In the meantime, you need to apologize to Aaliyah.
Uh-huh, uh-huh.
[SIGHING.]
[DOG BARKING IN DISTANCE.]
PAUL SR.
: Where have you been? You movin' out, too? Why didn't you tell me? [TSKS.]
I raised you as my own son.
Thatthat that's all that matters.
That's not all that matters! This was your mother's secret to tell, not mine.
My entire lie is a lie.
A lie that you created.
Why would you do this to me, huh? I'm in just as much pain as you are, Son.
Don't! Don't call me that! Don't call me son.
You don't think that I'm not mad that she chose that degenerate addict over me? What? Frank was an addict, too? [SCOFFS.]
Alcohol.
Gambling.
Who knows what? What? All these years, I struggled with drugs, and you nearly disowned me because of it, you didn't think to tell me it was in my blood this entire time? That would not have helped.
It would be just another excuse.
What are you telling me? I am still your father.
- [TSKS.]
- [LABORED BREATHING.]
And I'm just as mad at her as you are.
[LABORED BREATHING.]
[TSKS.]
[LABORED BREATHING.]
Oh, Aaliyah.
You were right.
Is it too late to cancel the interview? Oh, I'm sure I can find a way out of it.
You really don't wanna do it now? No, um, and I owe you an apology.
I was too harsh before.
You don't have to apologize.
No, I do, 'cause even when this place forces me into survival mode, I still want to be your mentor, not a tyrant.
I don't need yes people or just a publicist.
I want a friend, someone who's gonna be honest with me.
That someone is you.
I appreciate that.
I also decided no more MJ-Justin updates.
I get it.
What's good for the brand, ain't always good for you.
You read my mind.
Oh, sorry I was so rough on your boyfriend earlier.
Oh, pffft! I think he held his own.
- Really? - Mm-hm.
That's not what my peeps are sayin'.
[LAUGHING.]
You realize you just proved me right.
What are you talking about? Orlando did great and Dani's trolls stopped trolling.
I don't have to pay for bodyguards.
It's a win-win all around.
- Not for you.
- Huh? You created a monster.
Her fans are going nuts tweeting about how she creamed Orlando.
[HEAVY SIGH.]
That doesn't make sense.
Red and blue watch the same debate, and see it two very different ways.
[SIGHING.]
I hate politics.
I warned you, Garrett.
You gave in to the terrorists.
Hmph.
What should we do? Let me handle it.
I can help keep Dani at bay.
How? [LAUGHING.]
A producer never reveals her secrets.
But if I pull this off, I need something from you.
[GROANING.]
What is it? I wanna do a prime time show with Mary Jane, one night, in the Fall.
But that's a big ask.
Hey, you're the guy hand-picked to run the show before turning 30.
I'm sure you have futures up your sleeve.
- Hmph.
- KARA: [LAUGHS.]
Okay, if you contain Dani, I'll do my best to make it happen.
Great.
Thank you.
- Mm-hm.
MARY JANE: I can't believe you did it.
Are you doubting my negotiation skills? Never.
But now we can get back to doing the stories that really matter.
Only with a much wider audience.
- Pffft! - KARA: [LAUGHS.]
The idea of doing this interview has got me thinking a lot about the past.
But if I'm being brutally honest, I mean, I've tanked every relationship I've ever had, and I don't know why.
Well, mama, that's that's a question only you can answer.
I've been looking and searching to find a way - Hi, I'm Patrick.
- ALL: Hi, Patrick.
And I'm a drug addict.
[SIGHING.]
I've been sober one year, two months, and one week, but [SIGHS.]
lately, I've been wanting to get high more than I ever have in a long, long time.
[CHUCKLES.]
I was just starting to get my life in order, but I got some bad news that sent me into a tailspin.
I always felt like an outcast in my own family, and now I see [QUIET LAUGH.]
there might be a reason for that.
[EXHALES.]
I thought I was lost before.
[EXHALES.]
But now [QUIET LAUGH.]
[EXHALES.]
I'm so far gone, I don't know if I'll ever get back.
Keep believing Your weapon don't retrieve it [DOORBELL RINGS.]
If you can see that Reward you will receive it Keep believing Your weapon don't retrieve it Hopper, it's 9:30.
Uh, yeah, these came for you after you left, so I thought I'd drop 'em by.
Did Aaliyah send them? Uh, no, they're from Justin.
If you can see that - Careful.
- Oh, it's heavy.
- Got it? - Yeah.
Thank you.
Can you close my door? - Yeah.
- Thanks.
Your weapon don't retrieve it If you can see that Reward you will receive it Keep believing Your weapon don't retrieve it Ahhhh! [GIGGLING.]
Reward you will receive it Keep believing Your weapon don't retrieve it If you can see that Reward you will receive it Keep believing