Are you seriously reading plays right now?
- What is it like 6:30 in the morning? - Why?
What are you trying to get into?
Well, if you got to ask, nevermind.
- I'm playin'. I'm playin'. I'm playin'. - I'm kidding...
I just don't want you killing yourself from all this football work.
It's paying off in practice.
Kinda.
Since my fumble, I'm back to being invisible to Coach Garrett.
Babe, you're the same guy that got shot
and then led your team to the state finals.
You got this.
So, what time you planning on going to Muscle Group Fitness re-launch tonight?
I'm not.
I figured they were just inviting me to be nice.
I shouted them out on socials.
Besides, I've got to keep my head in this playbook.
But we were all planning on going to support you.
I mean, aren't you their sponsee or whatever?
Y'all ain't gotta do that.
It's not a big deal.
Every accomplishment is worth celebrating.
I got Anthropology this morning.
Yo, what kinda person thinks
it's a good idea to start a lecture at 8:00 a.m?
The kind that reads plays at 6:30 in the morning.
C'mon, girl.
Mmm! No.
Oh, uh...
Sorry. I thought this was empty.
It's all good. Ain't like we haven't shared a bathroom before.
Sorry.
Thank you.
Mmm, mmm.
Wait. I'm done. Okay. You can stay.
Am I crazy or has it been days since we've seen each other?
(sighs) It has been nonstop at the studio.
But we're still in for the gym re-launch, right?
Yeah, except it might be without Spencer.
I mean, I figured I'd still go and rep the home team.
- So if you're still down... - Yeah, count me in.
I'm actually looking forward to a night out
that doesn't involve musicians for once.
(Coop) Morning.
Uh, I should head out.
Wait, wait, wait.
Have you and Patience really not made up since the whole Clay misunderstanding?
No, we did.
- Sort of. - Okay.
I'm glad that we're all here at once because I went to a really cute bakery
and I thought that we could have breakfast together.
Uh, I got to be early for my first day at the nursing home.
Your mom came through with this pre-trial diversion program.
- I ain't trying to mess up. - Yeah, I've got studio sessions. So...
I'm literally running late to an appointment
and there's not enough bathrooms in this house, so.
Okay, look. I know a lot has happened recently.
Okay? Fights, breakups.
But I mean all the more reason to break bread, you know?
And besides, there is nothing that a blueberry scone can't fix.
A scone? That's the White side of you coming out.
Black people ain't eating nothing harder than corn bread.
-(chuckles) - I promise, Liv. We're all good. Okay.
See ya.
(people chattering indistinctly)
Here.
Figured you might have missed that while dozing off in class.
"Finish chapter 13 by next class..."
- Thank you. - Rough night?
Early Morning, actually. Thanks.
You're lucky I'm a fan of yours.
I'm Davita.
Spencer.
I'm guessing you didn't watch our last game?
- Fumbles are part of the game. - So you did see.
You also fumbled when you played against my alma mater.
North Lynwood High last season.
Then went on to score four touchdowns that game.
Six, actually. Two of those got called back.
Y'all was what? Two and eight last season?
Hey! At least our ball made it across the goal line last game.
- Touché. -(chuckles)
Listen, I know how crippling a setback can be,
and I know how Coach Garrett is especially tough on freshmen.
But my money's on you to win him over.
Well, I don't know about that last part, but I appreciate the vote of confidence.
I'll see you around.
(Coach Baker) All right. Good.
To what do I owe the pleasure of Billy Baker's infamous grits?
Come on, now. This is big for you.
First day, a new case with attorney Laura Baker.
Plus, you've been tapping your finger all morning.
You know that, right?
You were doing it last night in your sleep too.
- No, I did not. - You did.
This is ridiculous.
- I don't know why I'm so nervous. - Because this matters.
You said yourself.
You wanted to use your power to help those in the community who really need it.
- This client represents that. - Well, I'm not hired yet.
It's just an introductory meeting that Grace set up
- with the potential client's mother. - Come on now.
You're going to have this in the bag within the first five minutes.
My grits will guarantee it.
Oh.
Also, um...
So this is a meal where you can actually add the raisins.
We are really not going to let that one go, are we?
Grits are a safe space for raisins, right? Mashed potatoes...
- Not so much. Thanks. - ...not so much.
-(whistle blows) - Break.
Here we go.
We go down 10.
Ready. Wide, and hut.
(blows whistle)
Nice awareness in the pocket, Baker.
Shepherd, solid coverage.
All right, fellas. Clear the field.
Kickoff team, you're up. Let's go.
How'd you pull this off? Practices are closed.
To the public, but not fellow athletes.
Let me guess... soccer?
You got marks on your shins from shin guards.
Tan lines from the knee socks.
Them grass stains are a dead giveaway.
Note to self. Find stronger laundry detergent.
Anyway, I better get back.
I don't want to give Coach Garrett anymore ammo against me.
Actually, I have a proposition for you.
A way to get you back on the field and on Coach Garrett's radar in a good way.
But it'll be a slight departure from the Spencer James
who barely posts on social media.
What do you mean?
Well, the value from endorsement deals brought by the new NIL rules
are very advantageous for us athletes and universities.
And how exactly does that get me back on the field?
We start with a social media makeover.
Make you as big as the athlete you are.
I did the whole social media thing with this Angry Hippo drink.
It wasn't me.
I promise my approach is hippo free, and you'll have expert help.
I'm a branding and marketing major, and I'm damn good at it.
You really want to be the only top recruit to go under the radar?
Look, the only radar I care about is the depth chart.
So I'm gonna stick to figuring out on the field.
But thanks for trying to help.
Looking good, dude.
Coach, wanted to see me?
Yeah. Come in. Come in. I wanted to...
get your thoughts on something.
Okay.
Ooh!
Our corner needs to get more depth in his drop and strong side backer
- can handle the flat. - Wrong, wrong page.
There. We digging the navy blue suit or the black pin stripe?
The wife's getting honored at a gala in a few weeks, and I need to look classy.
(chuckles softly)
- I'd go with the navy one. - Excellent. Excellent.
I do look better in blue.
Coach, I was wondering if I could...
maybe help you with more game planning stuff.
No. No, I got that covered.
But I do need you to make copies of this
and set it on all the coaches' desks for me.
As if I don't already have enough on my plate.
Player eligibility is a pain in my ass.
All right.
What you got?
- Money. -(Garrett) Contain, contain, contain.
As soon as that ball is in the air,
you got to be finding someone to hit.
That dude stay wildin'. Especially on that.
I mean, he started off as a special teams coach right here.
Rose through the ranks.
Makes sense, he'd be tougher on them.
It's crazy how Rowe and Carroll was top in their class,
and now they on special teams.
Last thing I'm trying to do is end up like them.
Whoa. Hey, getting on the field is crazy hard at this level.
I mean, at least those guys are playing.
All right.
Spence, come on man. Stop worrying. You're gonna bounce back.
When?
Look, I spent weeks watching game tape, studying plays, ballin' out at practice.
At this point, what else can I do, man?
Well, maybe it's time to move away from the playbook, you know, switch things up.
Kinda like how yoga helped you find balance.
What's the harm in keeping that same energy and thinking outside the box?
Three, two, one.
(Asher) Yo, JJ.
How are you failing Intro to Film Studies?
Ah, it's a total misunderstanding.
I was going to email my professor and clear it up.
He thinks I plagiarized a paper.
- Whose paper? - Mine.
From high school, which I told him, by the way.
Remember when I wrote on the Rock?
No, no, no, no, no. How much of that paper did you use?
Chill. I'd say like maybe 70% tops.
- Besides, it's mine. - Dude, it is still plagiarism though.
And now you are on a list of potentially ineligible players.
- Wait, for real? - Yeah.
Look, I talked to some of your teammates.
There's this guy who helps with essay writing
for a small fee, and apparently , he is worth every penny.
A ghost writer?
Dude, so now I'm really cheating?
No, no, no, no. A tutor.
JJ, if you don't pass, you're done for the year,
which would suck.
You started for the first time last week.
This could be a hell of a season for you, man.
Okay.
Okay, fine. I'll give it a try.
Great.
(man) You got Mrs. Lee in 106.
She'll try to bribe you into sneaking her candy. Don't take the bait.
I won't.
And 107 is Miss Maritta. By far our best resident.
All she does is keeps quiet and watch her soaps all day.
Okay. And what exactly am I going to be doing?
You take out the trash. Help tidy as needed.
You can start with Miss Maritta.
Okay.
Hey, I'm Coop.
I'm here to just clean up a bit and be out your way.
You returned home on Jason and Carly's wedding night just in time, just...
Carly...
My aunt's obsessed with this show.
It's so bad she'll go weeks without watching and then catch up in one sitting.
She's as bad as I am with Love and Hip Hop.
Hey, thanks for coming.
I tried to catch you after soccer practice,
but your coach is hardcore.
(chuckles)
How much did it hurt for you to have to actually use social media
and hit me in my DMs?
I feel gross.
(laughs)
So how's that hard work on the field going?
Paying off yet?
I'm thinking outside the box, just in case it doesn't.
I'm willing to listen to your branding idea.
Wow. Don't do me any favors.
Wait, wait. No, no. Wait, wait, wait. My bad.
Spencer, I'm kidding. Relax.
So there was this athlete who was struggling with some family issues.
She ended up having a bad exhibition game and was benched indefinitely.
A few games later, a senior encouraged her to take control of her narrative
and return to the reason why she started playing in the first place.
She ended up posting a video, speaking openly
about how hard life had been since her mom got sick.
That video blew up, sponsors poured in, and eventually she got back
to kicking ass on the field while making six figures
in endorsement deals.
That's a dope turn.
That athlete was me.
I'm sorry about your mom.
Thanks.
Listen.
I can see how that worked for you.
But our situations aren't the same.
Me going online and admitting I had a bad game, it just...
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Where you going?
So much for being willing to listen.
Look, if you're not going to keep an open mind
and do the work to dig deep, I'm not going to waste either of our time.
Okay.
Let's give it a shot.
Saffron.
- Hey, how you doing? - Good.
Meet my friend and gifted attorney, Laura Baker.
Laura, this is Mrs. Saffron Hosea.
Her son, Jameal is serving time for grand larceny.
Mrs. Hosea, thank you so much for the opportunity.
I've just been talking to Grace about how there is such a lack
of affordable legal counsel within this community.
And I really think that I can help fill that void.
That sounds nice.
I wish you decided to play white savior back when you actually had influence.
I only took this meeting because I wanted to look the former D.A. in the eye,
and tell you how you ruined my Jameal's life.
I'm sorry, I'm not following.
It was one of your former ADA's specifically
who pushed to have him sentenced,
a first time offender, to a decade in prison.
I understand your pain.
The truth is, there were a plethora of cases during my time and I couldn't
oversee every single one of them.
Jameal's case might have been just another file on your desk, but he is my son.
So I would never hire you.
And good luck finding anyone in this community
that would dare trust you with a 10-foot pole.
Welcome to the neighborhood.
Yo, please tell me we didn't get called
to some emergency roommate meeting for some cult ceremony.
No, this is my attempt to strip the negative energy
that's been festering and fix us.
Liv, we said everything is fine.
Yeah? So then why did you respond separately to my "let's hang" group text?
- Exactly. - I mean, I can't speak for everyone,
but I personally hate group texts.
It doesn't matter, okay? We're hosting a game night tomorrow.
I already invited the guys and your attendance is mandatory.
Wait, tomorrow? I've got back to back meetings, so.
I am getting my hair braided.
You know, maybe I should start charging rent.
Market value.
And it isn't cheap.
Okay.
Yep. I guess I can change my appointment to Sunday.
- Mmm-hmm. - Yeah, message sent.
I'll be there.
Great.
All right. Love that.
Love you guys.
(sighs)
- Mmm! - Mmm-mmm.
Thanks again for helping out, J.
You're kidding, right?
I mean, I wasn't going to miss a front row seat
of you making a complete fool of yourself.
So not helpful.
And don't worry, Spencer.
I'll have you out in time for that gym relaunch you posted about.
- I'm not going to that. - Yes, you are.
Publicity is a good thing.
Some event photos will be a solid complement to this video
- we're about to shoot. - Okay.
Now try and look less uncomfortable.
- That's impossible. - Shut up.
So, who is Spencer James and why do you love football?
Okay. Um...
I'm originally from South LA. Born and raised...
Yeah, born and raised in South LA.
Was it on the playground where you spent most of your days?
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's been a long day.
(Spencer sighs)
Breathe.
Don't overthink it.
This is just a casual conversation.
Two athletes talking shop.
Like, tell me why you started playing football.
Man.
I started playing because It was the first place...
that I really felt alive.
Whenever my feet touch the grass, it just felt right.
I don't know how best to describe it.
I just know that nothing had ever made me feel like that before.
There was this one time when I was eight...
(Raj) The essay prompt seems pretty straightforward.
What's the story of adversity you faced
as it relates to one of your favorite films?
I actually think I might have a new spin.
- Can I run it by you? - That's what you're paying me for.
- Shoot. - Okay.
So I was thinking I could write about this riff
my best friend Jordan and I had in high school,
and we were competing for the QB1 spot.
The title will be something like, "Are we bros, no mo?"
A tale of two bros
and Fast Five.
- Vin Diesel's Fast Five? - Yes, when Hobbs was introduced,
Aka, my boy The Rock.
And I don't know how I didn't put this together before,
but Dom and Hobbs started off as enemies,
only to realize they were more powerful as allies.
Like, bro, that was literally me and Jordan.
I mean, in our case, it was kind of friends
to frenemies to friends again, but the metaphor paints itself.
Why don't I take this all in,
take a crack at the outline and I'll get back to you?
Sounds solid, bro.
I feel bad about setting up that meeting.
I had no idea she was going to ambush you like that.
I mean, I get that she's upset because it's her son,
but she does understand that I'm here trying to help, right?
Okay.
There's a very fine line between "ally" kinda help and "savior" kinda help.
Wait, you agree with her?
I'm the poster child for white savior syndrome?
That's not what I said, Laura. My point is it is a fine line.
And because Saffron doesn't really know you personally,
it's easy to see how from her perspective, you're just coming in
trying to save a community that doesn't need to be saved.
- It needs resources. - Maybe she's right.
Maybe I shouldn't be trying to help.
Not like this.
Okay, easy.
Nobody said that either.
You are a part of this community now, Laura.
You and Billy live here.
It's a part of who your kids are.
Just give everybody a little more time to get to know the real you.
Not the DA they see on their TV screens.
Then we can all come together as a community.
And listen to what we all really need.
And see how we can become that resource.
I opened this gym almost five years ago with some small savings and a dream.
The first few years, we couldn't get over 100 clients,
and I was on the verge of shutting down. Materializing our dreams...
So glad you changed your mind and decided to show.
- Yeah, hoping I don't regret it. - ...a very different approach.
Thanks to Golden Angeles Wide Receiver, Spencer James,
grew to a couple hundred clients in just a few months.
Spencer, would you care to share a few words?
You'll do great.
Hey, what changed Spencer's mind anyway?
Uh...
Less of a what, more of a who.
- Who's that? - That's Davita.
(Spencer) Thank you. Uh...
This gym and Mickey are a beautiful reminder
to all of us to never stop dreaming.
There's always a path to that dream, and it just might look
a little different than you once thought.
My dream is to make it to the NFL one day.
And today a new friend helped me remember
when I first started dreaming that dream back in pee wee ball.
Remembering what it felt like.
So I have an idea of what all this means to you, Mickey.
And I am honored to play even a small part in helping you get this dream.
Thank you, man.
(all applauding)
Olivia, right?
Hi. Um...
- Have we met? - No, But Spencer mentioned you,
and I've seen you guys around campus.
- Hi. I'm Davita. - Layla. Nice to meet you.
You must be the new friend that Spencer mentioned.
Guilty.
We were recording his Instagram video and he talked about...
- Sorry, there's an IG video? - Yep. It's droppin' tonight.
Part of Spencer's whole re-branding thing.
Re-branding? Are we talking about the same Spencer?
It's a whole new world.
Branding, marketing.
It all helps athletes reel in NIL endorsement deals
and, in Spencer's case, will help have him back on the field in no time.
It's funny. As a coach's daughter, I was taught that hard work on the field
is what gets players playing time. Not posting thirst traps for likes.
Wow! Okay. Have you guys tried the orange hors d'oeuvres?
Speaking from experience, fan demand can influence the depth chart.
Like I said, with NIL, it's a whole new world.
Hey, I see you guys have met.
Yeah, it's been, um...
a real pleasure.
Mmm-hmm.
(Spencer on video) Whenever my feet touched some grass, it just felt right.
I don't know how best to describe it.
I just know that nothing had ever made me feel like that before.
Hey, I thought you were crashing at the beach house last night.
Change of plans. I...
I was just tired. I wanted to be home.
So she could watch Spencer's video a billion times and drive us all crazy.
Sorry, I forgot you were asleep down here.
- Not anymore. - Wait, is this about Davita?
Who's Davita?
Uh...
Spencer's new friend.
Okay.
Um... (clears throat)
One day, it won't be awkward for us to talk about this,
and today is definitely not that day.
But Spencer cares about you.
So he made a new friend in college. What's the big deal?
Ain't that what you're supposed to do when you go to college?
(Patience) It's true. We're not like in high school anymore,
and our world is expanding.
- I don't know, I think it's healthy. - So it's healthy for my boyfriend
to be taking major career advice from some person he barely knows?
Is it healthy for my best friends to not be able to coexist in the same room?
We're co-existing now.
Okay, you know what?
Honestly, if you guys are just going to treat this as a joke,
then let's just forget the game night.
- Liv. -(Olivia) No, seriously.
I mean, clearly, I'm the only one
who cares about everything changing and not for the better.
So you guys do you and I'll worry about myself.
You know, we don't have to keep up this monthly mother and son brunch.
You're a busy man, Spencer James.
Hey, hey, hey.
I'm always gonna make time for my mom's, okay?
What's all that?
Your friend Davita reached out to me for some early football memories.
She says she's helping you with your social media.
- Wait, how'd she find you? - Twitter.
Man, that girl's resourceful.
Looking through these photos
has taken me on the journey of my baby's early days.
I was impressed with your video you posted, by the way.
Thanks.
Not everybody's a fan.
Oh.
- Liv? - Yeah.
Let's just say Liv and Davita didn't exactly click.
Davita thinks that boosting my social media
is a good way to get me back on the field.
Liv disagrees, and thinks it steals focus from the real work.
And what do you think?
I think that college ball is a whole new world,
and I'm still trying to figure it out.
You know...
I remember when you were in Pop Warner, and you hurt your shoulder.
You wanted to be on that field so bad,
you asked to be a kicker because you said...
Playing was all that mattered.
I don't know how that translate to college football,
but I'm sure you'll figure it out.
(phone vibrates)
(knocking at door)
Yo, dude. I thought we were meeting on campus.
I got practice.
Yeah, my bad.
I just figured I needed to do this now.
What's this?
- Where is my outline? - I'm reimbursing my fee.
Look, I couldn't pull it together.
And trust me, that is the first time I've said those words.
JJ, I don't know anything about you,
other than you play football, you like to work out and you love The Rock.
Bro, there's no way my social media is going to show you the real me.
For some reason, I don't think social media is to blame.
What do you mean by that?
I mean, when was the last time you faced an adversity?
I've been through the wringer from time to time.
Specifically when and how?
See, it's like you haven't been through anything real.
Well, thanks for the refund.
I can take my essay from here.
I was thinking of using the lesser known Rock movie,
like, Be Cool anyway.
I haven't seen it.
But...
good luck with that.
I don't need luck.
I got The Rock.
I mean, it was the only decision.
You know, Carly and I had to show united front for the families and a big
public wedding seemed like the right message.
-(phone vibrates) -(man) I don't disagree with that.
But one thing I want to know...
Look Liv, I know things are weird between Patience and I
and everything with us this morning, you know, is what got you upset.
But a forced game night wasn't going to fix anything anyway.
So how about you and I just grab dinner instead and talk for real?
You know, everyone thought Sonny was dead
when he went away for nine months and missed out on his wife
falling in love with his best friend and marrying him.
There's some good life advice here.
I...
I've no idea what you're talking about.
Soaps ain't really my thing.
To be honest, they be doing the most.
No offense.
Sounds like you do, too.
- Excuse me? - Shh!
It's about to get good.
Why am I here again?
Because I don't think that Saffron would have agreed to meet with me
if I'd asked her myself.
I just want to be clear.
Hey, I only took this meeting again because I love Grace James like a sister.
Well, I appreciate that.
Look, your son's original case deserved a more thorough review and fair judgment.
And for that I am truly sorry.
The bias in this system is one of the main reasons that I stepped down as DA.
Okay.
I reviewed Jameal's original case as well as his current situation
and he's got a really good chance at getting an early release
based on a history of good behavior.
In fact, there's no doubt in my mind that he can get it.
So I put together a list of good criminal defense attorneys
that can make that happen.
I don't want them.
I want you.
I'm confused because the last time we spoke,
you made it very clear that neither you or anyone in the community would hire me.
You're different than I expected.
And you owned your mistake and you believe in my son.
Besides, a judge is more likely to trust a woman
that looks like you above anyone else.
(sighs)
Can you guys believe the audacity of that dude, Raj?
Not helping with my outline.
Saying, I'm lacking adversity of all things.
Me?
Yeah. Overcoming privilege is so hard these days, right?
Look, the only adversity I've seen you go through
is crushing on Vanessa when she ain't like you back
and having to share QB spot with Jordan last year.
And neither of those are gonna cut it for a college paper.
- No. - You guys for real?
After everything we've been through together?
JJ, I mean, you've been there for us, which is what makes you a great friend.
But how many times did you come to us with your own drama?
Yeah, and real talk, man.
I don't believe you ain't been through nothing.
I think you're worried that if people know,
they ain't going to see you as the cool, fun, spread the love JJ.
Which couldn't be further from the truth.
Hey.
Um...
Can we talk?
Yeah.
I've been calling you all afternoon.
I know, I'm sorry. I got called into the paper.
Plus, I figured it'd be better if we talk face to face.
And I want to clear the air about Davita last night.
Look, I was going to introduce the two of y'all.
Everything happened so fast. I didn't even know she was coming.
Why did you change your mind about coming?
Because Davita reminded me that any publicity is good publicity.
Well, she must be quite the saleswoman then, because you hate publicity, Spencer,
and social media and anything else that distracts you from the game.
I hate the idea of not playing in the game even more.
Liv, I know this is different, but it's time I started
thinking outside the box, since nothing else is working with Coach Garrett.
Yeah, but does he even care about social media?
I don't know.
I'm just trying to follow Davita's lead in all this.
She is an elite athlete who's been where I am.
She might have been where you are,
but she doesn't really know who you are, Spencer.
And you're so consumed with trying
to impress Coach Garrett by any means that I...
I think that you're starting to forget who you are too.
(woman on TV) ...walked past Lenny's old fishing haunt...
to rescue your watch and
you returned home on Jason and Carly's...
Hold up. Have you been watching General Hospital all night?
- You know this show? - Yeah, it's my grandma's favorite.
Yo, this stuff, this stuff is addictive.
Okay. Can you believe this chick Nina straight hijacked nine months
of Sonny's life by making people think he was dead?
I'm surprised Carly ain't killed her yet.
See, Carly is known to slap a bitch so it'll be, it'll be coming soon.
Wow!
Yo...
It's a shame Liv isn't here to see us getting along.
I mean, yes, sharing space with exes,
it ain't easy.
Nope.
But I kind of knew we'd find our way back to being friends again.
- Right? - Right.
Friends.
(man on TV) The ceremony was all...
Alone.
My love for The Rock began...
Man, what is your obsession with this guy?
He's the GOAT.
But just let me finish.
Please.
My love began when he opened up about his mother's suicide attempt.
It's the reason he lives every single day with such purpose.
Summer,
before my freshman year,
my uncle and I almost died in a car crash in Hawaii.
He'd been drinking.
Everyone thought I spent the summer living it up on the beach.
But the truth is, I was...
recovering.
And it was The Rock's testimony about his mom that...
stuck with me and got me through.
That's why I live each day to the fullest and focus on the joy and the positive.
But I guess I missed part of his lesson.
He was brave enough to share his truth with the world and...
I was incapable of doing that.
Even with my closest friends.
Like them knowing my life wasn't perfectly fun all the time would change something,
you know.
- It's stupid but... - No, I get it.
I'm a queer man from a traditional Indian family.
Sometimes sharing our truth, whatever it is,
it's one of the hardest eggs to crack.
Yeah.
Well, I took another stab at the paper.
Can you give it a read?
I'd be happy to.
Thanks.
Good morning.
You look mighty chipper.
I guess you and your friends worked things out.
Wait. So you've been eavesdropping on me instead of watching your soaps?
Last I checked, it's my room and I can listen to whatever I want.
Okay, true.
Uh, but yes, me and my ex are
working things out.
I mean, things were actually pretty good between us this morning.
Word of advice from a woman who's been through life.
- Please. - Sit with the uncomfortable.
And don't be in a rush to try and fix things.
That's something my girl, Carly Corinthos could never do.
Wait, so you're saying that if Carly
wasn't in such a rush to try to fix things,
thinking her mob boss husband was dead,
that she wouldn't have ended up with two husbands?
Somebody's been watching General Hospital.
It's been on in the background.
Whatever.
Uh...
I'm going to make a phone call real quick. So excuse me, I'll be right back.
Yeah. The problem is she wants me because I'm White.
Not because I'm the best attorney for the job.
I mean, as a mother of two Black teens, I get it.
- But... - Yeah, baby. No buts.
You said that you wanted to be an ally.
Saffron told you exactly how to step up.
Sure, she was a bit pointed.
But at the end of day, do you think you can get her son out?
I know I can.
Then you've got to be the ally she's telling you she needs.
Bring that boy home.
You're right.
You're absolutely right.
All right. What's up with the mass summons?
Look, we've all been going through a lot lately.
A lot is changing and that ain't easy.
Relationships are changing.
Folks are trying to find boundaries with their colleague,
who's also their roommate, who is also their best friend.
I mean, we got people trying to figure out how to handle their bubbles,
expanding to include others.
Look, change is uncomfortable.
Growth is uncomfortable. Hell, adulting is uncomfortable.
So our instinct is to rush it and try to fix it.
But this is part of our journey. For all of us.
So we have to learn to sit in the uncomfortable, me included,
and trust that our family is strong enough to weather it.
- Coop's right. - I know I am.
We do not want to end up with two husbands.
My gosh, she's watching too much General Hospital.
Did she say two husbands?
- She did. -(Layla) Who did?
(Coop) Tell her about the girl.
-(Layla) Your grandma has two husbands? -(Patience) No, no.
(continue chattering indistinctly)
Thanks for coming.
Listen.
Don't take this the wrong way.
But that video, social media stuff,
it's not going to get me back on the field.
I mean, I get it from an influencer's perspective but...
Player's only as good as they last game not the sneaker deal they hope to secure.
I got to stay true to who I am.
I gotta do this my way.
You said your issue was you were invisible to Coach Garrett.
But the truth is, you stopped seeing yourself.
The real point of this video was to change your opinion
of what you're capable of, not landing some partnership.
Hold on, you knew what you've been doing all along?
Have you checked your video post recently?
You've got hundreds of likes and comments pouring in from people all over the world.
When we met three days ago, all you did was doubt you could get back on the field.
All these people think you can.
Finally, you know you can, too.
Now all you have to do is convince one more person.
Adams.
Come in.
- Need more suit approvals? - Not today.
I got word from JJ's professor.
He resubmitted a paper that brought his grade up.
According to JJ, that wouldn't have been possible without you.
Initiative goes a long way with me, Adams.
- Thank you. - Mmm-hmm.
One more thing.
You won't be free for jersey pickup on Saturday.
You'll be shadowing me on the sidelines.
- Wait, seriously? - Yes.
I don't want to hear a word out of you.
You stand there. You learn.
Quiet as my shadow on the ground.
You got some laundry to do or something?
Yep.
- Hey. Hard at work? - I figured out a pitch
for my next story at the LA Tribune Online.
What are you thinking?
Uh...
I want to examine the potential detriments of NIL,
and the burden that it brings to college athletes.
That's a change of pace for you.
I mean, NIL's a whole new world and not all good,
contrary to what some people may think.
So this is about Davita.
Thought you and Spencer were good?
We are, and this has nothing to do with her.
NIL is a hot topic and unchartered territory.
I mean, as a journalist, this is exactly the type of story
that I should be going after.
Okay.
- Hey. - Hey.
- Did I miss a text from you? - No, I was just at the beach
and I figured I'd out stop by.
I read your paper and was blown away.
For real. So much depth and humility.
That means a lot.
-(chuckles) Thanks, man. - And as much as I hate to admit this,
I might have to check out Be Cool.
(laughs) Well, then, you're just in time, brother.
- I don't understand. - JJ, you ready? The movie's cued up.
Hey, there's room for one more if you want to join me and the boys.
- Yeah. Fellas, meet my man, Raj. - How you doing?
Nice to meet you.
(JJ) Have a seat, man.
I'll grab you drinks.
JJ, how many times you seen this movie?
Spencer.
- What do you want? - I'm gonna make this quick, sir.
I want to switch to special teams.
- Why? - Because I was reminded that
change ain't bad.
And that there's nothing more important to me than getting a chance to play.
Even if that means playing for a few seconds at a time.
Plus, from what I can see, we could use the help.
Look, at the end of the day,
I just want to be an asset to you in any way you see fit.
Besides,
it wouldn't be my first time.
I used to kick ass on special teams back in the day.
I need you in the special teams meeting room.
Forty-five minutes.
Don't be late.
Yes, sir.
(theme music playing)