01x09 - Home for Christmas

[bunniefuu]

♪ Oh, yeah ♪

♪ Candles burnin' low ♪

Girl, you better not be
clumping that tinsel.

I'm not. I'm just putting it on

- in little bunches.
- Mm-hmm.

That's the definition of clumping.

See, just... just one strand at a time.

And hurry up. He'll be here any minute.

I need everything to be perfect.

I finally finished wrapping his present.

You think he'll like it?
It's a telescope.

Really? We thought it was a sweater.

[Car horn honks]

He's here.

[Car doors close]

[Both chuckle nervously]

♪ And ya know what I mean ♪

♪ Ooh ♪

♪ I see your smilin' face ♪

Look who I found.

[Squeals]

ADULT DEAN: Two years ago,
the Williams family

was ripped apart.

Tonight, we were made whole again.

My brother Bruce finished
his tour of duty in Vietnam,

and he was coming home,
just in time for Christmas.

♪

Uh, excuse me, sir.
Have you seen Dean Williams?

He's my little brother, about this tall.

[Laughter]

It's good to see you, man.

I didn't expect him to look
so different.

Maybe it was the uniform,
or maybe it was just

that two years had passed
since I'd seen him.

Whatever the reason,
Bruce was not the same teenager

who left this house.

He was a man.

I mean, he was almost as tall as Kim.

And he definitely had a man's appetite.

What?

I've never seen anyone eat so fast.

Don't get that sleeve too close
to your mouth, son.

You might swallow a button.

- [Laughter]
- Let the boy eat.

He obviously missed his mama's cooking.

We can talk later about you
chipping in on the grocery bill.

- Okay.
- [Laughter]

In our family, eating in the dining room

was reserved for special
occasions, like holidays,

or when Grandma came over

and Mama had something to prove.

Even more rare... my dad giving
my brother a beer.

Bill, the boy is only .

If he's old enough
to fight for his country,

he's old enough to drink.

I guess you're right.

Enjoy your first beer.

I think I'll have one, too.

Uh, sit.

You not ready for your first beer.

I saw that.

So, now that you're home,
any plans for your future?

The coach at 'Bama State was
dying to have you on the team

before you went off to w*r.
You should reach out.

Might be a scholarship in it for you.

Speaking of Alabama State,

there's a stop-the-w*r rally
there tomorrow.

- You should come with me.
- So I can get booed and spit on

by a bunch of kids who have no idea

what I've been through?

[Clears throat] So, uh,
my sister's an activist now?

Last thing I remember you
protesting was your curfew.

[Laughter]

Stupidest signs I ever seen.

[Laughter]

Well, I am proud of you.

And, Mom, I'm just looking to settle in.

Get a job, make a little money.

Don't forget... We still
have a lot of work to do

if we want to fix up
the treehouse by Christmas Eve.

You still want to do that?

Of course. I mean, well,

I'm too old for that stuff,

but I'd hate to ruin our tradition.

My brother and I had
a longstanding tradition.

We would sleep in our treehouse
on Christmas Eve,

hoping to catch Santa.

And I have some cool new ideas too,

like, uh, we could build
an observation deck

so we can look at the stars together.

I promise we'll get it done.

Mm, that sounds like the perfect
Christmas activity...

sleeping outside in the cold
on rotten wood.

- Okay, hey.
- [Laughter]

I slept in a lot worse in Vietnam,

like trees that didn't have houses.

Good. Then once we finish the treehouse,

you can move out of my room
and live up there.

[Laughter]

♪ Oh, oh, oh and I know ♪

♪ Ohh ♪

♪ Through the highs and the lows ♪

♪ I'mma find my way home ♪

[Whispering] Hey, Dean.

Does Bruce seem normal to you?

Yeah, of course. Why?

'Cause I just watched this movie on TV

about this soldier
who came back from the w*r.

He was, like, psycho.

Yeah, I saw that one.

That lady asked him
how he wanted his steak,

and he was like,

"I want it... raw."

Yeah, yeah. And then he went crazy

and stabbed everybody in the park.

Cool.

I heard that was based on a true story.

Shh!

[Sighs]

I don't know what
you guys are talking about.

That's just a movie.

Nope.

Those guys don't come back the same.

He's right, Dean.

My mama's cousin came back from Vietnam,

and now everybody says he's on the junk.

What's "the junk"?

I don't really know. But whatever it is,

it makes your grandma lock up her rings.

[School bell rings]

But what if they were right?

What if guys don't come back
from Vietnam the same?

♪

The next morning,
I decided I needed to pay

extra-close attention to my brother.

Never let him leave my sight,
examine every word and action

to make sure he's sane.

Ooh, I'll take that.

Mm. I'll take that.

Bruce brought the balance of
power back to the house.

Nothing crazy about that.

I'll take that too.

Nope, he was clearly bat[bleep] crazy.

Dad, can I borrow your car
to run some errands?

Oh, uh, I'll go with you.

You like running errands now?

Oh, you know me. I just love 'em.

Of course I didn't,
but I had to be careful

what I said to my parents.

The last thing I wanted
was to tip them off

that something was wrong with Bruce.

He's got a Kn*fe!

Which he's using to butter his biscuit.

Or wrong with me.

♪

Bruce's "errand" took us to two streets

my parents told me never to cross.

♪

We ended up at a shady house
in a sketchy neighborhood.

♪

Stay in the car.

♪

What kind of errand
required a duffel bag?

♪

♪

Well, just in case
Bruce was a little off,

it was good that I was there
to look after him...

from the car.

[Lock clicks]

♪

[Dog barking in distance]

Ah, Bruce was taking too long.

I tried to signal him with
the bird calls we used

when we played hide-and-seek
against Kim.

Ca-caw, ca-caw!

[Imitates pigeon cooing]

Nothing.

Quack!

And my bird game was clearly strong,

so I had to go see
what was really going on.

Now, I hadn't been to many
white people's houses before,

but tiptoeing felt right.

Dean.

Oh. [Sniffles] Is this
your little brother?

Yes, this is my nosy little brother.

Dean, this is Mr. and Mrs. Johnson.

You are very lucky to have
such a wonderful brother.

You know, my son always spoke
so highly of you.

He really admired the way that you...

you always took care of him
and the other men in your troop.

[Sobs]

[Breathes shakily]

You cherish every moment
you have with your brother.

♪

Did their son... die?

Yeah.

He was one of my guys.

Was he one of your friends
that you talked about

in your letters?

Yeah. James.

Well, what about Carver or Monte?

Still there, but good.

You know, Carver has a pet chicken.

- What's his name?
- Cat.

[Both laugh]

That's so Carver.

Hey, Dean, let's go over to
the hardware store,

pick up a few things
for the observation deck.

I mean, we gotta be ready
for when Santa come, right?

[Laughs]

["We Wish You a Merry
Christmas" playing]

- [Door bells jingle]
- Can we buy some rope?

[Chuckles] I told you last time,

- we are not tying Santa to the chimney.
- No, stupid.

Although that was a solid idea.

I want to buy some rope and a pulley

so we can pull supplies up in a bucket.

Yeah, I also have
a bunch of other ideas too,

like a doorbell or maybe a slide?

A slide? Isn't that a bit much?

No, "a bit much" would be a moat filled

with man-eating piranhas.

The piranhas part, not the moat.

[Chuckles]

Um, excuse me, sir.

I saw the "help wanted" sign
in the window.

We filled that position.

Uh-huh.

Well, maybe you should take
the sign out the window, then.

♪

I, uh, noticed the jacket.

'Nam?

Yeah. Yeah, I just got back.

I was a corporal in the nd Infantry.

Oh, man, y'all saw some serious action.

I just stocked shelves in the PX.

Heard you say you needed a job, though.

I work at the bank downtown.
My boss loves vets.

Hired me as a teller my first week back.

- Seriously?
- Yeah.

- That'd be great.
- Here.

Just let him know Mark sent you.

[Scribbling]

And, uh, good luck in the real world.

Thank you.

[Door bells jingle]

Let's go find some rope.

- Cool.
- [Chuckles]

To tie Santa up.

- Wait, what?
- Nothing.

♪

- Good luck.
- Remember, firm handshake,

look him in the eyes.

Okay, Dad, I handled an M howitzer.

I think I can handle a job interview.

It was nice to see Bruce so excited.

It seemed like he was back
on the right path.

Still, I wasn't gonna take
my eyes off him for a second.

- Dean, what are you d...
- I promise I'll stay out of your way.

Besides, I have some
important bank business, too.

[Coins clink]

Dang it. How did this Canadian penny

make it all the way to Alabama?

Corporal Williams?

["Joy to the World" playing]

Thank you for your service.

I served in W-W-Two.

Always happy to help a fellow vet.

Just because we're back home

doesn't mean we shouldn't still
watch each others' backs.

Well, I appreciate that, sir.

Ah. Please.

♪

It's gonna be so cool having
a brother who works in a bank.

I'll get all the free lollipops I want,

and maybe I can take a bath
in money, like Scrooge McDuck.

♪

More, more, more!

♪

MR. RICHARDS: Mr. Williams.

- Mr. Williams!
- Dean, let's go.

Wait, but I didn't
get a chance to finish m...

Now, Dean! Come on!

[Coins clinking]

♪

So, how'd it go?

Well, uh, they offered me a job.

- But I didn't take it.
- Why not?

Because I don't want to be a janitor.

What?

I thought you were interviewing
for a teller position.

Yeah, me too. But, clearly,

they only offer the good jobs
to the white veterans.

I forget what things are like back here.

You know what?

You're too smart to be a teller.

It's time to start college.

The GI Bill will cover your tuition.

Let your Uncle Sam pay
instead of your father.

[Laughs]

Thanks, Dad.

But you don't have to worry about me.

I know I got options.

All right, son.

I felt bad that Bruce didn't
get the job he wanted,

but the silver lining was
we had more time

to spend on the treehouse.

Maybe now we could finish
that observation deck

by Christmas Eve.

[Laughs]

DEAN: W-Where's Bruce?

Yep, that's an electric saw.

It was .

There were a bunch of kids
walking around

missing a couple of fingers.

He said he had some
last minute shopping.

[Laughs] Look.

It's the ornament
Dean made in kindergarten.

I can't tell. Is it Jesus in a manger

or a space alien on a skateboard?

[Laughter]

[Door closes]

Oh, there he is.

LILLIAN: Oh.

Where are your shopping bags?

Oh, right, right. Um...

I didn't do much shopping.

Good news...

The dean of admissions from 'Bama State

is gonna meet with you personally

the day after Christmas vacation.

Thanks. Thanks.

But, uh, I wouldn't want him
to waste his time.

That's fine. [Chuckles]

Maybe you're not ready for school,

but I could ask around at work
and see if there's anything.

- I can take care of myself.
- Hey!

Don't speak to your mother that way.

I'm sorry, Mama.

What's wrong? Tell us.

♪

I re-enlisted for another tour.

[All gasping]

I go back in January.

♪

- Have you lost your mind?
- When did this happen?

Now. I just got back from
the recruitment office.

I guess maybe my friends
at school were right.

Bruce had to be crazy if he
wanted to go back to Vietnam.

But... you just got home.

What about all the stuff
we were going to do together?

I know, Dean, and I'm sorry,
little buddy, but...

I promise we'll finish
the treehouse before I leave.

Don't bother.

♪

Now he'll never know
what his present was.

♪

You're not thinking straight.

We've been watching the news.

We know it's getting worse
over there every day.

I've been going to protests and sit-ins

to end this w*r so you could come home.

And now you're choosing to go back?

Okay, you just don't understand. I...

Help us to understand, son.

When I'm here, people see me
as just a janitor.

Over there, my men, they respect me.

I'm a leader.

You really think they respect
a black soldier?

Kim, one of the reasons I re-enlisted

is because they're gonna
promote me to sergeant.

I could have a career in the Army,

which is a hell of a lot better

than sweeping floors
for the rest of my life.

You'd have a lot more opportunities

if you went to college.
You made good grades.

That was two years ago.

So was my last baseball game
and my last rally.

None of you have any idea
what I've been through.

I have a lot of friends
back there in Vietnam.

And I feel bad about that.
I think about that a lot.

Okay? I feel like I have to
go back right now

and make sure they get home safely.

- Son, that is noble, but...
- There's no point in talking.

I already signed the papers
at the recruitment center.

It's too late.

♪

It's too late.

♪

The good news was Mama and Daddy

were on the same page.

Bruce was wrong and we were right.

It would only be a matter of time

before they laid down the law.

What are you doing?

Putting a box together for
your brother to take with him.

Want him to have some things
that remind him of home.

So you're just letting him
go back to Vietnam?

We can't stop him, Dean,
much as we want to.

He's a grown man.
He makes his own choices now.

But he's our son, so we have to
love and support him.

I bet Dad would yell at him.

They've been out there working
on that treehouse all morning.

No yelling.

No yelling.

What is wrong with this family?

I couldn't believe it.

My parents were actually
gonna let this happen.

Clearly, it was up to me now

to keep my brother
from going back to Vietnam.

♪

That's right... the sit-in,

a classic act of civil disobedience.

Occupy, disrupt, let them know
you mean business.

♪

[Telephone rings]

Yeah, it wasn't really working.

♪

Merry Christmas, little fella.

Malcolm X was right.

This nonviolence thing
was not very effective.

Uh-oh, here comes one of

the imperialist warmonger pigs now.

Hey, any idea how long
your sit-in's gonna last?

Time to hold my ground.

We're supposed to close early
for Christmas Eve,

and I've still got some shopping to do.

Gonna buy my nephew a G.I. Joe.

♪

Don't waste your money
buying the black one.

It's just the white one painted brown.

♪

But I'm not leaving
until I end this w*r.

I don't want my brother
going back to Vietnam.

Okay.

What was your brother's name?

- Bruce.
- Right.

Well, you gotta do what you gotta do.

I couldn't believe how all these people

could just blindly go about their lives

while my family was being torn apart.

I also couldn't believe how stupid I was

not to pee before I started my sit-in.

I gotta use the bathroom.
Can you hold this sign for me?

I'll be right back.

♪

♪ Silent night ♪

♪ Holy night ♪

ADULT DEAN: I was starting to see

how they get people to re-enlist.

This guy was a master of persuasion.

♪ Round yon virgin, mother and child ♪

Hey.

Can I join your sit-in?

No.

I'm trying to end this w*r.

And you don't care.

♪ Sleep in heavenly peace ♪

Okay.

That's not true.

I want to end the w*r, too,
but I also want to help

my guys from my platoon get home safely.

So you care about them more
than you do your own family?

Of course not, Dean.

But you all are safe here.

I just want to make sure

my buddies get to spend next Christmas

with their little brothers.

ADULT DEAN: When Bruce said that,

I realized that all those soldiers

I saw enlisting today had families

that felt the same way as mine.

Or worse, like the parents
we visited yesterday

who lost their son.

I still didn't want my brother to go,

but at least I could understand
why he was going.

So...

you think we can get home now?

I got something I want to show you.

Okay.

Plus, we gotta get that sign
back to Kim's room

before she knows it's missing,
because she'll m*rder you.

[Chuckles]

♪

By the way, my plan to end
the w*r in Vietnam did work.

It just took another seven years.

♪

- [Laughs]
- [Gasps]

How about that for a treehouse?

How about that?

[Laughs]

♪

I totally dig it.

Mm-hmm.

It's the perfect place to sit
and look at stars.

You know, if one of us had a telescope.

[Chuckles]

Yeah. If.

♪

Oh, you see that constellation
right there?

That one's called Cassiopeia.

You can see it from where
I'm stationed in Vietnam.

When I look up at it every night,

I'll always be thinking of you.

And you can think of me, too,
when you see it from here.

I guess the w*r did change
my brother... in some ways.

But not in the ways I had feared.

And not in the ways
that really mattered.

♪

He was still the kind of guy
who would spend Christmas Eve

freezing his butt off in the treehouse

with his little brother.

- ♪ Sure did treat me nice ♪
- [Exhales sharply]

Yeah. Where's Santa?

- He's late.
- Hmm.

♪ Merry Christmas, baby ♪

Maybe he really is Black.

- ♪ You sure did treat me nice ♪
- [Both laugh]

♪

- Unh. Unh.
- Yes! Bruce!

[Laughter]

Here. Careful.

♪ Feel like I'm in paradise ♪

- Jimi Hendrix's "Electric Ladyland"!
- Later, it occurred to me

that we all gave Bruce gifts
that he had to be home to use.

[Indistinct chatter, laughter]

That's how confident we were
he'd be coming back.

Now, I wonder what this could be.

It's a telescope.

I thought it was a pair of socks.

[Laughter]

You think you can, uh, keep an eye on it

for me while I'm gone?

Of course.

Wait. I'm allowed to use it, right?

[Stammers]

Don't feel bad, Bruce.

He said the same thing to me last year

when he bought me a black GI Joe.

[Laughter]

- [Screams]
- I love it.

- Ohh!
- ♪ Merry, merry ♪

♪ Merry Christmas, baby ♪

♪

♪ Sure did treat me nice ♪

[All speaking indistinctly]

♪ I wish you a merry Christmas, baby ♪

♪ Happy New Year, oh ♪

- ♪ Merry Christmas, darling ♪
- [All cheering]

♪ Everything here is beautiful ♪