02x04 - 10th Quarter

[bunniefuu]

[commentator] [on radio]
I honestly think losing to Arkansas

might've been the best thing
to happen to Chad Powers and the Catfish.

They've been unstoppable ever since.

They're playing loose, they're having fun,

and Powers has never looked better.

He absolutely embarrassed
Auburn on Saturday,

and now they get Vandy
for Homecoming in Daw--

- [radio shuts off]
- [car door opens]

[birds chirping]

[car horn honks]

[♪ "Get Me" by Michael Spreitzer playing]

- [Dustin] Can I help you?
- Hi, yes.

Is this the home of the family
of Chad Powers?

[Coach Byrd]
That's a great read, Powers.

Cooper gets behind the backers,
and you fit it in a tight one

before the safety could even get that.

- Hell of a throw, Powers.
- [Chad] Yeah, I figured

why beat Auburn by 21
when you can beat 'em by 28?

[scattered chuckles]

Still like to see you
get rid of the ball quicker.

Every hit you take puts us at risk.

At risk of what?

Of you playin' competitive football.

Okay, you know what?

I was gonna do this
at the Homecoming banquet,

but it can't wait.

[slaps table]

I... Gerald Orlando Dougan,

am officially declaring

for the 2026 NFL Draft.

- [door opens]
- I really have a lot of--

Hey, uh, sorry to interrupt.
I need to borrow Powers.

Oh, hey, Coach, uh,
Gerry was just tellin' us

about the next step
in his football career.

Oh, that's great.
Come on, I need you.

[door swings open]

- Alright. [clears throat]
- [door closes]

[Coach Byrd]
Alright, good session.

We'll talk about the NFL Draft
after the season, Ger.

This isn't fair.
Nothing that happens to me is fair.

Or maybe everything that happens to you
is exactly what you deserve.

Can I please just have my game tape

so I can send it
to the NFL scouts, Mel Kiper,

and Millie Bobby Brown?

Millie Bobby Brown, why?

Because she's beautiful!

Hey, Chad, I don't know if you knew this,

but the university just hired a new AD.

His name is Charlie Brooks.
He's a pretty serious fella.

Ran athletics at, uh, Army for a while.

Can I help you?

He was in, uh, West Virginia yesterday.

He was at a conference,

and he paid a visit to your family home.

Oh?

And I wanted to personally invite you guys
to Friday's Homecoming banquet.

[Coach Hudson]
However, the young man he encountered

claimed that no one
by the name of Powers... lived there.

- Take all your f*ck' sh*t!
- Whoa!

- Like, ever.
- Oh?

Stop sending surveillance tech
disguised as football memorabilia!

Is this not the Powers' residence?

- [taser zapping]
- Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!

This is my residence.

W-W-What is your family's last name, sir?

It's not Powers.
It's Bonaventura!

- [yelling]
- [punch thuds]

sh*t! Ah, damn.

- I am so sorry.
- There is no Chad Powers here!

- Mother--
- Everything is a f*cking lie!

- Oh?
- Stop saying, "Oh,"

and see if you can explain this to me

in a way that won't give me
an ocular migraine.

Oh... [sighs]

If he went to a house,
that was his first mistake

'cause my house is, in fact...

a bunker.

Accessible only by a series of...

ancient tunnels.

Chad, you know, I've accepted

that, like, as a football player,

for some unknowable reason,

you excel when shrouded
in horseshit and nonsense.

- Thank you, Coach.
- But this is beyond me, okay?

This AD, who we all answer to now,

he's justifiably rattled.

And he wants to talk to you about it.

And he's really keen
on meeting your family.

Coach,

my mom perished.

Look...

I understand that
these conversations are hard.

But unless you want them to get harder...

and involve folks that are
a lot more eager to pry than I...

I suggest you make a call to the bunker.

[♪ tense music playing]

[indistinct chatter]

h*-ly f*ck.

[♪ upbeat techno music playing]

[Mike]
Intimate gathering, my a*s.

[normal voice]
Relax, Dad, you look great.

I look like a monster.

Which, in this case, is ideal.

[Russ] [softly] It's like we talked about.
Just act normal.

[Chad's voice] Hey, Coach!

There he is, the man of the hour.

Hey, Jake Hudson.

Father, aren't you gonna
introduce yourself?

[in heavy Southern accent]
Uh, Howard. Howard Powers.

So nice to finally meet you, Mr. Powers.

I'm-- I'm Ricky Hudson.

Oh, it is nice to meet me. Yeah.

"A meetin' and a greetin',

and a sucklin' of the teatin',"

is what I used to say to young Chad here

when he would, uh, on occasion,

ya know, nurse...

from my breast.

Uh, let's get-- let's...

- Let's get out of the cold.
- Yeah, let's do that.

Here we go.

[normal voice] What the sh*t?
You said you weren't gonna do a voice.

[normal voice] I panicked.
I panicked! I started riffing.

No riffing. Riffing is suicide.

Both of you shut up!

[Mike] [in Howard's voice]
Did Chad mention I farm hay?

[Coach Hudson]
No, he did not mention that.

- Dude. What?
- [normal voice] I know.

[whispering] He's riffing.
I told him not to frickin' riff.

Oh, hi.

Hey, how's it goin'?
Uh, Jay Palmer.

- [Chad] Mm.
- Alright. You're lookin'--

You're lookin' sharp, Chad.
[chuckles]

- [Chad's voice] Oh. Do we know each other?
- No, no, no.

But we, we should
because I'm a big fan,

and she talks about you a lot.

Jay is a new, um, booster.

- [Chad] Hmm.
- [Ricky] He was at the Arkansas

and Auburn games.

I didn't know you were gonna be here...

No, yeah, I cut heli ski trip short

'cause Mount Fuji's not goin' anywhere.

So, you guys know each other?

- Yeah. We do. A little.
- [Ricky] Not really. I mean-- Well...

- I mean, I don't know. Yeah.
- [Jay] Well, yeah. Yeah.

Yeah.

Um, well, can I get you guys a drink?

- [Chad] Yeah.
- It-- It's an open bar, so don't worry,

this is not an act of chivalry.

I would hate a drink right now.

Okay. Perrier it is.

No, I hate Perrier.

The bubbles hurt.

Okay, um, great.
And tequila soda, right?

Oh, no, I'm, I'm, I'm good.
I'm not thirsty.

Alright, well, you come
find me when you are, yeah?

Alright.

- Well, you seem very thirsty.
- Grow up.

Now that was like
a miracle crop underground.

- Oh.
- Where have you guys been?

Oh, sorry about that.
Chad has a lot of fans.

Mr. Powers was doing
a monologue on hay pesticides.

Mm-hmm. "If you don't use pesticides,
you let the pests decide."

That's the third time you've said that.

[group laughing]

[♪ "Out of the Black"
by Raphael Lake playing]

- [keyboard clicking]
- [♪ music stops]

[crowd cheering on video]

- [keyboard clicks]
- [cheering stops]

- [keyboard clicks]
- [crowd cheering resumes]

[whistle blowing on video]

- [keyboard clicking]
- [cheering pausing and resuming]

[whistle blowing on video]

[♪ suspenseful music playing]

[keyboard clicking continues]

[whispering] Whiskers.

Come here, Charlie.

And he's just sweet and tender.

- You know?
- Mm-hmm.

Chaddy-Chaddy-bang-bang!

[screams, exhales]

Sorry.

Uh, what are you?

[Coach Hudson]
Tricia, this is Howard Powers.

This is Chad's father.

My-- My dad.

Yes, of course. Perfect.

[Coach Hudson] Yeah, Howard, Chad,
this is our new AD, Charlie Brooks.

I don't know what's harder,
tackling Chad Powers,

or finding his family. Hmm?

- Oh.
- [group laughing]

[forced laughter continues]

Oh, my goodness, y'all,
what a-- what a funny exchange.

Uh, we, we heard about the mix-up,

and it's just...
just apologize about that.

[group chuckling politely]

Well, Howard, come over to my table.

I wanna know everything
about Chad Powers.

- Ah!
- And I mean everything.

Well-- [chuckles] Now, don't--
Don't tell him too much!

Oh, and then,
at the turn of the millennium,

I decided to move my family
underground, to the bunker.

[Charlie]
Well, that makes sense.

That was around the same time
when Janet Jackson

- showed her vag*na at the Super Bowl...
- Oh, I know. I remember that.

- I don't think that's what happened.
- [Charlie] No?

We lived a simple life
of subterranean hay farmin'.

[chuckles] Yeah. But our harvests
yielded one unlikely crop,

Mr. Chad's football talent.

- Oh.
- [group chuckles]

Well, I-- I just started,

just throwing geodes
against the crust of the Earth.

- Oh, wow.
- [Howard] Yeah. And once Chad

come of age, you know,
he-- he started askin'

about venturin' above ground
to chase his football dream.

And... well, I said no.

No, no, no, no.

But his mom said yes.

And sittin' here this evenin'
meetin' all of y'all...

I'm glad I listened to her.

'Cause it seems that dream has come true.

[♪ emotional music playing]

Well, so-- So, there it is.

That's-- That's why you guys
had the wrong address.

[Charlie] Well, that is quite
an origin story, Chad.

Now, maybe we can talk a bit more
about where you're going.

- Mm-hmm. Or not goin'.
- [Charlie] Mm-hmm.

We wanted Daddy Powers
here with us tonight

so we can all discuss
Chad's future together.

[stammering] My future?

Whether you intend to turn pro

or come back and play
for the Catfish again next year.

[Tricia]
And if you do, son,

we are prepared to make you

the highest-paid player

in college football history.

How much money are we talking, hypothetically?

Y'all, Chad has a game tomorrow.

- A must-win game.
- Yeah.

Chad, you have already built
a legend here at USG.

Now, we wanna make you a myth.

- We are talkin' a statue, buildings.
- Yes.

I mean, we've even discussed namin'
the stadium after you one day, son.

Yeah, that's a lotta pressure
to put on one young man.

Please, have you seen
this boy evade pressure?

I've seen it break him!

- Dad.
- [chair scraping]

I have to go create mud.

From my undercarriage.
Toodles.

So, I guess that's
a hereditary thing, then?

[♪ tense music playing]

You ran Howard off, Tricia.

I didn't cook the short rib!

You know better than to spring
that conversation on Powers...

- Oh, please, Jake.
- ...the night before a game

without giving me any sort of a heads-up.

Charlie and I agree.
We have to lock down Chad ASAP.

If not, we gotta figure out
who we're gonna target in the portal.

Okay, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Shouldn't-- Shouldn't I have
a little bit of input

about my roster next season?

- Jake.
- What?

Come on.

Oh.

You don't plan on me
bein' here next season.

Honey, we don't even know

- if you gon' be alive next season.
- Hey, hey.

Excuse me.
He's healthy, he's been cleared.

That's bullshit.
How dare you say something like that.

It's not "how dare me," Ricky.

See, the AD's job over there

is to consider the future
of this whole program beyond tomorrow,

certainly beyond January.

And I'm sorry to tell you this,
but Charlie is not wrong.

Every school out there
is usin' your dad's health

to recruit against us.

- [Ricky] Well, then, f*ck them.
- Oh.

- And f*ck him.
- Okay, let me guess.

- f*ck me, too, right?
- Good guess.

Rick, take a walk.

- I'm sorry--
- Rick, take a walk.

You still haven't told her, have you?

[inhales]

[inhales sharply]
Well...

you know her better than I do.

Maybe she don't mind bein' lied to.
Hmm?

[Ricky]
Uh, just a tequila soda, please.

[people chattering]

[ice cubes clinking]

Thanks.

You know, I could've gotten you that.

Oh, this free drink?

Yeah. I mean, I would've--
I would've tipped.

Touché. Can't really
hide cash in this dress.

Yeah, you don't really, uh, strike me
as a big dress kinda gal.

Oh, no.
No, it's a... one-night-a-year thing.

- [chuckles]
- You cold? Do you want my...

I'm okay.
I'm good, thank you.

Right, you don't need
anybody's jacket, do you?

I just don't mind being
a little uncomfortable.

Okay.

Hey, I had a very nice time
with you after the Auburn game.

It was a drink.

I think it was just nice 'cause we won.

But it was nice.

- Sure. Yes, it was nice.
- Yeah.

Can I tell you something really quick?

Um, we play Vandy in, like, 12 hours, Jay.

- Just, like, a lot goin' on.
- Yeah, no, no, I get it.

No, this is a totally professional thing.

Um, so one of my buddies,
he's a big donor for Syracuse,

and he mentioned they're looking
for a new QB coach.

I brought your name up,
but, um, yeah, they already knew you.

You're on the top of their list.

- Really?
- Yeah. Really.

I told 'em, as far as I can tell,
you're great at your job

- and you're ready to take the leap.
- Holy sh*t. [softly chuckles]

I mean, thank you for saying that to them.

Yeah, of course.

They're moving fast, they, they said.

- Yeah, no, that makes sense.
- Yeah.

You know, it's very cold in Syracuse, too,

so it's a good thing
you don't mind being uncomfortable.

Yeah, no, I-- I actually
f*cking hate the cold.

- Okay.
- Yeah. Can we drink these inside?

- Oh, yeah, you wanna-- Okay, yeah, sure.
- Okay. [laughing]

[door closes]

Howard?

[door swings open]

Jesus!

Gerry, what a weird way
to enter the bathroom.

Are you gonna wash your hands?

I was just in here looking for someone.

- Who?
- None of your business.

I think you should wash your hands.
I think your hands are dirty.

Okay. Miss me with the arch talk. Bye.

Are you the head of the conspiracy
or are you a tentacle?

- What?
- The Chad Powers conspiracy.

Are you the head? Or are you a tentacle?

You think you're the first bully
to corner me in a bathroom?

I will eat you, m*therf*cker!

Move outta my way.

You're a tentacle.
And I have no use for tentacles.

Except in hentai.

[♪ tense music playing]

[normal voice] Dad, what the f*ck, man?
What are you doin'?

[normal voice]
You know, there was a banner

just like this one of you at Oregon.

What do you think they did with that?

I don't know, I'm sure
they probably threw it away.

Look, we gotta get back out there.

- We are almost home free.
- Oh, son.

Son, you're nowhere near home free.

What are you talkin' about?

I'm talking about what everybody
out there is talking about,

your future.

Russ, how do you think this all ends?

I mean, how do you hope it ends,

in your absolute best-case scenario?

I'm gonna win a national championship.

And then what?

It's clear to me now
you won't be able to stop.

- You're going to keep going.
- That--

No, you will.

I look around that room,
and I see those people

giving you everything
you've wanted your entire life.

What are we-- What are we talkin' about?
Are we talkin' about money?

It's about love.

And because you're
so g*dd*mn good at football,

they're just gonna keep
givin' you more of it.

What-- How-How is this a bad thing?

Because it's fake.

There's so much ego and so much pride

and so much economy

invested in my little boy with a mask.

And when that mask comes off
and they see the truth,

which they will,
we, we both know they will...

it's gonna be the Rose Bowl
times a million, Russ.

You supported this!

You told me to come back.
You came here tonight.

I was wrong!

I thought this was a small school,
I didn't realize the scale of this thing.

I had no clue what you were doing!

Wow, Dad, that, that--
[sighs] What a f*ck' surprise.

Oh, hey, I own my mistakes as a parent.

All of which I know led you right here.

Let me ask you a question.

Do you think Mom would approve
of what you're doing,

- lying to the entire world?
- You have-- You have no idea.

You have no idea the good
that is happening here.

Okay? I-I have, I have real friends.

Oh, what, Danny?

Your friend, Danny? He's a college boy.

Please, the way his eyes lit up
when they mentioned the money?

He's using you, Russell.

The same way that you're using him.

- That is so f*cked up.
- And Ricky?

Come on.

Surely you know Ricky doesn't like you.

Russell, you're holding her hostage.

I mean, the fact that you think
she's going to be with you after all this

is maybe your craziest delusion of all.

Son, listen to me, please.

If Chad Powers actually taught you to care
about anybody other than yourself,

and God bless him if he did...

you have to walk away.

Now.

Before he destroys all of you.

Russell.

[exhales sharply]

- [♪ smooth piano music playing]
- [people chattering]

[Danny] Chad.

Hey. I need to talk to you.

I just had the craziest
conversation with Gerry.

- [Russ sighs]
- Wait, what's going on?

Did you find Howard?

[Chad's voice]
Yeah. Yeah, he left, so...

Oh.

I don't know what I was thinkin'.
Just bringin' him here was so stupid.

We had no choice.
And once again, we survived.

[sighs heavily]

Why are you doin' all this?

Or is it so you can get rich?

Okay, look... did I like being close
to someone famous? Yes.

Have I thought about
the money that could come from,

I don't know,
a 10-year retrospective podcast?

Also, yes.

But... then it got real.

And it became about the mission.

What Chad stands for, who he stands for.

Everyone who's ever felt
so judged that they put on a mask.

And... at some point,
the answer to why I'm helping you

got a lot simpler than all that.

So, why are you?

Because you're my friend.

Come on.

When Scott here won the, uh,
Crystal Catfish back in '99,

uh, I believe

[chuckles] we, we gave it to him
in the, uh, back room of a Pizza Hut.

[audience laughing]

Catfish, we have come a long way,
haven't we, y'all?

[audience applauding]

[cheering and applause]

[clears throat] Um... I-I certainly
don't relish, uh, handing over this

to the, uh, to the guy
who's breakin' all my records

from that season, but, um--

Uh, then let me do it
'cause he's makin' me look like a genius,

- running all my plays, and so...
- [laughter]

Here you go, man.

Alright, uh, this year's Crystal Catfish
Player of the Year,

your quarterback, Chad Powers.

- [audience applauding]
- Where's Chad?

[cheering and applause]

[♪ dramatic music playing]

Howard?

No.

[audience applauding]

[audience member] Let's go, Powers!

- [slaps butt]
- Oh.

[Rod] Give us a speech, Chad!

[Nishan] Yeah, orate us, baby.

[audience chuckles]

Alright.

[audience member] You the man, Chad!

Uh... t-thank you for this.

This is-- it's a real honor.

And, um...

[softly] No speech.

You know, whenever I'm not
playin' football...

what I miss most is the hurt.

The violence.

Guys runnin' a hundred miles
an hour tryin' to crush you,

tryin' to lay you out,
puttin' their hands on you.

In the real world, nobody touches you.
[chuckles]

They still hurt you,

they just don't shake
your hand afterwards.

You can't hit back.

[inhales sharply]

And when ya get knocked down,

you don't have your teammates
to pick you back up.

[smacks lips]

Football, it's-it's dangerous.

It hurts, but...

not playin' hurts a lot more.

So, I'm gonna keep playin'
until it kills me.

And I wanna keep playin'
for South Georgia,

so I am comin' back next year!

[audience cheering]

I'm comin' back! I am back!

- [cheering continues]
- That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!

I'm comin' back!

[all] [chanting]
Chad! Chad! Chad! Chad!

♪

[cheering continues]

[♪ music fades out]

[vehicle approaches]

[Mike] Hi, for Mike?

[driver] No, you're not Mike.

I'm wearing a costume, ma'am.

[driver] No, I don't think so.

[Mike]
Okay, I, I just wanna get outta here.

I have to be on set at 6:00 a.m.
Can you please just open the door?

[driver] Mm-mmm.
See, this is how people get hurt.

And this doesn't look like a costume, sir,
that looks like your actual face.

Okay.

- Alright, is that good enough for you?
- [driver] Oh! Um...

- You want me to take off the nose, too?
- [driver] Um, no.

[♪ suspenseful music playing]

[car engine revving]

You know, there was a hay emergency.

It was a weevil in the bunker.

Oh, y'all! Look at this.

"Miss the hurt" is trendin', y'all.

- [Charlie chuckles]
- Chad, your "I'm comin' back" speech

makes Tebow's "I'm comin' back" speech

look like Biden's
"I'm comin' back" speech.

- Oh, yeah.
- Good night, y'all!

- Good night.
- Let me borrow Chad here for a second.

Oh. Alright, well, nighty-night.

- [Charlie] Powers.
- [Tricia] Nighty-night!

- Hey, Powers.
- Hey, Coach.

Just wanted you to know

that decisions like this,
they can have consequences that

y-you can't always see
in the moment.

So, maybe,
you should discuss this with your dad.

My dad doesn't know
what he's talkin' about.

- Okay. Alright.
- Uh...

- Get some rest.
- Okay.

Tomorrow, Vandy's gonna hurt.

- Hey. So...
- Yep.

...I already have a few ideas

on how we can get away with this,
financially speaking.

Chad, can I talk to you for a second?

Oh. Uh, yeah, alright.

- You wanna hold this fish?
- Yeah.

Where's that booster guy?

Shut up. He left.

[Ricky breathing heavily]

What the hell, man?

[as Russ]
What? What do you mean?

What? What do you mean what do I--

What was that?

What, you're gonna play another year?
What, are you-- Are you crazy?

A little, yeah. [chuckles]

You can't keep doing this.

Tell me to walk away.

Right now, tell me.

I will walk away, I'll disappear.

I promise you I will.

[sighs]

[♪ "Neon Moon"
by Cigarettes After Sex playing]

See you tomorrow, Coach.

♪ When the sun goes down ♪

♪ On my side of town ♪

♪ That lonesome feelin' ♪

♪ Comes to my door ♪

♪ My whole world ♪

♪ Turns blue ♪

♪ There's a rundown bar ♪

♪ 'Cross the railroad tracks ♪

♪ Got a table for two ♪

♪ Way in the back ♪

♪ Where I sit alone ♪

♪ And think of you ♪

♪ I spend most every night ♪

♪ Beneath the light of a neon moon ♪

♪ If you lose your one and only ♪

♪ There's always room here
for the lonely ♪

[♪ song fades out]

[♪ fanfare]