08x03 - Louise's Father

[bunniefuu]

Well, we're movin' on up
Movin' on up

To the East Side
Movin' on up

To a deluxe apartment
in the sky

Movin' on up
Movin' on up

To the East Side
Movin' on up

We finally got
a piece of the pie

Fish don't fry
in the kitchen

Beans don't burn
on the grill

Took a whole lot of tryin'

Just to get up that hill

Now we're up
in the big leagues

Gettin' our turn at bat

As long as we live,
it's you and me, baby

There ain't nothin' wrong
with that

We're movin' on up
Movin' on up

To the East Side
Movin' on up

To a deluxe apartment
in the sky

Movin' on up
Movin' on up

To the East Side
Movin' on up

We finally got
a piece of the pie

Oh, listen to this, George.

It says here that a
-year-old man helped stop
a purse snatching yesterday.

Big deal.

You think you'll
be that active
when you're ?

Look, Weezy, inside this
-year-old body, there beats
the heart of a soldier.

LOUISE: Yeah.

One who spends
the whole night
"at ease."

Oh, and it says
he works there
at the news stand.

Oh, and look, George!
His name is Harold Mills.

Mills, Mills, where have I
heard that name before?

It's my maiden name.

Oh, yeah, that's right.

I didn't recognize it because
you didn't say it right.

Harold Mills was
my father's name.
Isn't that a coincidence?

Yeah.
Is a picture there?
Yeah.

Oh!

Uh-huh.
Hey, you know
something, Weezy?

If you were a man
and had gray hair
and were years older,

you'd look
just like that guy.

Uncanny, isn't it?

No, I'm serious,
Weezy, you and that
guy could be related!

Oh, George.
Okay, let me get
your family album.

George, what's with you?
You never used to be
interested in my relatives.

It's the law.
What law?

The law that says the
relatives that you like
you lose contact with,

and the ones that you don't
like are always around.

It's called
the law of relativity.

Okay?

But, George, I'd know if
someone in my family was
named after my father.

But suppose it's somebody
that you've never seen before.

Like this guy right here.
I ain't never seen him before.

Who's he?

That's the minister who
married us, George.

Well, on that day I only
had eyes for you, sweetie.

Okay.

Okay, how about these
five guys standing in
front of the Apollo?

You know them too,
I guess, huh?

Yeah.
They're the Temptations.

Yeah.
Just testing you.

But wait a minute, George.

There's a picture
of my father and me.

Why's he holding you
over his head?

Oh, well, that's a little
game we used to play.

Mama told me every night
at bedtime he used to
fly me into my bedroom

and then he'd
plop me down on
the bed and say,

"Another perfect
landing, Louise.
Just don't wet the runway."

That's cute.

You know, that's the only
picture I have of him.

I guess he was
too busy to pose.

He worked two full-time jobs
to support a family.

But even out of all of
that he still had time

to play little games
like "aeroplane" with me.

Boy, they sure don't make
'em like that anymore.

Yes, they do, too.

Look, Weezy, come here.

Now, see? Okay.
This is your father, right?

And this is Harold Mills who
works at the Bradley building.

Now, tell me,
don't those two
Millses look alike?

Oh, it's just a coincidence.
That's all. A lot of people
look alike.

I know, Weez, I look
like Harry Belafonte.

But these
guys got the same name.

George, my father is dead.
He died when I was
two years old.

How do you know he's dead?
My mother told me.

What do you really know
about your mother?

I'm sorry, Weezy.
I'm just going crazy.

These two Harold Mills guys
look like the same man.

No, he's gotta be dead.

Forty-eight years.

No, that can't be
my father.

Because if it is,
that would mean
he deserted us.

And my father
wouldn't do that.

Where are you going?

To the Help Center.

And if you want
to know what I think,

you'd better stop
watching the old reruns
of The Twilight Zone.

Why hello, Mrs. J
and Mr. J.

Hello, Mr. Bentley.

Come on, Weez, look.
Just take one more look...

Case closed, George.

Oh, perhaps I should
come back later?

That's always a good idea.

It's all right,
Mr. Bentley.

George thinks my father
is working down at
the Bradley building.

Oh, really? I thought
your father was dead.

He is.

Oh, well then, Mr. J,
I doubt very seriously

if he's working at
the Bradley building.

At last, a voice of reason.

Bentley, what do you want?

Advice, Mr. J.

I wonder if you and I could
have a man-to-man talk.

We're one man short.

That's amazing, Mr. J,
because that's my problem
in a nut shell.

You see, my social life
seems to be tailing off
lately.

For some reason,
women are finding me
entirely too resistible.

I haven't changed
my cologne,

although I did experiment
with soap on a rope
once or twice.

Sometimes during
a conversation

it seems as though I'm
being completely ignored.

Anyway, then I started to
notice that women today are

caught up in this
"urban cowboy" fad,
you see, but,

frankly, I like myself
the way I am, so I'm faced
with a dilemma, you see.

Should I retain my present
image, or should I go with
the times?

Who cares?

If you thought somebody
was dead and they were
seen working someplace,

wouldn't you go down there
and see for yourself?

Oh, certainly.
So would I. Thanks.

No problem, Mr. J, but
to get back to my problem,

do you think it's at all
possible that I'm just
imagining here

that people
are ignoring me?

Thank you.

Can I help you?

Uh, yeah.
Do you have anything
around here to read?

You're in luck.

Humpty Dumpty.

Oh, I'll just
browse around...
Yeah, okay.

Say, uh, your name
wouldn't happen to
be Mills, would it?

Harold Mills?

That's right.
Am I supposed to know
you from someplace?

No, no, no, it's just,
see, me and my wife Louise,

we were looking in the
newspaper this morning,
and we, me and Louise,

we saw your picture
and, uh,

we decided I should come down
here and just say what
a brave guy you are.

Does that mean
anything to you?

Means whoever taught you
how to talk let you
get away too soon.

But thanks anyway,
Mr. uh...

Jefferson.
George Jefferson.
Oh, uh...

Jefferson's Cleaners.
"Seven locations,
one near you."

That's quite a comfort.

Oh, boy, I bet your family's
really proud of you.

Ain't got no family.

You sure?

Let's just say I try to keep
on top of things like that.

You ain't got no sons,
daughters, cousins,

or daughters?

Nope. Never had
time for a family.

See, I sort of
like to move around.

Like where?

You know, you sure do ask
a lot of questions, Jefferson.

What do you want
with me, anyway?

Okay, uh, well,
let me tell you.
See, um,

this was a picture of my
wife's father, right?

I say "was" because
she thinks he's been
dead for years.

But when I saw your picture
in the paper today,
it was such a coincidence,

I just had to come down,
you know?

I mean look, you can see
the resemblance yourself,
right?

Hmm? Oh!
Yeah, sure.

Well, are you
or ain't you?

Ain't! Sorry.

Oh.

Well, I guess
he is dead then.

Sorry to trouble you.
No problem, Jefferson.
See you around.

Ooh! The picture.
Oh! Yeah.

Here.

If I went home without this,
my wife would k*ll me.

Oh, well, good luck.

Uh, have a Humpty Dumpty
on the house.

Oh, Humpty Dumpty,thanks.

You know that guy
from somewhere?

Just met him.
Oh yeah? Who is he?

My son-in-law.

LOUISE: George?

George, where
have you been?

Huh?
I'm glad you're home.

We're having a painting party
down at the Help Center.

And...
Hmm?

What do you have
behind your back?

Huh? Nothing.

Oh, come on, George.
I know you're hiding
something.

Now, what is it?
Okay, Weezy, if you really
want to know, it's a rat.

A what?

A dead rat.
I found it over by the door.
You want to see it?

Don't turn around
until I tell you.

Okay, you can look now.

Well, what did
you do with it?

I put it in the cupboard!

You put a rat
in our cupboard?

Oh look, Weezy,
I might as well tell you.

It wasn't really a rat.

It was, uh,
one of your hats.

It was a natural mistake.

So now would you tell me
about the Help Center?

Well, I came back to
ask you if you wanted to go
to a painting party today.

Oh, Weezy, I wanted
to stretch out and watch
the wrestling match.

But George,
this is important.

This is important, too!

George, you never want
to do anything for the
Help Center.

Okay, I'll do something
for the Help Center.

I'll spring
for the paint.

This way, the paint
will still be on me.

George, what's my father's
picture doing in your
checkbook?

Um, what?

My father's picture.

George, don't tell me you went
down to the Bradley Building.

Okay, I won't tell you.

You did go down there!

Weezy, I was curious,
that's all.

You went up to a total
stranger and asked him
if he was my father,

even after I told you
there was no way he could
possibly be him.

And you had to go down
there and embarrass him,
me, and yourself, right?

That about sums it up.

I don't believe this!

But Weezy, it wasn't that bad.

All I did was ask him,
he said no, and I left.

Well, I'm glad it
turned out that way.

You're glad?

Yes, because if my father
is alive, that would mean
he deserted me,

and I couldn't
live with that.

Howdy, Mrs. J.

What do you think?

Uh, George,
it's Sheriff Bentley.

Look, Bentley,
I'm kicking back to watch
the wrestling match...

Oh, my Lord.

I know you're probably busy,
Mr. J, but I had to come over
and show you my new image,

only please don't move,
because I haven't learned
to negotiate curves yet.

There.
Now, how do I look?

Well, that's one opinion.
What do you think, Mrs. J?

Well, you do look different.

Oh, I feel different.

Italian boots, French jeans,
and a German belt buckle.

I've never felt so American
in my life.

Uh, yes.

Well, I'm going upstairs
to the Willises to see if
they want to help paint.

Ta-ta, Mrs. J.
Or should I say,
"Happy trails"?

Goodbye, Mr. Bentley,
whoever you are.

Well, care for
a chaw of tobaccy?

Put that stuff
away, Bentley.

Do you really think that
women are gonna think
that you're a real cowboy?

No, no, Mr. J, the thought
never crossed my mind.

Do you really
think they could?

Look, Bentley.
Take it from a man who
knows all about women.

Oh, do you have
his number?

A woman doesn't go by
the way a man dresses.

She goes by how
real he is inside.

You're right, Mr. J.

I'm going to go back and
change out of these things
right this minute.

That's the best news
I heard all day.

Oh, but before I go,

I wonder if I might borrow
some talcum powder.
Please don't ask why.

That's the Bentley I know.

Hey, get that for me,
will you? I'll be right back.
Right-o, Mr. J.

Yep?

I was looking for
the Jefferson place...

Oh, this here's
the Jefferson spread,
stranger. Come on in.

Here you go, Bentley.

Oh, thank you, Mr. J.

Hello, George.
Harry!

Harry? Is your name Harry?
My name is Harry...

Excuse him. He's in this
country under an idiot
exchange program.

What can I do for you?

Well, I want to talk
to you about this morning.

Oh yeah, look. I'm sorry
I wasted your time, I mean,

I don't usually do that,
and I was wrong.

You were right.

I was? About what?

Your wife, Louise,
is my daughter.

Oh! I get it.
This is a con game, huh?

You found out I own
seven cleaning stores,

so now you want to be part
of the family, right?

So you can get
a piece of the starch?

I'm telling you the truth.
I'm your wife's father.

Okay.

When's her birthday?

August th.

Hold it.

Lucky guess.

Okay,
here's one for you.

What's Louise's
sister's name?

Maxine.

When's her birthday?

July th.

Oh, I forgot to send
her a birthday card.

You convinced?

No, not yet.

Okay...

If you're really Louise's
father, when she was
a little girl,

how did her father
hold her?

How did he put her
to sleep at night?

You guess that
and you're her father.

Okay.

I used to pick
her up like this,

and I'd pretend
she was an airplane.

I'd buzz her into her room,
put her down on the bed,

and say, "Another perfect
landing, Louise, just
don't wet the runway."

Are you convinced now?

Where the hell you been?

Look, Jefferson,
raising a family them days,

kids always
needing something,

wife always
needing something...

sh**t.

I wasn't put here on
this Earth for just that.

I mean, I tried.

I couldn't get a
good job in New York,

so I took this porter job
on a train going out
to California.

I figured I'd make some money
and bring the family out.

But, when I got to seeing
what life was like on my own,

I kind of liked it.

And somehow the years
sort of slipped by.

And so you sort of forgot
you had a wife and two kids.

Look...

There's one thing
you gotta believe.

And that's that I never
stopped loving my children.

And you proved it by
ignoring them for
years?

I want to see my daughter,
Jefferson.

You can forget that, Jack.

I got the right.

You lost your right
when you bailed out.

Look, Louise
thinks you're dead,

and as far as I'm concerned,
I'm gonna make sure that
you stay dead.

Now, get out of here.

Nope.

Nope?

What the hell do
you mean, "Nope"?

Maybe I ain't been
the greatest father
in the world.

Oh, don't be so
hard on yourself.

Why are you being
so hard on me?

Because I've been there.
I've been poor, Mills.

Dirt poor. And we came
through the hard ways,

but I didn't think my
family was dragging me down.
They kept me going.

But I tried...
But you dropped it.

Yeah, you bailed out.
Now you come back here
to mess up a woman's life

who thought you were
the biggest thing
since pockets.

And you don't even care
if the truth hurts her.

George, Helen told me
she called the Center,
and they...

Oh! Excuse me,
I didn't know
you had company.

It's okay, Weezy.
He's leaving.

Oh, wait a minute.

You look familiar.

I do?

Oh, yes.
You're the Harold Mills
that was in the paper.

You caught the
purse-snatcher.

That's me.

Oh, my husband just went on
and on about how much you
look like my father.

George, did you
drag him over here?

No, Weez.

Uh, as a matter of fact,
I came here to see you.

Me?

Yeah.
I wanted to tell you that...

Well, your husband
showed me a picture
of you and your father.

Maybe you noticed that I
look a little like your dad.

Yes, you do.
Well,

I wanted to see what
the little girl in that
picture grew up to be.

I figure that if I
had ever had a daughter,

she'd look
a lot like you.

It's, uh, nice
meeting you, Louise.

And it's nice meeting
you, Mr. Mills.

Now, if you'll excuse me,
I have to change into some
painting clothes.

Thanks, Mills.

It's okay.

You took good care
of her, Jefferson.

You know,

I quit my job at the
newsstand this morning.

Thinking about opening up
my own restaurant down
in Norfolk.

sh**t, I figure if
the Colonel can do it,
so can I.

You've, um, got a...

fine woman there,
George.

Yeah, I know, thanks.
Uh, hold on, Harry...

Here you go, take it.

It's yours.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Just take care
of yourself, okay?

LOUISE: George?

Have you seen
my work shirt?

Huh? No.

What's the matter?

Oh, nothing, I'm just
thinking about your father
being gone, that's all.

Yeah.

Even after all this
time, I find myself
still missing him.

Well, you know
something, Weezy?

You're just gonna have
to get used to me tucking
you into bed at night.

I'm counting on it, George.