03x01 - Ribs

[bunniefuu]

[birds chirping softly]

- [sighs]

[phone buzzes]

[grunts]

[phone buzzing]

What?

[Aminé's "Burden"]

No!

AMINE: ♪ Look ♪

SINGER: ♪ Oh, oh ♪

AMINE: ♪ Uh uh oh,
Yeah, I like that ♪

SINGER: ♪ Oh, oh ♪
AMINE: ♪ Uh uh oh, yep ♪

♪ Bury me
before I'm a burden ♪

♪ Don't bury me
'til n*gg*s is certain ♪

- Amadi, what happened?

- I mean, I titled
the piece

"The Pickets'
Revisionist History."

Why did it get changed?

- Gabe must've changed it
when we left.

- Oh, my God.

You know he's going crazy

with the whole click-bait
headline thing.

- Yeah, but I wasn't trying
to, like, glamorize them.

Like, I was--I don't know.

I called them out
on their sh*t, right?

- Well, when the article
got pitched,

I did ask whether
or not it was worth doing.

Carl's Autobody
and the Portland Library

have both pulled their ads.

- The library hates me?

That sucks.

Uh, hi.
Can I get a small coffee?

- Annie Easton?

- Yes?

- Sorry, we don't serve
racists here.

- Oh.
- Hey, I'm sorry.

It's okay.
She's actually with me--

- Okay.
You don't have to--

- Whatever you want
is on the house.

- Really?
Okay.

Uh, could we have
two small coffees?

- Yep.

- Thank you.

- You must be feeling a lot
of white guilt right now.

- Yes.
Yes.

Heavy, heavy on my mind.

- What's that like?

- It's--it's nothing
compared to...

And I--yeah.

- I feel like I would be
so good on reality TV,

just wearing big necklaces

and calling
other women narcissists.

- Yeah, 'cause you do that now.

- Yeah, but then
I'd be getting paid.

[giggles]

- Hey.
What are these?

- From my cousin's wedding.

She just sent them.

EMILY: Okay.

I'm seeing a lot
of beautiful people,

a lot of cool hats.

- They're called geles.

And you know what they say--

the cooler the hat,

the more foreign you are.

- Mm.

You know,
I knew you were Nigerian,

but I don't think I knew
you were, like, Nigerian.

- My parents are Nigerian.

They moved to London.

I was born.

It's really not that exciting.

- Except literally
every part of that is exciting.

Like, why did they move?

- Because they wanted to.

I mean, what do you have to say
about your parents?

- Well, Papa's Irish-German

and mama is a covered wagon.

- Wow.
- Mm-hmm.

Okay.

You're being weird about this.

But if you want me to drop it,
I will drop it.

- Good.

- No.

No, no.
Come on.

Come on, just--if I kiss you--

you've been hogging it.

- You're an addict.
You're an addict

- You've been hogging it.
- [laughs]

[upbeat music]

♪ ♪

- Hey.
Annie?

I printed out
all the hate emails

The Thorn got about you.
Do you want them?

- No.

- Annie, I said be friendly
with the Pickets.

I didn't mean be friends.

- I didn't become friends
with them.

- You ate their pie

and said that
their pie tasted good.

- Okay, but I also said

that they're trying
to start a white utopia.

- Don't get mad at us.

You're the one
who got yourself canceled.

- What?
I am not canceled.

- She's canceled.
- So canceled.

- Why did you change
my headline?

- You know, everyone is reading
what you wrote, Annie.

You're welcome.
- [laughs]

Well, no one is reading

my actually thoughtful article.

They're just reading
your shitty headline.

- You know what?
I'm not gonna apologize

for being a good writer,
okay, Annie?

I don't have time
for this, uh, eruption.

I've got a huge press day today
for my book.

I'm late for a podcast,

which I didn't even know
was possible.

Talk to you later.

- Fine.
Then I'll call Sheila.

- Oh, little miss
teacher's pet

going straight
to "I'm telling!"

Hey.
You know what?

You can tattle face to face

'cause she's coming here
tomorrow.

How's that?

[OHMME's "Mine"]

- [grunts]

sh*t.

♪ ♪

SINGER: ♪ Mine mine mine
mine mine mine ♪

♪ It's all mine mine mine
mine mine mine ♪

♪ Mine mine mine
mine mine mine ♪

[lo-fi hip-hop music]

♪ ♪

[camera shutter snaps]

- Okay.
This seems important,

but I need to know
what you're doing.

- It is very important.

I'm sending a revenge selfie
to a married ex.

But what's up?
- Okay, Ricochet.

I have a question.
- Uh-huh.

- Say you're in a new

but very intense
relationship...

- As I am most always am, yes.

- So my partner, Em, is great.
RICOCHET: Uh-huh.

- And we're really in love.
RICOCHET: Mm.

But...

- Just sometimes

I feel like living here

and not being from here,

I feel like I'm already
kind of on display.

And my partner is white,

started asking me all these
questions about being Nigerian.

- Yes, yes, yes.
See, to Americans,

we're like exotic birds.

It doesn't matter
that my father is a dentist

and my mother, also a dentist.

- Yeah, it's like, I get that
that stuff is exciting to them.

But, like, I just always
kept my relationship

and my heritage separate.

- Yes, but see?

These people
are from places like Idaho

and, um--oh,
what's the other one?

- I--I feel like
it's Wishigan.

- Wishigan.
Wishigan, yes, yes, yes.

Their lives are football...

FRAN: Mm.
- And, uh, ham,

and everything
they can put ham in.

And--you know,

sometimes, my partners,

they ask about Chile, right?
- Mm.

RICOCHET: It's because
they need Chile.

Their lives are such

that when they hear
a little bit about Chile,

they go nuts.
- Yeah.

- So you gotta give them
a little something,

you know what I mean?

- Yeah, that makes sense.

And I do wanna share myself
with them.

- Then share yourself
with them!

There must be something small

and inconsequential

you can just throw them,
like...

FRAN: Yeah.
- I don't know.

Like a little wooden doll

or a--or a--or a rich tapestry,

something that says,
"Here is a piece of me to you."

- I guess
I could cook them something.

RICOCHET: Yes, yes, yes.

Enter the heart
through the mouth, yes.

- Isn't this your best friend?

♪ ♪

ANNIE: [exhales]

[line trilling]

BILL: Hey, sweetheart.

- Hi, Dad.

BILL: Honey,
Yellowstone is amazing.

We're at
the most beautiful waterfall.

- That's cool.

Um, Dad, I'm, like,

kind of freaking out
because everyone hates me.

BILL: Hold on, sweetie.
I can barely hear you.

Say it again?

- Um, I--I said that
everyone's mad at me

because of the article
that I wrote, and--

BILL: Oh!
We read that!

Really different
and cool for you.

Do you wanna talk to your mom?

- No, I don't--I--
BILL: Vera!

Hey, Vera!

[laughs]
No, she can't talk.

She spilled her water
in her bag.

- Okay.
Okay.

Dad, I'm gonna go, okay?

BILL: Yeah, one second,
one second, Annie.

- Okay, bye.

[soft pop music]

[huffs]

[sighs]
Today was hell.

Like, I, like, actually know
what hell is now.

- Mm.

- I mean, like, my article--

- Yeah, I saw the article.

- Yeah, so, I mean,
Gabe changed the headline,

and it just made
everything seem like

it was, like, so bad.

- Annie, stop.
You're not the victim here.

- What?
No.

Gabe skewed it
with his headline,

but if you read
the actual article--

- Yeah,
I read the whole thing.

You gave these people
a platform.

You literally spent
the whole day

with these
r*cist pieces of sh*t,

and you shot g*ns
with one of them.

I mean, why do these people

need to be written about
at all?

- I was just trying

to investigate, like,

their shittiness, you know,

their, like, horrific values.

It wasn't my intention
to give them a platform.

- How was it not
your intention,

yet you wrote
a feature article about them?

And intention or not,
it still sucks.

- But--it actually
wasn't even my pitch.

Like, it was supposed to be
Andy who wrote it.

- So you wrote it in protest?

- No.

No, I--I just--

I don't know--
I just didn't want

to be pigeonholed into
writing about body stuff.

So I was trying
to, like--

I don't know.

When it came up,
I just kind of jumped at it.

- Annie, you wrote
the article.

What do you think
would've happened to me

if I went to that ranch?

- Yeah, I--

I don't--I--I know

what you're saying.

- I can't help you
through this.

This is your problem.

- "Dear Diary,

"Am I the only one

"who thinks Maureen is hot?

Probably not."
[laughs]

- Maureen, it's not
a diary, okay?

I'm--I'm nervous,
so I'm writing down

what I'm gonna say
to Sheila and Gabe.

- Oh, no.
Are you quitting again?

- No.
No.

But everything is such a mess,

and so I asked
for a formal meeting

with Gabe and Sheila and Amadi.

And I'm gonna fix things.

- Okay.

Well, I believe in you.

I believe in you,

and I believe in fairies,

and that's it.

If you need me, I'll be
at my desk, making wishes,

wishes for my b*tches.

You want this?

- No, thank you.

[sighs]

EMILY: Okay, all
the ingredients are in there?

- Yes.
I think so.

EMILY: Then we just need
to puree them.

FRAN: Okay.
- And also if you wanted

to ask me some questions
about my culture,

I'd be more than happy
to answer.

- Wow, and what is
your culture again?

- Like, kinda preppy.

- Okay, yeah, no.

I do have a lot
of questions about that.

EMILY: [laughs]

[blender whirring]

- Is Nigerian food
like Ethiopian food?

- They're, like,


- Which is so many.

Was that a stupid question?

- Yeah.
It was.

- And do you love me
even though I'm stupid?

- I actually love you
because you're stupid.

- Wow.
God bless me.

[pop music playing
in the background]

- Okay.
That doesn't taste right.

My mum makes this all the time,
and that's not it.

- Well, this is
a random recipe

from recipesafrica.biz.

So maybe just call your mom.

- But if I call her, then
we have to talk to her, so...

- Yep,
Muy bien.

That is how
calling people works.

- And this is a good thing

that we want to do?

- Just call your mom, Fran.

♪ ♪

- Okay, Annie, through your
signature emotional acrobatics,

you've got what you wanted,
our undivided attention.

- Okay.

Well, I've been thinking a lot
about the article

that I wrote
about the Pickets...

- Yes!
It's exactly the kind

of fiery piece
I want from you, Annie.

- Well, I--
I don't agree with that.

Um... I mean,

these people
are practically t*rrorists,

and we've given them
a platform for their ideals.

And I'm not okay with that.

And I think that

we should take
the article down.

- [laughs]
I knew it.

[both chuckle]

- Sweetie, that's not
how journalism works.

- Well, but people are--

they're really upset,
and they're hurt.

So doesn't that mean
that we should listen to them?

GABE: No.

I can't believe
that I'm saying this,

but Sheila and I
completely agree.

Our policy is,
we don't take stories down.

We bash people
over the heads with them.

- Your article broke
our quarterly traffic records.

Because of you, The Thorn
lives to fight another day.

- But we're losing advertisers.

- Eh, we lost
a few small-time accounts,

but we gained
national attention.

- Amadi, you get what
I'm trying to say here, right?

- Uh, I don't love having
these people in our paper,

but we published it.

So that means it stands.

I would appreciate, however,

if you would run headlines
past me

before you call
white supremacists charming.

- Of course.
- Good point.

- Okay, um, well,
then could I--

could I write an apology

and we could post it online
or something?

I just feel like I should be
given the chance

to explain what
actually happened here.

GABE: And say what?

How it was everyone else's
fault except your own?

- No, I'm trying to take
accountability right now.

- If this is too much for you,

then stay in your own lane.

But if you want to evolve
and go bigger,

the job comes with
a few occupational hazards.

Bare minimum,

think about the ethics
of what you are writing

before the story comes out.

It's great to see you.

- Okay.

- Should we get started?

- You forgot your notes.

- Oh.

- Next month's slates.

- All right.

[phone vibrates, chimes]

- [scoffs]

[breathing shakily]

[whimpers]

- Okay.

What are you waiting for?

- I am setting an intention

that this call
will not be horribly bad.

- Hey.
You can do this.

[line trilling]

BISI: Hello.

Frances, is that you?

- Hi, Mum.
Sorry it's late.

BISI: I'm up.
I'm always up.

FRAN: Mum, can you point
the phone at your face?

I can see up your nose.

BISI: My baby,
what's going on?

- I'm trying
to make jollof rice,

and the tomato
doesn't taste right.

It tastes really bland.

BISI: You are making
jollof rice?

[laughs]

This brings me great joy.

Someone's in your house!

Hang up and call the police.

- Mum, this is--

this is Em, my partner.

- Hi, it's really nice
to meet you.

BISI: It is so nice

to meet you, too.

You know, in 29 years,

our Frances has never cooked

Nigerian food,

so you must be very special.

- Well, I'm nowhere near

as special as our Frances.

BISI: Tell me,
what do you do for work?

- Mum, the jollof rice.
Remember?

BISI: Yes, of course.

It will never taste
as good as my jollof rice,

but we can try
to get it close.

BISI: That is why
Ghanaian jollof rice

is garbage rice, okay?

- Okay.
I believe you.

- Okay.
You need to try this.

- Okay.
Wow.

That's the best thing
I've ever had in my life.

- Thank you so much, Mum.
It tastes just like yours.

BISI: It is my pleasure,
Frances.

Okay.
You two eat up.

It was so pleasant
to speak to you, Em.

- Oh, thank you, Bisi.

It was so lovely
to get to meet you.

BISI: Good night.

- Have a good night.

BISI: I love you, Frances.

Thank you for letting me
meet Em.

- I love you too, Mum.
Thank you.

- Okay, well, she's wonderful.

Can I have her number?

- Absolutely not. No.
- [laughs]

- But it genuinely was
really nice

to see how well you two got on.

- Parents love me.

I have a "good at chores"
energy.

- But no, I've just never
introduced a partner

to my parents before.

- Why?

- I think I kept
my dating life separate

because if one
rejected the other,

it would just be too painful.

- Well, I love you.

And I want to be part

of everything about you.

- I love you too.

ANGEL OLSEN: ♪ What is it you
think I need? ♪

[Angel Olsen's "Chance"]

- I guess it's time for you
to meet my family now?

- I get to go to the factory
where you were made.

- It's actually the world's
largest lacrosse field.

- Okay.
[chuckles]

ANGEL OLSEN:
♪ I don't want it all ♪

♪ ♪

- [sobbing]

ANGEL OLSEN:
♪ I've had enough ♪

- [sobbing continues]

ANGEL OLSEN:
♪ I don't want it all ♪

- Hey, hey.
- [laughs]

- You okay?

- [sobs]

- No.

I don't know.

Everything is just so bad.

And--I don't know.

Like, everyone thinks
I'm r*cist,

and I am so selfish.

I can't...

RYAN: Come here.
Come here.

Hey.

It's okay.

ANNIE: [sobbing]

Oh, God.

I just--I don't know.

I think I thought

that when we broke up,

that things
would just be easier.

But it's not,

and I really feel like
a worthless piece of sh*t.

RYAN: Hey.

Don't say that about yourself.

Like, ever.

I'm so lucky to have
ever dated you.

- Oh, God.
This is so f*cked.

I should not be venting
to you like this.

- It's okay.

I'll always be here
for you, Annie.

- Thank you.

I'm...I'm fine.

I'm--I'm okay.
I...

- You're sure?
- Yeah.

You should--you can go.
- You good?

- I'm sorry.

RYAN: Okay.

- Ryan?

[dramatic hip-hop music]

SINGER: ♪ I'm a freak ♪

ANNIE: [sighing]
RYAN: [grunting]

- Oh, my God.
That feels so f*cking good.

RYAN: Oh, God.
That feels so good.

Your p*ssy feels so good.

- Oh, my God,
I'm gonna come.

I'm gonna come.

RYAN: [grunts]
I'm gonna come, too.

[both yelp]

RYAN: That was amazing.

Like, when you talk
about my c*ck,

it just makes me go harder.

- I know.

I kinda think we should just

start f*cking at work again.

You know, like,
f*ck The Thorn.

- That would be so awesome.

ANNIE: Wow, what's--
what's this?

- Oh, sh*t.

f*ck, I forgot.

- What?

- I kinda have a girlfriend.

I mean, I do have a girlfriend.

- Oh, you forgot
you have a girlfriend?

What the f*ck is wrong
with you?

- sh*t.
This is bad.

We just got a dog together.

- Oh, my God,
so I just helped you cheat

on your girlfriend
and your dog?

You are exactly
the f*cking same.

- I'm sorry.
You were just so sad,

and I wanted to make you happy.

But we can never do this again.

- Yes.
No sh*t, m*therf*cker.

We are never doing this again.
Okay.

I should have never come here,

and I should have
never done this.

Listen to me.

Listen to me right now,

and I really f*cking mean it.

Do not ever talk to me again.

Don't call me,

don't find me at work.

Do not ever talk to me again!

[huffs]

Oh, my God.

f*ck you.

Truly, f*ck you!

[Molly Burch's "needy"]

♪ ♪

[breathes deeply]

SINGER: ♪ If you take too long
to hit me back ♪

♪ I can't promise you
how I'll react ♪

♪ But all I can say ♪

♪ Is at least
I'll wait for you ♪

♪ Lately I've been
on a roller coaster ♪

♪ Tryna get ahold
of my emotions ♪

♪ But all that I know ♪

♪ Is I need you close ♪

♪ I'ma scream and shout
for what I love ♪

♪ Passionate,
but I don't give no f*ck ♪

♪ I'll admit that
I'm a lil' messed up ♪

♪ But I can hide it
when I'm all dressed up ♪

♪ I'm obsessive,
and I love too hard ♪

♪ Good at overthinkin'
with my heart ♪

♪ How you even think
I got this far? ♪

♪ ♪