[rapid drum beats playing]
[sweeping music plays, then fades]
-[wind whistling] -[tumbleweed rustles]
[whimsical music plays, then fades]
-[coin plunks] -[water ripples]
["I'll Never Color You A Rainbow" by Philly Devotions plays softly]
♪ Too many colors Come into view ♪
[engine rumbles]
[tires crunching on gravel]
♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪
-[engine turns off] -[song stops abruptly]
[car door opens]
[crickets chirping]
[car door closes]
[footsteps crunching]
[door clanks and creaks open]
["Juice" by Yo Gotti playing]
[Yo Gotti] It's another one.
♪ I got that juice ♪
♪ New AP ♪
♪ She got that juice ♪
♪ She got that squeeze ♪
♪ She got that wet ♪
♪ I'm on them skis ♪
♪ I got that drip ♪
♪ I'm overseas ♪
♪ D-R-I-P-P-I-N-G ♪
♪ I got that VVS I-C-E ♪
♪ Ooh ♪
♪ I got stones on my neck, ooh ♪
♪ Blood on my set, ooh ♪
♪ Water on my wrist ♪
♪ Put glitter on my bitch ♪
♪ My ex was a waitress ♪
♪ So I gave that ho a tip ♪
♪ Ooh, my ex fucked a lame ♪
♪ Now she workin' double shifts ♪
♪ Our money ain't the same You a lame, get it clear ♪
♪ I did ten mil in eleven months Not a year ♪
♪ I gave fifty racks in the club ♪
♪ To a pimp ♪
♪ I blew two mil on my dog ♪
♪ For a pill ♪
♪ I got that juice ♪
♪ New AP ♪
♪ She got that juice ♪
♪ She got that squeeze ♪
♪ She got that wet ♪
♪ I'm on them skis ♪
♪ D-R-I-P-P-I-N-G ♪
♪ I got that VVS I-C-E ♪
♪ Ooh ♪
♪ Feels like a cooler ♪
♪ Juice ♪
♪ Blame it on my jeweler ♪
♪ Aye, juice ♪
♪ Bright banana Poured fresh off the runway ♪
♪ Monkey-ass niggas ♪
♪ I think y'all all Bapes ♪
♪ If I see you won't speak I'm on my Cardi B ♪
♪ Shorty got that night-night ♪
♪ Put your ass to sleep ♪
♪ Aye, Yo Gotti ♪
♪ Who as hot as you? ♪
♪ Lil' boy talkin' money Know there's too much juice ♪
♪ You may see me with security ♪
♪ But know I'm the one shootin' ♪
♪ I been a boss all my life ♪
♪ I made a millionaire or two ♪
♪ And you might see me in a coupe With the disappearing roof ♪
♪ I had packs, I got plaques ♪
♪ You get texts for the juice ♪
♪ If you ex, you get sex ♪
♪ I'm in Saks with your boo ♪
♪ I got that juice ♪
♪ New AP ♪
♪ She got that juice ♪
-[song stops] -[blade knocking on board]
[soul music playing]
-[bell rings] -[cook] Order 16!
I got three rib tip sandwiches with slaw.
Them collards done?
Almost. They weren't cleaned good.
Throw on some hickory while you're out there. Damn, he's sweaty.
-Harold? -Yeah?
You unpack them beef ribs?
Yeah, they're done.
You sure? The last thing I need is them fools from the mosque
thinking I been sabotaging their movement with some pulled pork.
Where's Elijah?
[music stops]
[bottles clink]
[woman 2] And then I caught the nigga at Tops with another bitch.
He cheated on me, like, eight times.
Why I still mess with him?
[woman 1] 'Cause you're stupid.
-[woman 2] I am. -[woman 1 chuckles]
[woman 2] But that D...
-was savage though. -[woman 1] Mm-mm. Girl, no.
That's why your ass needs some drink.
[woman 2] Hey... Yeah, you right.
-[woman 1 chuckles] I'm kidding, girl. -[woman 2] You okay?
[woman 1] Yep, I-- [laughs]
Excuse me. Where's your white wine?
Uh, one aisle over.
What-- You looking for something specific?
[woman stammering]
A... A good one?
Don't laugh. I don't be knowing this. What?
Okay, okay.
Um... [snaps] Here, follow me.
-[woman 1 chuckles] -Okay, uh...
[Elijah takes a breath]
Wait, so...
you like hip-hop?
Yeah.
Okay. So...
First, we've got Chardonnay.
Now, Chardonnay
is like the granddaddy of wine.
It's-- It's versatile, smooth and can kind of go with anything.
You know, it's like...
It's like the Jay-Z of wine.
-Okay. -Okay?
-[chuckles] -Okay, so next we've got the Pinot Grigio.
Uh, Pinot Grigio
is a white wine, but with a little bit of spice to it.
It's like, "Oh, you thought I was just a white wine? I'm about to get stupid."
-[laughs] -It's-- It's like a Kanye West.
So Pinot Grigio's gonna say slavery was a choice?
It wasn't?
-[laughs] -And then, over here, uh...
we've got the Rieslings.
Now, Rieslings are crisp, clean, usually kind of sweet.
So it's like the Drake of wine?
Yeah, Rieslings be in their feelings.
[both laugh]
Okay.
That was good. I've got to give it up.
-You're about to give up something. -Bitch.
I'll take a bottle of the Drake.
Okay, uh...
Well, uh, Thomas can ring you up.
Okay.
I fucks with Drake.
[bottles clink]
[humming]
[bottle clanks]
[sighs]
-Oh, shit! -["Pull Up" by Blac Youngsta playing]
[DJ] TNT on the beat.
♪ Tell that bitch to pull up now ♪
♪ Ho gon' make me pull up ♪
♪ Cut the talkin' Pull up now ♪
♪ Shh, pull up ♪
♪ Tell your friend pull up now ♪
♪ And her friend pull up now ♪
♪ Bring a friend, pull up ♪
♪ Pull up ♪
♪ It's a party Pull up now ♪
♪ We need bottles Pull up now ♪
♪ Bring the 'Rari Pull up now ♪
♪ Pull up ♪
-♪ Super fast, pull up now ♪ -[door creaks]
[song stops]
[dishes clanking]
[cook 1] Frank, how long on them ribs, man?
[indistinct chatter]
[cook 2] Ready to prep them greens?
[cook 3] They'll be done in about five minutes.
[cook 2] I'm gonna get 'em in the pot.
[order bell dings]
[dishes rattling]
[continued indistinct chatter]
-[bell dings] -[knife knocks on board]
[pots scraping]
You need a wake-up call?
-You need me to buy you a rooster? -I got my work schedules mixed up.
How you know my ribs are done? You just got here.
-Really? -What do you mean, "Really?"
If you cut them too soon, I lose money.
If I lose money, I can't take your mama to Vegas to see the Blue Man Group.
You want to be the one to tell her she can't go see those three fools?
I sure don't.
Dad, you've been teaching me since I was two. I know when it's done.
Y'all better not be back here arguing.
We've got the lunch rush, and I ran out of Sock It To Me cake.
A baby threw up in the bathroom,
and somebody's trying to pay with food stamps.
-I can't take no more drama. -Elijah's not cutting the meat right.
-He don't want you to go to Vegas. -That's not true.
Better not be. These my ribs?
Yeah, they're your ribs.
[waitress] How's everything tasting over here?
[Sylvia] Okay, ladies. Sorry about the wait.
How are your grandmama's feet doing? They still swollen?
You tell her I'm praying for her.
Ooh! Girl, I know them ain't lemons on your nails.
-[woman] Yep. -Let me see.
-Ooh... -Going to the Beyoncé concert tonight.
-Okay. -[woman] Okay...
-Yeah. -[Sylvia] Hey...
[laughs] Ooh, shit!
Mm. Girl!
-Hey, Mama. [chuckles] -[laughs]
Hi, my babies!
Come on.
Sorry I'm late to pick up lunch for the kids,
but I had to take them to get shots,
but I wasn't sure if I should do it
'cause of the whole autism thing.
But then I decided to do it,
and in the car, Kevin starts counting the McDonald's on the way here.
All the McDonald's. There are 15.
Look, Kevin is fine.
All right?
Now, his head a little big, but ain't nothing you can do about that.
Come take the kids in the back.
Y'all want to learn how to chop up chicken?
-[kids together] Mm-hmm! -[Sylvia] Come on.
[Elijah] Hi.
How'd you grow up in a family restaurant but can't cook for shit?
How you got a beard that don't connect? Huh?
[sputtering] Stop it.
This is a new blazer.
-Stop! -[Louis] Elijah.
[Louis] When you gonna man that cash register?
Exactly, Elijah.
Go man the cash register.
-Don't you! -[Louis] Elijah, pick that up.
[Brenda] Pick it up.
[bell dinging]
We ain't got to wait in line?
Nah, baby, I told you. I'm family.
When they die, I'm getting all this. [chuckles]
Yo, what up, cuz? [grunts]
Yo, um...
think you can hook me and boo up, so we ain't got to wait?
J.T., I told you. Ain't no more hookups.
Come on, Uncle Louis!
Why are you doing me like that? You used to give me baths.
Don't trip.
Ah, aye, aye, aye...
Kill 'em. Kill 'em. Kill 'em, kill 'em, kill 'em.
-Kill 'em-- -This have an ending?
Get outta here.
Elijah, make a run with me. Come on.
[bag rustles]
[Elijah sighs]
Aye, don't forget the rib tips. Hey, babe, you want some extra beans?
Yeah, you do. Ah...
-[car hums past] -[fire crackling]
[Louis] I'm good on charcoal.
-I need about two cords of hickory. -Okay.
I need some more of that cherry wood I got last week.
-I like the way them ribs turned out. -Very good.
Now, I've got some alder wood for sale that I think--
You must think I'm stupid. Can't nobody cook with that delicate shit.
[man laughs]
You still grooming junior?
-Hopefully one day it'll take. -[laughs]
[Louis] Tomorrow, I want you to come and meet our new meat distributor.
[Elijah] Uh... I can't.
-[stammers] Well, why not? -Um...
I've just, uh... got to prep some wine club shipments.
How come every time I try to teach you the business,
you've got an excuse why you can't do it?
Last month, I needed you to go with me to see about a new smoker.
You had some other wine thing.
You know how hard your grandfather worked
to keep this restaurant in the family.
-Yes, sir. -You know what this restaurant means
-to the community. -Yes.
This place is historic. Frankie Beverly had a stroke there.
Mm-hmm.
You're gonna take over the stand one day.
You need to know how to run it.
That's not it. I just can't do it tomorrow. Sorry.
Okay.
Next time, son...
you're coming.
["Say Na" by Moneybagg Yo playing]
♪ I got it, I got it ♪
♪ I want it, I want it ♪
♪ I own it, I own it ♪
♪ I'm on it, I'm on it ♪
♪ Let's get it, let's get it ♪
♪ I'm with it, I'm with it ♪
♪ Your city, your city ♪
♪ I'm in it, I'm in it ♪
♪ What they gon' say now? Proved 'em wrong ♪
[teacher] We're very proud of this today.
We've experimented
with a very bold flavor.
We've really had a great response.
Want to try some?
-Oh, no, I'm okay. -Too late.
-[student laughs] -[wine pouring]
[teacher laughs]
So, as I was saying,
the response to this wine has been out of this world.
We're very, very proud of it.
That's great. Thank you.
[teacher] Absolutely.
♪ I don't play by rules ♪
♪ I got options I can pick and choose ♪
What about that Chablis?
Oh. The 2017 is impeccable.
♪ Don't come around Tryin' to stand beside me ♪
♪ I can see the hate With my side view ♪
-It needs the sweetness of a Riesling. -Hmm.
[Elijah] Best Chardonnay I've ever had.
-[man] Oh, come on. -Dead serious.
And one of the instructors poured me something called Antica Terra.
-Oh, yeah. Oregon. It's good, right? -Insane.
And then Albert Bichot was there with this new 2016 Corton Grand Cru
that was like vanilla but also kind of fruity.
-[bottles clink] -Man, it was crazy.
-How was the swag bag? -Got a neck pillow.
-Swaggy. -Yeah, real swaggy.
But I was thinking, they specially curated all their wines for the fair.
I thought maybe we could do that for our wine club.
Like what if... Just hear me out.
What if we just sent out all different kinds of Barolos?
Is that crazy?
In Memphis?
-Yeah. -Come on. We always do the same thing.
We send a bunch of reds, a bunch of whites.
Let's do something new. Something different, you know?
-[box thuds] -Ah, come on, man.
[Elijah sighs heavily]
[clicks tongue] The wine fair was where you went to school, right?
-Yeah, it was good. -Hmm.
-[bottle clinks] -Classes, pretty hard or whatever?
Oh, yeah. And I had a kid while I was in school.
I'd go to Daddy and Me classes smelling like Merlot.
Full disclosure. I wasn't the only one.
So you thinking of applying or what?
[takes a deep breath] I don't know. Maybe. I don't think so.
Why not?
No wife, no kids. You've got time.
Yeah, well, my Pops wants me to take over the restaurant, so...
Yeah, I don't know.
I just want to...
find my own thing.
Just make sure you're sure.
I took the test three times.
It was...
Yeah.
Okay.
Cool. All right. Um... [snaps]
I'm gonna figure out this wine club stuff.
[car honking in the distance]
[bell rings]
[keyboard clacking]
-[Tanya] Hey. -Hey.
Hey. Hey.
Oh, sorry. Y'all still open?
Yeah, yeah, we're still open. I'm just Googling some wine club stuff.
You know, [imitating Rick Ross] every day I'm Googling.
Okay.
Yep. Uh... [stammers] Um.
Okay, you need help with something or something?
Yeah, I just maybe wanted
to learn about what I bought the other day.
But, you know, this wine club stuff looks real good, though.
It is. Yeah, you know, it is. Uh...
Okay, so you get invited to our bi-monthly tastings
and you get a free subscription to Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
Oh, okay.
That's what's up. Uh, let's do that. [chuckles]
So you probably need my email, my...
address, my phone number?
Yes, I definitely need your number.
Um...
Okay, well, just in case it gets lost... Your magazine gets lost in the mail.
And there's this really great article this month about corks.
About corks?
-Cool. -It is cool.
-[laughs] -It is cool,
because you think they're just corks, but they're...
not.
[Tanya laughs]
-Wow. -Wow. Okay, okay.
-[giggles] -Um...
-Before you change your mind-- -Right.
-Just give me that. -Yeah, okay. [stammering] Mm-hmm.
[Sylvia] All right, we've got chicken, ham, macaroni and cheese,
and greens.
[utensils lightly clanking]
Nobody's gonna eat
-any of my ambrosia salad? -Huh?
Maybe we just let it cool off.
It's Jell-O. It's already cold.
-Yeah. We know. -[family snickering]
-Stop it. -[Louis] Elijah, what happened to you
yesterday afternoon?
I thought you were supposed to pick up some more butcher paper.
Oh, um...
sorry, I just, uh... [stammers] I had to do something.
Something more important than your job?
Uh...
I went to a mixer about becoming a sommelier.
You trying to be an African?
-Is that like a pirate? -No, that's a Somalian.
-What did you say? -Sommelier.
Y'all know Kelly Kendrick dated a Somalian.
He stole her identity.
That's horrible. Is she okay?
I don't know. I don't be up in people's business like that.
Then why bring it up? That don't make no sense.
-[all clamor] -You just told everybody that...
She was supposed to redo the front of my braid.
She never said anything.
[all talking over each other]
[Sylvia shushing]
Hey, hey, hey. Everybody stop.
Okay? Elijah was saying something.
Now go on. What's... What's the thing?
Uh, a sommelier is someone who's an expert in wine,
like Raylan at my job.
He's a sommelier, but he buys wine.
At a restaurant, they help you decide which wine to drink.
So they're getting paid to tell people what to drink?
I could do that. Hennessy White goes with everything.
Nope. Anyway,
uh, Raylan says he's gonna write me a letter of recommendation.
[Louis] I just hope,
if Raylan puts himself out there like that, you follow through.
What does that mean?
I mean,
you get an idea about something, but when it comes time to do it--
-Louis. -I'm just saying what everybody knows--
Louis!
But, hey, if you want to tell people what to drink with their chitlins,
[stammers] I'm fine with it.
[family chuckles]
[Judy] Wine and chitlins. [laughs]
-[Judy] Ain't that a group, Ambrosia? -[family chuckling]
[Louis] Baby, there's wig hair on the counter and in my sink.
Can we get rid of the wigs?
Uh-uh. They're too expensive.
Baby, you've been in remission for two years.
You don't even need 'em.
I do.
Louis, my hair is still too thin,
and when I wear that blonde one, I look just like Beyoncé, so no.
Yeah, you do look like Beyoncé.
-What'd I do now? -You don't know?
-I don't. -You don't know?
Girl, I ain't doing this.
You embarrassed Elijah at the dinner tonight.
-Okay? [stammers] -[sighs]
He was all excited about his little wine thing
and then you went and shit all on it.
[Louis sighs]
Louis, you've got to support him in the stuff he wants to do.
I do support him.
I support him learning the business and not doing six million other things.
Well, that's what kids his age do.
They're trying to figure out what they're good at.
At some point, he's gonna have to man up.
[Louis] Five years ago, he was gonna be a DJ.
Then he was gonna teach English in Japan.
The boy don't even eat Panda Express.
That's Chinese.
-Don't. -I'm just saying.
We both know how this wine thing is gonna end up.
Louis, you ain't even stopped to ask the boy
why he wants to do the sommely thing.
I mean, you've got to give him a chance to figure it out.
What am I gonna do in the meantime?
Just wait? I'm not getting any younger.
If he don't take over the stand, who's gonna carry it on when I'm gone?
-[sighs heavily] -My father started the thing...
he gave it to me, and I'm supposed to--
[both] Give it to Elijah.
I know.
That's right.
[Sylvia sighs]
[clicks off light]
[sheets rustle]
[Sylvia] I know you ain't trying to get nothing started
-after you talked about my wigs. -[exhales]
-[Louis] Baby-- -Back up.
[Sylvia] Uh-uh! You ain't getting that either!
-["Different" by Yo Gotti plays] -[Yo Gotti] ... accomplishments, you know?
♪ I got a hit ♪
♪ They start treatin' me different ♪
♪ Been had that bag So it didn't make a difference ♪
♪ Yeah, in the beginning ♪
♪ She tried to keep her distance ♪
♪ I got the pussy She started treating me different ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah ♪
♪ They had their hand out But I ain't submissive ♪
♪ You tryin' to extort a nigga I'm from Memphis ♪
♪ You know we mob different ♪
♪ Red or blue It don't make a difference ♪
♪ I flip that white To get that green ♪
♪ Them my only intentions, yeah ♪
♪ I don't Twitter Better get out my mentions ♪
♪ I'm paranoid, I'm shootin' You flinchin' ♪
♪ Nigga, I'm from the trenches ♪
♪ My bag different ♪
♪ My swag different ♪
♪ My bitch went seen Dr. Miami Her ass different ♪
-♪ I'm extraordinary young nigga ♪ -[Elijah and Tanya laugh]
♪ I'm past different ♪
♪ This little bullshit you doin' Young nigga ♪
♪ My past history ♪
-You good? -[laughing] Yeah.
-Yeah? -Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm good, I'm good.
-Okay, okay. -It's been a while.
-[song fades] -Uh-huh.
-Guess what? -What?
I bought a bottle of Chardonnay yesterday.
-Uh-huh. -A French one.
Oh, hold up. Hold up, hold up.
Wait, so you went to another wine store already?
You cheating on me already?
I mean...
[Elijah chuckles]
So wine's, like, your thing?
Yeah, kind of.
Since when?
Mm... Like four or five years ago.
I was, uh... I was at this restaurant with my ex--
Oh, hold up. No, no, no. There was somebody before me?
Ooh. Was she ugly?
Why has she got to be ugly?
I don't know. You picked her. You're clearly upgrading.
-Okay, anyway... Um. [laughs] -[laughs]
Yeah, I was about to buy
this cheap bottle of wine and the waiter was like, "Nah, try this."
And so he goes on and on about this wine,
he's talking about stuff I never thought about before,
like, you know, how it's grown, where the grapes are from, all this stuff.
And so when I get home,
I start researching everything I can about this wine I like.
Then it led to the next wine, and the next wine, and the next wine.
Yeah, I don't know.
Like, growing up...
we didn't have money to go nowhere, so...
when I get a wine from some place like France, some place like Spain,
I just feel like I'm kinda there.
You know what? You ain't right.
What?
To tell me a great story like that on the first date?
Now I got to go on another one. And another one.
Yeah, that's okay.
-You sprung. It's alright. Could be worse. -Whatever.
So since you're so into wine, you ever want to do more
than just work in the store?
Um...
Yeah, yeah, I'm, um...
[clicks tongue] thinking about... think about becoming a sommelier.
But, um...
I don't know. The Master exam is pretty hard, so...
So? You're smart.
And the fact that I'm still here means you can keep up.
Okay. Yeah. [chuckles]
But in the whole, entire world, there's only, like, 230 Master Somms.
So why can't you be 231?
Uh... I don't know.
It's just, between work and then studying for an exam,
I just think it'll be a lot.
If you work on passing the test as much as you do coming up with excuses,
it won't be hard. [chuckles]
I'm sorry.
That's not my place to say.
-[stammers] I don't know you like that. -It's alright.
It's all good. It's all good.
I mean...
there's always gonna be
a reason we shouldn't do something, but...
if you want it...
This is the entrance exam to the Master Sommelier program.
There's theory and tasting
and you'll need to score an 80% to pass.
Good luck.
Begin.
-[papers rustling] -[chairs creaking]
-[indistinct chatter] -[Tanya on phone] So, how'd you do?
[Elijah] I'm still just waiting for the results.
-[phone rings] -But you think you passed though?
I don't know.
I hope so.
Well, I'm claiming we're gonna pass,
and if we don't, then we'll just do it again next year.
We? You trying to be a "we"?
[stammers] If you act right.
[chuckles]
-[door closes] -My boss just got back.
-Call me when you know. -Yeah.
'Kay.
That was just my granny.
She fell out the bed.
[man sighs heavily]
It's fucking ridiculous, right?
What?
I've taken the exam twice.
It's never taken this long to get the results.
How many times did you take it?
Oh, this is my first time.
Yeah, you'll probably fail. Don't feel bad.
You a somm?
No, I work at Joe's Wines. You?
Waiter at Oak and Forage. Pay's good.
I used to date the hostess. She was pretty hot... ish.
Not that I'm hot or anything.
What do you think?
On a scale of one to ten, what would you say I am?
Like a five or something?
Like, I feel like I have, like, a good neck or something.
-Mm-hmm. -Oh.
[man] Hey.
Gonna see if your name's here?
[indistinct chatter]
["Clowns" by Key Glock playing]
[woman in song giggles]
[child in song] Ceeo, turn that beat up.
♪ I be Dolce & Gabbana ♪
♪ To the ground on you clowns, yeah ♪
♪ Hop up out the Benz Smell like a pound right now ♪
♪ Thirty thousand in my mouth I can't wait to crack a smile ♪
♪ I'm turned up Can't turn me down ♪
♪ Bitch, I made my mama proud ♪
♪ Diamond chokers in my neck, wet I might drown ♪
♪ Bitch, I'm playin' with a check ♪
♪ I don't play around ♪
♪ Thumbin' through that cash, yes I love how it sound ♪
♪ School of hard knocks, bitch Got my cap and gown ♪
♪ I ran up my money ♪
♪ They say I act funny now ♪
[song fades]
-[Elijah] Daddy? -[Louis] Yeah. I'm back here.
Whatcha think?
About what?
About this.
We opened up a second barbecue spot.
The loan came through a week ago.
Previous owner lost it due to tax issues.
It's the same day, every April 15th.
But I'm thinking a lot of things that Papa did...
were kind of...
old.
But I thought that-- that this place can be...
how we do it.
The neighborhood is gentrifying.
You know, the white folks.
And, uh, I was thinking
I'd do a bar where you can do your...
your wine thing, you know.
Uh...
[stammers] You know more about that than I do.
-Mm. -[chuckles]
Yeah. Huh.
Um...
Wow.
Yeah, this is real nice of you, Daddy, but, um...
[chuckles] Uh, I don't know. This is a lot.
[Louis] Well, uh...
Yeah. Well, run the other place.
It pretty much runs itself, you know.
What?
Okay, I don't, um...
I don't want to take over the...
I don't want to take over the restaurant.
Uh, [stammers] I've been meaning to tell you, but, um...
I'm going back to school.
[stammering] You remember when I said I was interested in becoming a sommelier?
The African wine thing?
Again, it has nothing to do with Africa.
Um... But, yeah, no, [stammers] I took the entrance exam.
I got in and...
[takes a deep breath] well, uh, I start in a few days.
I mean, tuition's gonna wipe out all my savings,
[stammering] but I'm excited,
you know? [steadily inhales and exhales]
So-- So what do you think?
I think you're a grown man.
You don't want to run a restaurant, don't run the restaurant.
I won't let school get in the way of work.
Okay. [stammers] I'm gonna close up.
[footsteps retreating]
[teacher 1] The Master exam
is the hardest exam you will ever take in your life.
You will be tested on your theory.
You will be tested on your service.
And you will also be tested on your blind tasting.
The blind tasting is the most important part
of anything you will do.
-[hip-hop music plays faintly] -And this is the grid.
This is what you will need to know
to identify each and every single wine properly.
You will be tested on the sight
and the clarity of the wine.
You will be tested on the fruit
and the non-fruit components.
Acid, structure,
balance. I need to know whether or not
this wine is an Old World wine or a New World wine.
[teacher] I need to know the grape variety,
and most importantly, the region.
[teacher 2] Of the five sub-regions, there's Chablis,
Côte de Nuits,
Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise
and Mâconnais.
And within these sub-regions,
there are 500 premier cru vineyards.
Make sure about wines. About wine serving.
Um...
[exhales, blows air]
[groans] All right.
You studying?
Yep. [sighs]
[kisses]
What are you doing?
You almost done?
No.
-No? -No.
-[exhales] -Are you sure?
-[voice shaking] No. -[laughs]
-[Elijah breathes heavily] -[kissing]
[Newton] What's your size?
Come here. This one might work.
[Newton] What do you think?
Like it?
[teacher 3] Then cut the foil at the bottom of the lip,
then repeat the same on the back side.
Then one last cut up.
Now you can remove the foil.
-[Elijah] All right, here it is. -Good looking on this.
Of course. Okay, if you're cooking red meat, I'd go with the Pinot Noir.
You cooking white, I say the Albert Bichot La Moutonne.
Moutonne.
Oh, that sounds bold as hell.
Yeah, I'm about to be Moutonne. [rhythmic] You know this nigga down.
They don't even know. [laughs] And you know it's fancy,
-because it's in cursive. -[chuckles] Yep.
-I appreciate you. -Sure.
Oh, Chablis. Yeah, that's cool.
[Richie] How are you
at the German varietals?
I'm okay.
These names are insane.
Müller-Thurgau, Spätburgunder,
Weissburgunder?
[runs water]
Hold up.
Y'all using my favorite mug as a spit cup?
Oh, uh, [stammers] I told him this was your favorite mug
and Elijah was like, "Use this, Richie." And I was like, "Are you sure?
This looks like Tanya's special mug." I mean, look at it.
I just had a feeling about it. [tentatively] Have a good time in there.
I'm sorry, that usually works for me.
Throwing my friends under the bus.
[slurps wine, spits]
Acidity, medium.
[clicks tongue] Actually, medium minus.
[sniffs] Tasting some new oak, spice notes, toasted vanilla.
[swishes wine in mouth]
[spits]
[smacks lips]
Medium tannin. This wine is dry.
This wine is from a warm climate. New World. Possibly...
Argentina. Malbec.
This is from the Uco Valley.
It's a 2006 Alta Vista Single Vineyard Temis.
[instructor] It is.
Is that five in a row? [chuckles] I think that's five in a row.
I hate this guy.
Who gives a shit? He's just showing off.
You guys want in?
-No, man, you got it. -[Harvard] Yeah.
I do got it.
[instructor] All right.
One wine, one guess.
-Begin. -Color, the wine is yellow.
This wine is yellow-gold. A very pale concentration.
[sniffs] Some floral notes.
-Lemon. -[clicks tongue] Hints of new oak.
This wine is dry. Medium minus acidity.
-Acidity, medium plus. -Alcohol, medium.
Complexity is medium. This wine is from a cool climate.
-This is Old World, from France. -This is a Chardonnay from Burgundy.
-...from Burgundy. -From Chablis.
-From Côte de Beaune. -It's a Simmonet-Febvre Chablis.
This wine is Olivier Leflaive Les Sétilles Chardonnay.
Final answers?
It's Simmonet-Febvre.
[group applauds]
-Fuck him. -I don't care about beating him.
I'm pissed I didn't know the wine. We've been studying every night, right?
-It's only been a month. -No, that's not the point.
I mean, those wines weren't that hard. It's not gonna get any easier.
Yeah, that's true.
Hey, you want a coffee? [stammers] Let me get you a coffee.
Cool. Thanks.
I need money.
For what? You just said you were gonna get me a coffee.
Yeah, "get." I'll get it for you when you give me the money.
[Elijah sighs]
Hey, I'm doing you a favor, okay?
I don't need the sighs.
It's rude. I'm just saying it's rude.
A ten?
How am I supposed to get myself a croissant with this?
I'll make it work.
[Harvard] Olivier Leflaive.
Are you still upset?
I'm Eric,
but they call me Harvard.
I went to Harvard.
[chuckles] Uh...
Look, a friend and I are starting a study group. Thought we could team up.
Uh... Yeah, I don't have time to fuck around.
You-- You think I'm fucking around?
I don't know what you're doing, but if it's like that bullshit you--
It pushed you though, right?
Look, it's impossible to pass the Master exam
without a study group, so...
might as well push each other.
[hip-hop music playing]
-[knife chopping] -[music fades]
You got that barbecue spaghetti ready?
Cheryl been sent that out.
Damn, it's hot.
[dishes clattering]
Is this what menopause feels like?
-[faucet runs] -I don't know. I'm 40.
-[blade knocking on board] -[order bell dings]
[indistinct chatter]
-What? -What?
It's just you're all up on me.
Breathing.
[chuckles, clears throat] Yeah, no, I was just gonna...
I was gonna ask if I could swap shifts.
Yeah, so, um, I joined a study group with some of the guys from class and...
Wednesday is the only time they have off, so...
Why I gotta move my whole life around to accommodate you?
Whole life? I'm just asking to swap shifts.
Well, Wednesday is our busiest day.
-We gotta start the wood, -[order bell dings]
brine the chicken, start prepping the big orders.
Hey, look, I'll swap with Elijah.
No, you can't. We're going to CC's.
It's all-you-can-eat crab. That's Dungeness
and soft shell.
I thought you said you weren't gonna let this wine thing mess with your work.
[order bell dings]
-[Louis] That's what you said, right? -Yeah.
[Louis] You said that, right?
Okay.
I'll figure it out.
[pots clanking]
All right.
-[sighs] -Oh, so now you done got all funky?
Well, you ain't got to go tonight.
My ticket's paid for.
[Louis chuckles]
["If It's Good To You (It's Good For You)" by Barbara & The Browns plays]
[singer on stage] ♪ Put your hand on mine ♪
♪ One sample of my love ♪
♪ You want more every time ♪
♪ I said I got everything ♪
♪ Got everything! ♪
♪ That's good to ya ♪
♪ Hey, hey, hey! ♪
♪ And if it's good to ya ♪
♪ It's got to be good for ya ♪
♪ I know that it ain't right ♪
♪ What I'm about to do ♪
Look at you.
-[Louis] Mm. -[Sylvia groans]
Miss Thing is doing way too much.
I don't see what the big deal is.
That's because you dated Carol in high school.
She was a slut then and she's a slut now.
Look how she's dressed. Breasts hanging all out.
Your breasts is hanging out.
No, they're not!
My breasts are accentuated.
Yes, they are.
-[laughs] What am I gonna do with you? -You're gonna love me, baby.
-You're gonna love me. -[Sylvia giggles]
[woman continues singing in background]
-[phone buzzes] -Hey.
Hold up.
What?
The alarm went off at the restaurant.
Shit.
[engine revs]
Will you stop driving like a crazy person?
I just want to know what's going on.
[sighs] Lord.
-[engine stops] -[car door closes]
[hip-hop music playing]
-[Sylvia] Elijah? -[Louis] What's going on here?
We got an alert that the alarm went off.
-Oh, my fault. Um... -[music stops]
She accidentally opened the door
before I, uh, put in the code.
She who? Who's she?
Oh, this is Tanya. Tanya, this is my folks.
Hi.
Tanya's my, um...
Oh, if I'm cleaning with you at midnight, I'd better be your girlfriend.
I know that's right.
You said I had to finish up all this stuff before I went to study group,
so I just decided to come back and knock it out tonight.
[softly] He's right. You did say the reason he couldn't switch shifts
was that he had to work. And so now he done finished the work.
-You said that. -[softly] I know. I know--
I'm just trying to help you remember what you said.
[Louis] I know what I said.
I don't need you to help me remember.
Why don't you remember to DVR Power?
-Really? -Remember that?
[Louis sighs]
[stammering] So you... You, uh-- You finished everything?
Uh, I'm about to.
[Louis] Mm-hmm.
So...
I can go to study group?
I mean, your work's done here, so...
All right.
I'm, uh... I'm gonna go finish the chickens.
I like your hat.
So are you funky now?
-[car rushes past] -I'm not feeling you right now.
Yeah, you are.
You're feeling me. Come on.
[footsteps retreating]
[sighs]
Color, uh, red. Almost deep garnet.
Slightly hazy, tiny bits of sediment. [takes a breath]
[sniffs]
Smells of, uh, dried black cherry, currents...
No, no, no. Figs. [stammers] It's figs, right?
You know we can't tell you, man.
[group laughs]
[swishing liquid in mouth, spits]
Hints of, uh,
sweet and savory tones,
-[taster snapping] -like sage, bay leaf,
cinnamon, vanilla?
-[inhales] Uh, acidity, medium. -[paper splats]
[Harvard and Elijah laugh]
[Richie] This is a Cab.
[sighs] New World, high-quality producer.
He's getting tight.
[Richie] Fuck you.
Possibly from Australia.
[stammering] I'm calling it.
Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cab.
-[taster] What year? -Ticktock, ticktock.
-2007? -[group dissents]
[slams table] Fucking fuck!
-It was a Cab, but it's a three from Napa. -[cards splat]
You need a towel. Your whole face is sweaty.
[both laugh]
You guys switched the wines?
Why would we switch the wines?
-'Cause you're dicks. -That's fair.
[Harvard] Oh, shit.
[Elijah] What?
Our class is doing an exchange program
-with our sister school in Paris. -[Richie] What?
We've got to pay for it though. That's bad for me.
Dude, who gives a shit? It's Paris.
What?
Um...
No, I just-- I probably can't go.
What? You have to go.
[stammers] It'll be like The Three Amigos
only having two amigos.
[stammers] Although three of us will be going,
so we will actually be The Three Amigos.
Yeah.
[sirens wailing in the distance]
Let's get some fresh air.
[door opens]
We did switch the wines.
Fuck...
you.
So...
you really can't go?
[birds chirping]
I mean, I emptied out my savings for the tuition, and...
what, this trip's, like, an extra ten grand?
-[sighs] -I mean, can't you ask your parents or...?
[chuckles] No, they ain't got money like that, man.
I mean...
[chuckles]
me even being in school right now is a whole thing for my pop, so...
Yeah, man, [stammers] I get that.
My dad is...
He's not cool I'm in school either.
But at the end of the day...
[chuckles] I gotta do what I got to do.
Hey, I hear you, but...
you know...
What if, uh...
[clicks tongue] What if you and I went half on everything?
Could you do it then?
So everybody in your class is going?
Yep.
-Harvard said he would split it with you? -Yeah.
-And Raylan said he's fine with it? -Yes.
-So why can't you go? -'Cause I don't have the money.
-But Paris is, like, it for wine, right? -Yeah.
Then, baby, you gotta go. This is a real step towards what you--
I know it's a real step. You don't think I know it's a real step?
-I do. -Then why are you acting like I don't?
-I'm not trying to fight with you. -Are you sure?
Yeah.
I just, I don't get why you're not doing everything you can to go.
[Tanya inhales]
It's not like you're doing everything you need to be doing, so.
-What? -You're telling me what I need to do,
but you aren't a nurse.
Why don't you go back to school
-instead of just being a receptionist? -Fuck you.
-When it's all so easy-- -Fuck you.
Okay.
[door slams]
[crickets chirping]
Want me to set the alarm?
Okay.
[Elijah sighs]
So you're not gonna talk to me now?
[clicks tongue] I mean, it's whatever.
[train horn blows in the distance]
I'm sorry.
I just don't wanna fuck it all up.
Why would you fuck it up?
I'm just so close.
What if I get there and I'm no good? Then what?
[both sigh]
It's not like I've got the money anyway, so, whatever.
[sighs] Your family can't help you?
No. [scoffs] They ain't got the money either.
I know.
Maybe they can help you get it.
Anyone else?
-[dishes clank] -[J.T.] Give me some of that.
It's a good bottle, E.
[J.T. ] Mm.
[sighs] What's it mean, "Grand Cru"?
Yeah, that pretty much means it's the best.
Yeah. It's actually not that hard to read a label. It's divided into five parts.
The producer's name.
The region it's from.
The varietal. Like whether it's a Cab or Merlot.
-Hmm! -[Elijah] The vintage,
or the year the grapes are pulled.
And then you got
the alcohol level, which--
Can I have more green beans?
Why?
Um... Let me see that.
See, I didn't know that, you know, every little thing on here
had its own meaning.
-That's something. -[Tanya] You know, I don't know how
Elijah memorizes all this stuff. Sometimes when I wake up in the morning,
he's still studying.
So you be spending the night over there?
Oh, no, no, just...
Ooh... Y'all just over there sinning.
Yeah, [snaps] um...
You know what?
It actually kind of helps when I think of wine like barbecue.
You know, uh, certain places
just do certain things good.
Like Memphis and ribs or, uh, Texas and brisket.
It's kind of like Argentina and Malbec or Provence and rosé.
What region would Dad's barbecue be from?
-Courvoisier. -[family laughs]
-[Judy] You are so stupid. -[J.T.] My bad.
I'm just glad you've found something you like.
Oh, I'm just trying to stay focused.
It's harder than you thought, huh?
[clicks tongue] You know...
You know what? At times, yeah.
It always is.
[Elijah] Hmm.
I guess I'll get better at it once I go to Paris.
What?
-[overlapping indistinct chatter] -Yeah, no, um...
[Newton] That's amazing, man.
Uh, yeah, [laughs] uh, my class got asked to go to Paris and study wine.
When do you leave?
Well, I don't-- I don't actually have the money.
Not yet. But I'm gonna have at least half when I sell my car.
Wait, wait, wait.
-You gotta sell your car? -[J.T.] Come on, man,
you can't sell the Nissan. We got so many blow...
Tires. Just flat...
-tires is all. All over the place. -[Judy] Hush.
[Sylvia] Listen.
Money, ain't never been the reason nobody in this family did nothing.
Okay? So if you're gonna sell your car to come up with half,
then we're gonna get together and come up with the other half.
-To my baby going to Paris! -[family cheering]
-[family laughing and clamoring] -[glasses clink]
-[truck beeping] -[dog barking]
[pigs snorting]
[gate rattles]
-[latch clanks] -[pig squeals]
-[mush splattering] -[continued squealing]
[machinery whirring]
I'm gonna need you to trim these a little more.
The last few ribs had too much fat.
-How much do you want me to cut? -Eh, just--
[phone chimes]
[indistinct conversation]
[phone chiming]
-[keyboard clacking] -[text whooshes]
[Louis] Uh...
At least a... a quarter of an inch.
-[stammers] That's fine. -Okay.
[soul music playing]
[indistinct excited chatter]
Okay, can I have everybody's attention, please?
[shushes] Okay, shoo, shoo, shoo. Okay, come on,
everybody be quiet, alright?
Hush it up.
-[music stops] -Don't mess up my moment.
Uh, Elijah, come on up here.
Okay, look at my baby.
-Don't he look good? -[crowd] Yeah!
Do you know how much your family loves you, boy? Do you?
-I do. -Do you?
-Mm-hmm. I do. [laughs] -Mm?
-Yeah? -Yeah.
Okay, well, they love you so much that...
they raised $3,820,45.
Really, J.T?
What? Why everybody looking at me?
Forty-five cents?
-[crowd laughs] -When's my party?
All a parent wants...
is for their child to be happy.
[voice breaking] And when I had cancer, I didn't...
[woman] Take your time.
[Sylvia sniffles]
[clicks tongue] To sit here today in front of all y'all...
[tearfully] and watch my baby go to Paris...
[crowd agreeing]
You're going to Paris.
[loudly] To be a sommelier!
Ooh! God is good,
'cause that's the first time I got that word right!
-[crowd laughs] -Huh? Won't he do it?
[continued laughing]
I'm not gonna take up all the time,
because I know Elijah's daddy wants to say something. Baby?
[stammers] I think you said it all, baby.
Okay, well, um... the food is ready,
and we've got some fancy French desserts, too.
[music resumes]
[indistinct excited chatter]
["As Late As The Hour May Be" by Jimmy Radcliffe plays]
♪ As late as the hour may be ♪
[knocking at door]
[Elijah] Hey.
-Hey. -Uh...
Are you working?
Yeah, I'm just...
-trying to get this thing together here. -Uh-huh.
[Elijah] Um...
[stammering] So I'm about to head out, but, uh...
I got-- I got you and Mama a thank you gift.
Yeah, it's a... it's a Barolo from Italy.
Um...
Uh, a father and son started it together.
-[spray hisses] -Well you know I don't drink wine.
[lid clanks]
Yep.
Yep, yep. Um...
Yeah.
Just figured it was a...
cool connection.
I'm sure your Mom'll drink it.
-[metal clanks] -[hushed] Damn.
That's what our last words are gonna be before I leave?
Last words? [chuckles]
-Last words. -See, why you got to do that?
You're the one that said, "Last words," like you were going off to war.
You're gonna be in Paris drinking wine and eating croissants and shit.
Yeah, you know, ever since I started school,
you've been giving me a hard time.
'Cause you think you're better than us.
-[scoffs] -That ain't true?
Every time I try to teach you the business,
you'd rather waste time doing five million other things.
None of which led to a damn thing.
Yeah, 'cause I didn't wanna get stuck in the barbecue--
Stuck? That's what you think?
That's what I think. I think you got stuck.
You ain't gotta set another damn foot in there again.
Yeah, whatever.
[tools rattle on floor]
[bag thuds]
[stool creaks]
♪ Make yourself comfortable ♪
["La Vague" by Phases Cachées playing]
[man rapping in French]
[continued rapping in French]
-[song fades] -[car engine hums]
[Elijah] Damn, this courtyard is French as fuck.
[Harvard chuckles] It sure is.
We're on the fourth floor.
[Elijah] Shit. I got a view?
[Harvard] It'd better or I'm gonna get my money back.
[door creaks open]
[floorboards creaking]
All right, you hooked it up.
Yeah, I did. [laughs]
I'm gonna go check out the rest. Really hope my room has a candelabra.
[windows creak open]
[distant street chatter]
[car honking]
["Breathing" by Mekao playing]
[man singing in French]
[continued singing in French]
[woman 1] Girl, where'd you get your nails done?
[woman 2] Girl, my place is bomb. They serve you champagne while you wait.
-[woman 1] Oh, they get you lit, too? -Uh-huh.
[woman 1] Oh, I'm there. Where it at?
[doctor] Mrs. Bruener, sorry to keep you waiting. How ya doing?
-[Sylvia stammers] Nervous. -[doctor] Understandable.
We got the results of your biopsy.
Unfortunately, your cancer has come back.
It's metastasized to your lungs.
Now, it's obviously not good...
but we do have a plan.
[indistinct conversations]
Hey, baby, how are you feeling?
Mm...
Want a blanket or some... some water?
Could we have some water and some of them cookies y'all make?
Louis, I don't want no cookies.
I know. They're for me.
The doctor says he's coming by with the test results today, right?
-Yes, baby. -Okay.
[gasps] Ooh, look, wait. Elijah sent some pictures.
Oh, this is him standing next to some French building.
Him next to another...
building, yeah.
Okay, well, basically it's him standing next to a whole bunch of buildings,
but they're French buildings.
He looks so happy.
[Louis] You see that shit?
They got the white people their cookies first.
What's the point of having a PPO if you can't get free cookies?
So... every time I bring up Elijah, you're just not gonna talk about it?
Okay. Talk about it all you want.
[Sylvia] Uh-huh.
I don't want him to know about none of this right now.
There ain't nothing he can do for me from over there.
Okay.
[clicks tongue] Ooh, he got that little French hat.
I wanted that!
-[Louis sighs] -It would look so cute on me.
["Grand Garçon" by Marty De Lutece plays]
[man singing in French]
[continued singing in French]
[song fades]
[wind whistling]
Et voilà.
Here we are.
[in French] We've arrived at the home of...
Albert Bichot.
[wind whirring]
[indistinct French chatter]
-Are you sure it's not? -Yep.
You for real thought this was a Domaine de Bonserine Côte-Rôtie?
Yeah, it tasted like one.
-No, it didn't. -Shut up.
Côte-Rôtie wines are from the Rhone Valley.
They have crazy tannic undertones. This has almost no tannin.
Okay, so you're the master of tannin now?
Huh? Does this have tannin? Tell him this has tannin.
-There's no tannin. -Show me on the map.
-All right. -Thank you, genius.
-Yes. -Hey.
-[Leann speaking indistinctly] -Can we talk real quick?
All right. We're gonna take a little boat ride.
We're gonna get on a little canoe. Put your sweaters on.
-Mm. -And then we're gonna exit
in the Valley of No Tannin.
[sighs] Okay.
Hey, you know what? Sometimes, just fucking agree with me. Okay?
I need this.
Aw... I didn't know that.
Why are you being mean to me?
-Okay. -I'm not.
You know what? I needed a friend,
-and you're just being rude. -Thank you.
I'll go sit somewhere else.
That's fine. I'll sit here.
-See ya. -Bye.
It's fine. I can be alone.
Okay.
Uh, do you... Uh, sir, excuse me, do you guys need a fourth?
[stammers] Is that a yes?
-No, no. -No, no?
It's fine.
[takes a deep breath]
♪ I'm gonna be alone forever ♪
So what's up?
My dad got me a job...
uh, working at Citibank with him.
Back in Nashville.
So...
what about school?
[distant honking]
Damn. I'm sorry, man.
[clicks tongue] I... I've got to leave the day after tomorrow.
What?
We're supposed to be splitting expenses.
[stammers] I know.
That's the only way I could come on this trip.
I can't afford to be here another month and pay my bills at home. I'm tapped out.
[stammers]
I didn't have a choice, man. I, um...
-I told you my dad can be... -[scoffs]
I'm sorry.
["Strange Rooms" by Bryant Taylorr plays]
[wind whirring]
♪ Posted in his room with some strangers ♪
♪ 'Bout to break off while we watch ♪
[chair clanks]
-[device rattling] -♪ Up in his room with some strangers ♪
[men speaking in French]
[man laughs]
[continued speaking in French]
[woman speaking in French]
-[speaks French] -Uh...
-Uh... [stammers, attempts French] -[speaking French]
[stammering] Des... What? S-Sorry.
♪ It was live when I walked in ♪
♪ Now we silent in no movement ♪
♪ Keep my eyes up ♪
♪ Gotta hold conversation What was I saying? ♪
[song fades]
[keyboard clacking]
[ringback tone]
[Louis] Hello?
H-Hello?
Elijah?
Dad?
Sorry, I thought this was Mom's phone.
What did you want your mama for?
Nothing. I'm just checking in.
[Elijah takes a deep breath]
So how's everything going at the restaurant?
You know, black people are still eating pork.
Uh-huh.
How's the new spot? Are you gonna build a new bar?
Maybe. You know, things change. You know. You know...
Okay, you know, I'll just call Mom back.
Yeah, okay. Yeah.
[Elijah] All right.
Hey, baby, how are you feeling?
I'm alright. You know.
Poking and prodding.
Who was that on the phone?
Elijah.
Really? [stammers] How's he doing? How's Paris?
Fine, but he wouldn't say.
Well, what did he want then?
Money, but he wouldn't ask.
Oh, well, we've gotta give him some.
How's he supposed to make money in France? Being a mime?
People hate mimes. But a black mime? Ain't nobody trying to pay for that.
-We ain't giving him no money. -Yes, we are.
No, we're not.
Hey, baby.
-Hey, y'all. -[Louis] I'm gonna get you some water.
Hey, Mama. I brought you some books and magazines.
[IV bag clinking]
[Brenda on phone] Eli, it's me.
You...
You talk to Mama?
I'm coming home.
[Sylvia] Oh, no, you're not.
Boy, you got a non-refundable plane ticket,
and we ain't got no more money.
I just need to see you.
To see me to do what?
Watch me sit around?
You're in Paris. Do Paris shit.
[Sylvia coughing]
[out of breath] I saw them pictures you sent though. Those looked nice.
How's the food out there? You had snails yet?
[scoffs] No.
School? Is school good?
School's good.
-[soft jazz music playing] -[indistinct chatter]
-Bon soir. -Bon soir.
Uh, my name is Elijah. I'll be your sommelier this evening.
Um, I heard it's a special occasion.
It's our anniversary.
Congratulations.
-Thank you. -In that case,
may I recommend the 2010 Estate Chardonnay from Staglin Vineyards in Napa.
Napa wine? But we are in France.
[chuckles] Right.
You are right. I'm so sorry.
Uh, in that case, may I recommend a very good French Chardonnay,
the, uh, 2007 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru?
First, you suggest a Californian Chardonnay.
Now it's a French one. You can't make up your mind?
-No, I absolutely can. I-- -In a minute, he's going to suggest one
from Spain and they don't even make Chardonnay.
-[Elijah chuckles] -[woman speaking in French]
-[man laughs] -Uh... [stammers] Uh, I'm so sorry.
You know what, as a matter of fact,
I'll just remove your red wine glasses and I'll--
[glasses clanking loudly]
I'm so sorry. Um...
I'm so...
-Uh... -[man stammers]
-Let me just clear that up. -[man clears throat]
Excuse me. Sorry about that.
[man] Cut.
[chair scrapes against floor]
[man clears throat]
I'm glad everyone saw this.
When you're a sommelier and you're working,
something like this will happen.
Unhappy customers, getting flustered.
That's why we practice it.
Now, what could Elijah have done differently?
Yes?
[alternative music playing]
[faint indistinct chatter]
[man singing in French]
Hey.
[Tanya] Hey, baby.
How are you doing?
-[R&B playing] -I'm out pre-gaming with my girls.
-This bitch, Ava, got engaged! -[women laugh]
Wait, sorry, who? Who got engaged?
I know, right?
It's in the bag.
Why are you up? It's the middle of the night there.
-I don't know. I'm just feeling kind of... -[Ava] I'm getting married!
[woman talking over each other]
[Tanya] I'm sorry, baby. What's going on?
No, hey, you... you... you're having fun with your girls. You go have fun.
-It's all good. -No!
No, no. Call me back tomorrow.
Okay. I'll call you tomorrow.
[sirens wail in the distance]
-[bottles clink] -[bell rings]
Hey, um...
do you mind spotting me? I didn't get paid yet.
-Yeah. Yeah, of course. Yeah. -You sure? Okay.
-[car honks] -Sorry.
-[soul music playing] -[light scraping]
Four eighty-six. I don't know if that's big enough.
[phone buzzes]
[continued buzzing]
-Hello? -[man] Hi, Mr. Bruener.
I'm Jimmy from Wells Fargo. How's your day?
It's fine, thank you.
Great. I'm happy to hear that. And the weather in Memphis? It's good?
It's okay, it's all right.
Great. Great. At Wells Fargo, we always want to make sure
our customers are--
Jimmy, I got shit to do. Can we speed this up?
Copy that. I'm-- I'm calling because I wanted to verify
that you authorized a transfer of $1,500.
Fifteen hundred dollars? [stammers] I didn't do that.
Where is it-- Where is it transferred to?
Give me one second to pull that up.
It was a bank account in Paris.
You gave Elijah $1,500?
He needed it.
He asked for it.
Actually, he told me not to send it.
And I sent it anyway. [coughs] I'm just...
I'm tired of you two fussing and fighting back and forth.
What y'all gonna do if I'm not here?
You can't do that. You can't use cancer to win a fight.
Yeah, I can.
Me and my father ain't done all this work for Elijah to--
-You and Elijah ain't you and your daddy. -I know.
When my daddy had that stroke, I did all I could to keep
-that restaurant going. I didn't leave. -I know.
There's value in that.
There is.
Everything I learned from my father happened there.
Everything I taught Elijah happened there.
And then that boy
-wanna come and throw everything away-- -He ain't throwing you away, Louis.
He just wants something different, and you've gotta make peace with that.
Mrs. Bruener, you want to try and eat something?
[Sylvia] Mm-mm.
Come sit by me.
You eat today?
Yeah, I had a little bit of this, a little bit of that.
-Yeah? -Yeah.
You want what's on my tray?
-I wouldn't touch that if you made me. -[giggles]
Want me to cook for you?
Want me to get you some ribs?
I wish I could.
You can't handle ribs now.
-Yeah, ribs. -[inhales and exhales deeply]
I'm gonna make me some ribs.
-Okay... [flips page] -[R&B plays faintly on radio]
"What are the 13 wine regions of Germany?"
Um...
Ahr, Baden...
Franconia.
Mittel... Mittelrhein.
Mosel.
Pfalz, Nahe.
Uh...
[clicks pen rapidly]
Rheingau, Rheinhessen.
Um...
[clicks tongue] Saale-Unstrut, Saxony.
Uh... Württemberg.
Uh...
[clicks cheek]
Fuck.
Okay.
[phone buzzes]
-[continued buzzing] -[sighs]
-Hey. -[J.T.] Hey, man.
Uh... Can we talk?
Not really, man. I'm studying.
It's about your mom.
[indistinct chatter]
-[floorboards creaking] -Okay...
All set?
Uh, I think I'm still waiting on a sweet potato pie.
Aunt Judy's almost done with the ham.
I tried to make Mom's monkey bread. I hope it tastes right.
It probably doesn't taste right. I think I let the dough rise too long.
Yeast. [laughs nervously]
I'm sure it's fine.
I just wanted to make some stuff Mom would want.
I know.
[sighs] Um...
[sniffles] I'm gonna check on the ham.
-[indistinct chatter continues] -Take care.
Hey.
How are you doing?
You want something to eat or something?
-[Tanya sighs] Hey, baby. -Hey.
I set out all the extra chairs, and I made your granny a plate.
Thanks.
You need anything?
No, I'm good. Uh...
Just...
[lid rattling]
[lid clicks]
[chairs rattle and clank]
Okay. [stammers] I'm gonna head up.
Yeah. Okay.
[faucet running]
[hip-hop music playing]
[on phone] Hey, Dad. It's Eli. Um...
I was just checking to see if you needed anything at the restaurant.
Um...
Yeah.
Just let me know.
[preacher] Psalm 34, verses 18
through 22 says...
[man] Yes, Lord.
[preacher] ...that the Lord is close
to the brokenhearted.
[man] Everlasting.
He rescues those
-whose spirits are crushed. -[all] Yes.
[preacher] Many are the afflictions
of the righteous, but the Lord delivers.
-You're fucking crazy. -You don't know what you're talking about.
[Richie] Fuck you, I don't.
There's no way Chili's is better than Applebee's.
They have an eight-layer cheese dip that--
[stammers] You know what?
I'm not doing this with you today. You ready?
[clicks tongue] Yep.
-You're still wrong. -You're still wrong.
All right, color. This wine is red.
This is red wine. Um...
Almost like deep red roses.
Like, uh...
Like a crimson.
Okay.
I'm getting notes of, uh...
Whoa, this is a bold wine. Uh... [chuckles]
Let's see.
[clicks tongue] Bell pepper...
olive,
even smoked meat.
You all right?
Oh.
Yeah, man, [chuckles] uh, I'm just a little tired. [laughs]
Yeah.
Okay. Well...
Acidity...
Um... medium minus.
Um...
Let's see, um...
[Elijah slurps] Texture, creamy.
Um, the finish is surprisingly sweet.
[catches breath] Um...
Sorry. [chuckles, sniffles]
Um, this is, um...
[voice breaking] This is, uh, from...
[sniffles] This is from a warm climate.
[clicks tongue]
[voice shaking] Got a lot of years on it. This wine is old.
Excuse me. I'm sorry.
[Elijah sniffles]
["Ice On Shampoo" by Sleepy Knockz plays]
[water running]
[knocks] Hey.
[Louis] Hey.
[song fades]
What are you doing here?
I was just on my way home.
Hey. How's it going?
How are you doing?
Eh, good.
[Louis sands counter]
[Elijah] Mm.
[hammering in the distance]
I see you kept the bar.
Yeah. Contractor already had the space for it.
Said it'd be more trouble to get rid of it.
Pop would trip out seeing this.
Yeah.
Building the first one, he...
definitely didn't think we'd have two.
I don't see how he kept one going.
Well, you kept it going, too.
I did what I had to do.
[Elijah] Um...
You ever regret it?
Regret what?
You know, leaving... leaving college, taking over the stand.
Not really. I mean...
Sometimes I wonder what it would've been like
to have been a teacher.
Uh... I'm sorry. That's what you went to college for?
[stammers] You were studying to be a teacher?
Yes. And?
I just didn't know that's why you were going to school, that's all.
I don't see what's so damn funny.
I wanted to help little black kids read. It's beautiful.
Yes. Black kids should read. Of course.
Helping Pop was just more important than what I wanted.
I watched him build that restaurant from nothing. I watched him...
It's just...
[chuckles]
Let me have that screwdriver.
-Flathead? -Yeah.
[tools rattle]
[tool taps counter]
[liquid sloshes]
You hungry or something?
No, I'm good.
-Okay. -[opens sealed can]
[Elijah inhales]
Can I, um...
You need me to go on a run or anything?
No, I'm okay.
-I'm good. -Mm.
Okay.
["Someday" by Ronnie Walker playing]
♪ I see you smiling as you go ♪
♪ So many things I'll never know ♪
♪ The way you laugh Your little pout ♪
♪ I wanna hear what you talk about ♪
♪ And every little thing that you do ♪
♪ Just seem so special ♪
♪ All so new ♪
♪ I searched in oh so many places ♪
♪ I seen about a million faces ♪
♪ Oh, but nothing mattered ♪
[engine and song stop]
-[crickets chirping] -[log rattles]
What are you doing here?
Uh... I didn't know if you were still coming in
-or who was gonna start the wood. -[wood crackling]
I mean, I've still got to work.
Yeah, but I know how much you have going on with here and the new joint, so...
figured you might want to go home and sleep or something.
I'm just trying to help.
[stammers] I can take off.
You gonna come all early,
you might as well just go on and finish the fire.
You sure?
Am I sure I don't wanna bend over with my bad back
and lift the heavy log into the hot-ass fire?
I'm pretty damn sure.
[crackling continues]
[lid creaks and clanks]
[blows into hands]
You try your sister's monkey bread?
Yeah, it wasn't half bad.
No. It wasn't.
She'd better not make it again, but it wasn't bad.
[dishes clank]
Were all the, uh, dishes in there?
Uh, yeah, and as soon as I unload these, I'll go season the smokers.
All right, I'll be back. I gotta go see our meat guy.
You... You want me to go with you?
Why?
Oh, well, you know, you asked me to go with you last time, but...
You ain't got class?
Nah, yeah, nah. It's not a big deal. I can make it up.
All right. Come on.
[J.T.] You said it was all good.
Nick, you stay flaky.
Yeah, and don't think I don't know you took my protein bars either.
Whatever.
He ain't got the hookup.
It's all good. I'll figure out my own car situation.
-[beat plays] -How you holding up?
Good. Yeah.
-School's good? -[Elijah] School's great. Um...
I actually think I might have to take some time off though.
-Yeah? -Yeah, I don't want to, but, you know...
My pops is running both the restaurants without Mom, so I just think...
it's kind of a lot.
And you know my dad. He's...
not the type to say anything, but...
Yeah, he definitely won't.
-[J.T. laughs] -Nah.
You know, the last couple of weeks, I had to wake up early to start the wood,
missed a bunch of classes just to help him run errands, you know?
I mean, I wake up at 4 a.m.
-Yeah, that sounds like a lot. -It is a lot.
And low key...
not a lot of black folks in that school.
White people are kind of funny.
Man, white people be tripping.
I was down in Germantown at the Whole Foods,
and this white woman was looking at me like, "What are you doing here?"
And I'm like, "Damn, a nigga can't get no prosciutto in peace?"
-[Elijah chuckles] -Yeah, man.
You don't need that drama right now.
I'd probably take a break too.
[sighs] Exactly.
Uh, all right, man. Let's see what you got.
-Yeah? -Yeah.
I'm about to hit you with this heat.
[rap beat starts]
[beat stops]
Really, my nigga?
The coaster's right there.
Man, this is teak furniture.
Teak.
I think he be stealing.
[beat resumes]
[administrator] Are you sure?
Yeah. It's just not a good time.
Look...
everyone who's studied for the Master exam has struggled, and...
I can't imagine what it feels like to lose a parent in the middle of all that, but...
if you withdraw...
you'll have to start all over.
Yeah. I know.
[mellow music playing]
[clicks mouse]
[keyboard clacking]
-[oil sizzling] -[knife chopping]
[pan clanks]
[door closes]
Hey.
-You dropped out of school? -Yeah.
Forget the fact that I even had to hear about it
from Richie, instead of my man.
But like for real?
Well, it's not really a good time right now.
So what about the Master test?
You can't just cram for it.
I'll take it next year.
Next year?
After all the work and money you put in? No, that's a waste.
I don't think helping my dad right now is a waste.
That's not what I'm saying.
You know that's not what I'm saying.
I know school was getting tough before your mom passed, but...
what? That's just it?
Uh... I mean, it is what it is. I gotta go back to work.
Elijah, come on!
Elijah!
[basketball game plays on TV]
He's definitely a top-five point guard.
Yeah, but Conley plays in a small market.
If he wanna be more popular, he gotta cut that hair.
What's that got to do with anything?
The white folks in Memphis ain't seeing all that.
The boy looks like he steals cars in Wakanda.
[laughs]
Can I get you gentlemen a drink?
Jack neat.
Great.
And if you give me a little extra, I won't be mad at you.
You know, 'cause of slavery.
Yeah, um, do you have a Shiraz from Barossa, Bin 28?
No, but we have a really great French Shiraz
and our house Cab is amazing.
Okay, what year's the Cab?
Thirteen. Fantesca from the Spring Mountain.
Okay. Yeah, no, I heard a lot of hype about the thirteen,
but I'm thinking about getting a rib eye, so I wanted something more peppery, smoky.
Well, we do have a Cab-Shiraz blend.
Bin 389, 2010.
Oh, yeah. Let me get that.
Man was just sitting on that Baby Grange.
What's that?
Oh, it's out of Australia, from the Penfolds.
It's, uh... It's this wine. Deep purple.
Ginger, blackberry notes.
Super chocolaty finish. It's just good.
Grizzlies gotta start playing more D though.
[announcer speaking indistinctly on TV]
[Louis] We should've picked up some more charcoal when we were out there.
How much more have we got left?
[Elijah] Like three.
All right.
I could set up the cash register, so it could print receipts or email.
-[Louis] Uh-huh. -[car rumbles past]
[Elijah] I have a new idea for the restaurant.
You know, we could set up some...
outdoor seating.
-Double our dining space. -[truck bed door clanks shut]
That way, you know, people get to see how the sausage gets made,
while the sausage is getting made.
[Elijah grunts]
So what do you think?
I could help set it up.
You want to set this up and study for the wine test?
I mean, I was just trying to help you out, so you don't have to do it by yourself.
Don't use me and your mom not here as an excuse.
Excuse for what?
You remember how you said I got stuck working at the barbecue stand?
Yeah. I shouldn't have said that. I'm...
No, it's all right.
I mean, I wanted to knock you out, but...
I didn't know what I wanted to do when Papa asked me
to take over the restaurant.
But I knew I had to go all in
to find out.
You love this wine thing?
Yeah.
[R&B music playing]
Describe the style
of wines most associated
with Sauvignon AOP.
Dry, high in extract, middle-driven...
long-living...
-[bag rustles] -austere notes.
Put those dishes right there.
What are the wine regions of the Rhone Valley?
[Elijah] Côte-Rôtie,
Saint-Joseph...
Hermitage...
This wine is dry.
Bone dry.
Um, acidity...
medium.
Medium plus.
[drawn out] Uh...?
Yeah, medium plus.
[clinking glass]
Let me come back to this one.
This wine...
[rustles papers] Let's see. This wine...
This wine is light red.
[sniffs]
Like unripe strawberry. [sighs]
Fuck.
Hey, this'll happen.
Just fall back on the grid, and tune everything else out.
I'm gonna go get some more wine.
[Elijah] With the smokiness of the brisket...
pair it with a Barolo,
a Syrah,
an Australian Shiraz.
The chicken,
I'd pair it with...
a Zinfandel.
Maybe-- Maybe a Côtes du Rhône.
[Elijah] Name for a red and white wine that's made in America
with a blend of classic Bordeaux grape varieties...
Uh... Saint Meritage.
Wait. Yeah.
Okay, what does "Sori" mean?
Sori, um...
Medium minus acidity.
This wine is New World. 2005?
This is from Argentina. This wine is a blend.
Bodega Catena Zapata.
[spits]
-[music fades] -[crickets chirping]
Is this Boone's Farm?
You got something against Strawberry Hill?
Yeah, I'm hoping the drive will clear my head.
I keep getting the, uh... a little shaky on the Californian wines.
Kept on mixing up the Sonoma ones with the Russian River Valley, so...
[zipping] I don't know. We'll see.
[stammers] I know you got your own style
and whatnot, but I was...
thinking you might...
thought you might wanna wear your grandfather's suit to the...
to the test.
Hey.
[both exhale]
I remember this suit.
He bought it when he was going to get a loan to open up the restaurant.
Oh, yeah? It brought him good luck?
Hell, no. He was a black man getting a loan in the 1960s.
He was denied by every bank in town. But he eventually won it in a dice game.
This is so cool.
-It still smells like him. -I know.
[car honks]
[Elijah] Oh, yeah...
[Louis] Get you out of here.
-There you go. -[Elijah] All right.
Okay. You, uh...
[R&B music playing]
♪ The ways ♪
♪ The looks on your face Ain't even gotta say ♪
♪ Gave me a love Don't take that away ♪
♪ I can count the ways I can count all the ways ♪
♪ You're makin' it easy To feel this way ♪
♪ All the time, on my mind ♪
♪ Memories ♪
♪ Holy wine ♪
♪ Thought I'd never find ♪
-[song fades] -So how do you feel?
Nervous.
I mean, I just wanted to get here, you know?
You're gonna do great, babe.
I love you.
Love you, too.
[phone buzzing and playing hip-hop]
[continued buzzing and hip-hop]
[soft jazz playing]
[faint indistinct chatter]
[footsteps passing]
[woman] Mr. Bruener, come with me, please.
Okay.
[music stops]
[opens door]
Mr. Bruener, how are you feeling?
Uh... [sighs]
You know, just, uh...
ready.
The first part of the Master exam is blind tasting.
You'll have a total of 25 minutes to correctly identify your six wines.
The clock will start as soon as you touch your first glass.
[takes a deep breath]
[sighs]
[man 1] Wine one was clearly a 2012 Maison Verget Meursault Les Clous.
[man 2] I called wine one 2013 Aubert CIX Sonoma Coast Chardonnay.
[man 1] 2008 Vie di Romans Pinot Grigio?
No, it definitely wasn't that. It was too dry.
[man 3] What'd you call wine six?
-[man 2] Number two, Chardonnay. -[man 1] I think so too.
[host speaking indistinctly on TV}
[knocking at door]
[mutes TV]
You know this hotel charges $35 for valet parking?
For $35, they bring my car back, Halle Berry had better be inside.
What are you doing here?
If your mom was still here, she would've had us come check on you.
Last thing I need is her haunting my ass from the grave.
[man speaking indistinctly on TV]
How are you feeling?
Tired.
When do you know if you passed?
In the morning.
They have to add up all the scores.
[zipping]
[bottle taps table]
[alternative hip-hop music playing]
[dominoes clanking and rattling]
[glasses clink]
[continued clanking]
[dominoes rattle]
Ten.
[slaps down dominoes]
[music fades]
[door opens]
Elijah Bruener.
So how do you feel?
-Uh... [chuckles] -[laughs]
It's okay. It's okay.
-Uh-huh. -I know exactly where you're at.
Um, now, you had some things that you did really well.
Like theory.
[voice fades] Tasting was a little tougher for you to find.
Oh, okay.
It's easy to see that you have... [voice fades to silence]
[door opens]
[master sommelier] Patrick Turner.
["I'm A Believer" by Benny Latimore plays on radio]
♪ Oh, you fill my life with joy ♪
♪ And I wanna say I hope you never go away ♪
[song stops]
So, you... you good?
You hungry?
I've got some links and stuff I could bring you.
[Elijah] Uh...
Um... That's okay. I'm just kind of tired.
You sure? It's already packed up.
Nah.
Thanks, though.
-Okay. -All right. [sighs]
[door squeaks open]
[Tanya on phone] I'm so sorry, baby.
Did they say how you did or anything?
[Elijah on phone] I passed theory, but I failed tasting.
They said I was a few points short of passing service too, but...
[Tanya] You wanna come by?
[Elijah] I'm good.
[car hums past]
[bell rings]
[bottles clank]
[register beeping]
-["Quiet Home" by The Sea Shells playing] -♪ There is no laughter in there ♪
-♪ And loneliness is everywhere ♪ -[indistinct chatter]
♪ Love has left me alone ♪
[sighs] How much hickory we got?
-Like 200 logs. -Okay.
I gotta get some more after I meet the electrician on Monday,
and then I've gotta interview a new waitress
'cause Sherry's got surgery coming up.
[takes a breath] Yeah. All right, I should get back to this.
I've gotta finish up.
[dishes clanking]
I'm gonna get the pasta, the tagliatelle with the ragu,
-'cause that looks real good. -Sounds good.
-What are you gonna get? -Uh... I think I wanna get the rib eye.
-[soft jazz music playing] -Oh.
-Okay. -What's that look you're giving me?
It's just the rib eye also sounds so good.
I'm happy to share it if it's, you know, reciprocal.
Yeah, we can share that if you want. It's just don't eat too much.
-Excuse me. Are you two of legal age? -Oh, look at this guy!
-Hey, man. -[patting backs]
-Hey. -Richie. [kisses]
-You like the suit? I got a suit guy. -[Elijah chuckles]
Not gonna lie,
-I really like saying, "I got a suit guy." -[Tanya laughs]
Congratulations again.
Thanks. Uh, so what are we drinking?
Oh, you tell us.
Okay. Uh, well, we have a lot of exciting things
on the list that I think you're gonna like.
There is a '98 Sancerre
that is absolutely insane.
We have a 2013 Cab Sav from Napa.
It's the Fay from Stag's Leap and it is delicious.
[indistinct conversations]
[hip-hop music playing faintly]
[dog barking in the distance]
[computer chimes]
[clicks]
[closes laptop]
[Elijah sighs]
-[wood crackling] -[chainsaw buzzing]
[Louis] And I want six cords of hickory.
-Big logs, no splits. -[Roscoe] Okay.
And that apple you've got. Is it seasoned yet?
-Uh... Just about. -[phone buzzes]
You're killing me, Roscoe. You're just--
-[laughs] -You're just killing me. Killing me.
[mumbling]
Huh? Hello?
Elijah, where you at?
[Louis] You can't come?
[trolley bell rings]
It's alright. [stammers] I'll take care of it. Yeah.
[chuckles] I'll take care of it.
Was that junior?
Yeah. It looks like he ain't gonna make it.
We can just throw all this stuff in the back of the truck.
Doesn't want to work with you, huh?
Guess not.
Can somebody get this dog out of my truck?
He's gonna be shitting on my mats.
-[Elijah] Color. This wine is pale yellow. -[overlapping chatter]
Smells of, uh...
Grapefruit, lemon, hints of green apple.
-[student 1] Hints of melon. -[Elijah] Acidity, medium minus.
-[student 2 swishes wine in mouth] -[student 3] Acidity medium plus.
-[student 4] Acidity is... -[Elijah] No, medium.
Alcohol, medium plus.
Phenols, low.
Texture, full with a creamy finish.
Bits of French oak.
-["One Hunnid" by Marco Pavé plays] -This wine is about three
to five years old.
This wine is Old World. This wine's from France.
This wine is from Burgundy. This wine is a Pouilly-Fuissé.
This wine is a 2015.
♪ I look myself in the mirror It cannot be any clearer ♪
♪ I'm so Southern my nigga Shittin' on y'all like some chitlins ♪
♪ If your circuit ain't connected Why the fuck did you give it ♪
["One Hunnid" continues]
[hip-hop music playing]