Dad, come on!
Doors closing.
It's so early.
Well, we'll get to the courthouse
before all the reporters.
There's gonna be so many cameras,
just like the week he died.
Yeah, you know, you can still change your mind.
You don't have to go on TV if it's gonna be too hard
to keep it together.
I'm doing it for Dad.
And my mom might be watching today.
Well, who's to say she even knows or... cares?
You don't know her.
Neither do you.
Did you kick my newly painted front door?
Ha! My hands are full trying to carry my sister to victory.
Mnh-mnh, take that mess to the basement.
Campaign's outgrown the basement.
Auntie Suzanne!
Benny Bean!
You need to put a shirt on, buddy, all right?
There's two on the bed. Pick one.
Hey. Check these out.
Is that the photo we're going with?
Yeah. It was the most electable option.
I like that outfit.
You said upscale but not uptight.
I did. Now those shoes are cute,
but can you canvass a hood in them?
I can walk, talk, shake hands all day in these shoes.
Yeah.
- Here. - Ooh.
- Personality. - Oh.
- Then I'm taking it back. - If you can find it.
Daddy!
It's all personality in this house.
All right. Let's go get some votes.
Ah, I have new intel.
Nathan Gordon thinks you're a threat.
His camp is doing robocalls.
He's making a huge television ad buy.
We don't have the money for that.
Oh, we're not gonna win unless we can get it.
A gala for Dr. Harrison Brennan?
Perhaps we should expand your demographic.
No. Not that way.
Because I'll bet the gays like an upstart candidate.
You could get exposure, raise us some money.
Jira might be there.
I mean, that could feel... raw,
but you could handle it.
I promised my husband
that part of my life was over,
and I promised myself that I would leave Jira alone.
Mm-hmm. Got Benny ready.
Good job, Daddy.
I am the greatest.
What's this?
Oh. That is nothing to be worried about.
All right.
Go. All right. Go get 'em today, all right?
Mwah. Alderman Young.
I told you not to call me that.
So...
That's a "no" on the gala?
I know you're thinking like my campaign manager,
but think like my sister.
I can't be in the same room as Jira, not when I...
Okay, okay. There's other donations.
Thank you.
Six months ago, Dr. Harrison Brennan
was shot for the crime of living while black.
Harrison Brennan was on his way home
to his husband and daughter when police officer Paul Evans
shot him twice in the back with no cause.
His wrongful death was one of dozens
perpetrated by the CPD against black men in Chicago.
We demand that Officer Evans be discharged from the CPD,
and we demand that Chicago pay for its sins
in the amount of $5 million.
No amount of money can ever bring Harrison Brennan back,
but the city let his death go unpunished,
and there will be a reckoning.
All right, do I have an O'Malley?
- Right here. - Smith, Carl.
- Here. - Smith, James.
- Yep. - Chapin.
- Here. - Um, Miller?
- Here. - Uh, this goes without saying,
but one of us is getting a raw deal in the press lately.
And when they come after one of us,
they come after all of us.
Talking about you, Evans.
Evans!
- Sorry, Cap. What? - You're off desk duty, son.
Hand in your apron.
You're riding with Officer Carranza.
You boys have been wanting
to get to know each other better, right?
Hey, muy bueno, Carranza.
Classic Irish Brotherhood move.
Sidelining me for a photo op.
You know, your daddy shouldn't have bothered
making the call. You rolling with a Puerto Rican
is not gonna make this lawsuit evaporate.
I'm good with Carranza.
Is this about the convenience store tape?
I don't wanna talk about it.
I took it to protect you.
Shut up, Vic.
Goodbye.
Saw you on TV. You okay?
No, don't ask. I don't wanna cry again.
Okay.
Well, wanna hear about me instead?
Yes. Someone else's life.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, well, it took all summer,
but Mom and Dad are so in on pronouns.
- Good. - And then, um, there's Jacob,
who acts like he's never used
the word "they" in his life, so...
Your brother once screamed at me for an hour
because I called his D&D character an elf
instead of a half-elf. "They" should be easy.
Yeah, you'd think.
Actually, can I talk about me, please?
Whoa, so needy. Yes, yes, yes.
My dad is killing me. No thaw on my mom.
I just... I just need more family.
Why is that so hard to understand?
- I gave him literature. - Literature?
- Hey, Mr. Bhatt. - As in your new favorite class?
All right. Well, I'm here for you.
Um, and I'll see you later.
So I, uh, saw the news.
- You and your dad okay? - My dad is always okay.
I'm sure he'd like you to think so.
He's succeeding.
I gotta go to biology... still reigning favorite class.
Challenge accepted!
That whole post office is gonna vote for you.
Well done, sis.
I will cherish that praise always.
Hey. Will you look at Dinorah Benson,
wearing 3 grand in pearls on a Thursday.
How much did she give last election year?
60 grand?
To Gordon. They go back 25 years.
Dinorah Benson is not giving you money.
Yes, she is.
Good morning, ladies. My name is Tia Young.
Wash and style?
Candidate for 6th Ward Alderman.
Ms. Benson, Tia Young. It is an honor.
Mm-hmm. I know who you are, running against Nathan Gordon,
saying we don't need police to protect our neighborhood.
I didn't say we don't need the police,
but I do say the police have to be more responsible
to our community.
They're costing the city too much money and hurt.
They shot Maurice. They shot Corsean.
That North Sider they shot up six months ago...
his family's gonna get a big check for sure. What's his name?
Harrison Brennan.
And Nathan Gordon is saying we need more police... more!
Not better. I'm saying "better."
Train them before you let them loose.
Nathan Gordon was helping people in the 6th
since before you were born.
I love that you think I'm under 30, Dinorah.
Oh, do we know each other?
- I'd like to, Ms. Benson. - You should do your homework
before you talk about Nathan Gordon and the police.
He was instrumental in making sure Fred Rice
was the first black man to run the CPD.
In '83.
What's Gordon doing now?
A friend would tell the man his time has passed.
He knows it already, even if he can't admit it.
He knows I'm next.
All right, you are all done, Dinorah.
Thank you.
Dinner... that's all I'm asking.
Oh, I doubt that.
You're a mom?
Yeah.
I'll vote for any mom.
Thank you, sis.
Thank you.
Truly your genius is wasted on first period European Lit.
- They're not even awake yet. - Well, neither am I...
especially when someone forgets
it's their day to bring the coffee.
Oh, God, I'm sorry.
Kidding. Had a busy morning.
- You're okay? - Yeah, I feel great.
I feel energized, finally doing something.
What do you got there?
I'm giving a speech
at the LGBTQ Equality Gala.
I can't tell if it's any good.
It's about Harrison.
I mean, I... didn't really know him.
You can still give notes.
- I mean, if you have time. - Absolutely.
The only thing that I love more than giving unsolicited notes
is giving solicited notes.
Thank you.
And please be honest.
Always am.
You had the last two calls. I got lead on this one.
It's your first day back. I got this one.
Is that all right with you?
Yeah, we're good.
What's the rush, bruh? Keeping the girl waiting?
No, sir.
?Well, you ran through a red light back there,
so I'm gonna need to see your license, registration.
Put that away.
I'm gonna keep my hands where they are, Officer.
- I just told you to turn it off. - I don't want to reach.
Get out of the car.
You're disobeying an officer. Out of the car.
Turn the phone off now.
Damn, you the cop. That's the cop that shot that guy.
We're just trying to get home.
Yo, that might have been a yellow.
Just be more careful next time, okay?
All right, you're good. Go ahead.
Video's gonna be online by the end of the day.
They're probably posting it now.
You put your hand on your gun
every time you see a cellphone,
we got a problem.
You disobeyed an officer. Get out of the car.
Turn the phone off right now.
I'm gonna keep my hands where they are, Officer.
- Get out. - Damn, you the cop.
That's the cop that shot that guy.
Jira, you okay?
There's a video of Paul Evans at a traffic stop.
Have you seen it?
Don't watch that.
Why does he get to keep doing this?
He's not. We're gonna stop him. That's why we're suing the city.
But what if getting him fired doesn't make us better?
Dad, I don't want to feel like this anymore.
I wish something good would happen.
I know, and it will, I promise.
It doesn't seem like it will, but it will.
Nothing's gonna just magically get fixed.
I know that. We're doing everything that we can.
We're gonna get him fired.
I'm not talking about the lawsuit.
Why won't you help me?
Because she's not gonna fix anything,
because she's not your family.
Because this perfect person doesn't really exist,
because all that we really know about her
is that she gave you up.
Oh, is that really all you know?
How many times do I have to tell you this?
It was different for gay couples back then.
Harrison adopted as a single father. I adopted later.
He met her, but he never knew her name,
because it was anonymous. I'm not hiding anything...
No, you don't tell me anything!
All you do is just keep saying that everything will be okay!
I'm standing right here. I am standing right here,
and I love you, and I can help you.
I don't wanna see that!
This is gonna happen to me
at some point.
I need someone who knows how it feels, what it's like,
whoever she is,
wherever she is!
I know she looks like me!
I need her.
North Shore Adoption Agency.
This is Elena. How may I help you?
Tia Young's phone.
This is Elena from the North Shore Adoption Agency.
Is Ms. Young available?
Adoption agency.
Hello?
Ms. Young, if this is a good time,
we have something to discuss with you.
Ms. Young?
I'm here.
Dad's getting sentimental.
Well, he never planned on you moving back in,
so he sublet it to Jesus.
Same mattress.
You're here temporarily because of protestors.
It's not like you needed a ramp built.
Can you lay off? I had to leave my house.
I got a partner who thinks I'm gonna murder him
every time he's gonna go get coffee.
I just wanna be a cop. I just wanna do my job.
We got your back, brother.
Evans cops go back on the job 80 years.
We don't eat our own.
Gotta make this work with Carranza.
If I don't, this lawsuit definitely goes bad.
Is there something else?
You know how there's no security tape?
- Yeah. - It's 'cause Vic took it.
She...
...told me after I got cleared.
But now it's a cover-up, so...
Then get rid of it.
Yep?
It is unkind to ask a sadist for notes
and then give him something perfect.
This... is perfect.
But?
I was at the memorial.
I don't remember you being there. It was a bad day.
Why are you doing the eulogy again?
Because survivors are supposed to be inspiring,
and I'm... not right now, and that is at least eloquent.
Nothing new in the last six months?
Nothing that I want Jira to hear.
I want her to focus on good things.
Jira might like to know that she's not the only one drowning.
Did she say that?
Teacher-student confidentiality.
One of us has to be okay.
One note.
The best things are honest.
Like you.
?Yeah!
God. Oh, come on!
I want the tape.
You need to give me the tape.
I took it so you wouldn't have to.
You stealing evidence kinda defeats the purpose, you jag.
Great, but I'm walking into a lawsuit
with that hanging over my head, and that's on you.
Give me the tape.
I drove over it with my cruiser five months ago.
Threw what was left in a dumpster in Pilsen.
Okay.
Come on.
Doesn't have to be like this.
We can roll together again.
- Give your dad a call. - No, I don't want him to d...
You need to stop acting like my mother.
You need to stop coming at me like my 14-year-old.
I'm good with Carranza.
Dinorah Benson left a message.
You available for dinner on Saturday?
What?
When I left that salon yesterday,
I never thought she would call.
Well...
I needed that today.
You weren't...
You weren't interested in talking this morning
after the agency called.
Yeah, it wasn't a pleasant phone call.
T., I just wanted to say, I...
I know there's one thing for you
to just know she out there,
but it's different when you know she asking for you.
That's... that's hard.
That's the right thing for everybody.
Gordon is gonna come for me,
especially if I keep going for people like Dinorah.
I can keep you and Benny close,
but it... it's wrong to drag Jira into it.
She has been through enough.
That's true.
I gave her to someone who could give her
the life that she deserved.
Harrison promised me that,
and he made me promise to... to live the best life
that I could.
Jira is loved.
I know that.
You and Benny, you are my life.
But I'm sad about her.
Benny!
Dinnertime.
Hey.
Hey. Give Mama a hug, all right? She need a Benny hug.
You okay?
Yeah, baby.
I'm always okay with you.
Dad?
Jira, in here.
Hey.
Come sit with me.
Uh, what's going on?
So I called the adoption agency,
and I asked them to find your birth mother.
Why didn't you tell me?
I didn't how long it would take,
and I didn't... I didn't... Anyway, they... they called,
and they said that she's unavailable.
Uh, what does unavailable mean?
It means for whatever reason,
she can't or... won't meet.
I know this is not what you wanted to hear,
but maybe knowing for sure is better than wondering.
Nah, you should have told me you were calling.
Well, I did try...
No, I could have done something.
I could have rewritten the letter.
I could've said the right things.
- It's gonna be okay. - Good to know.
_
Where you from, Carranza?
Humboldt Park.
I worked Humboldt. Talking to your wife?
Yep. She's pregnant.
Hey, congratulations, man.
You know, I've never done anything to you.
Look, I don't know what happened,
but the Irish Brotherhood... they made sure you got cleared,
and that's... well, that's whatever.
But I don't like being the brown guy they put you with
to make you look good for your lawsuit.
It wasn't my idea.
All available units,
respond to a 454 in progress on Catalpa.
Suspect is armed.
Unit 238 en route.
Copy 238.
Jira, can you come here, please?
Honey, can you get this...
You're not dressed.
I can't go to the gala.
My hands are tied, Jira. I cannot make her appear.
It's not about that.
I'm just done with public stuff.
I mean,
I'm going to cry. I can't not.
So you do it. You know, you can do it.
You shouldn't be alone.
Riley's coming over.
Glad they're here for you.
You look nice, Dad.
Whoa. All right.
- Proceed with caution. - Take it easy.
All right, everyone, Back it up, back it up. Y'all, back it up.
He's high on drugs.
Disappeared for the three days,
and then broke back into my home.
My home! I grew up here!
- Back up. Back up. - Hey, bro.
I need you to put the knife down.
You don't know a thing.
- No. Not a thing! not a thing! - Shoot his ass!
Every time he shows up, it's trouble! I got kids!
You want this done right?
- Shut up and let us do our job, okay? - Calm down.
Put the knife down, okay?
Hey, dummy!
Put the knife down.
No! No!
You did good back there.
Yeah, you, too.
You kept your cool.
Didn't draw your weapon.
Figured it would be okay.
I'm just glad we got him down safe.
Hey.
Look, you wanna hit the Key, grab a beer, maybe?
White guy with a knife...
wasn't as scary as those guys with a cellphone?
I gotta get home.
Let's roll.
Hey.
Kids are at their dad's tonight.
Jim's coming over for beer. You wanna come?
Yeah.
So... you want money.
- Money would be a good start. - What comes after that?
You withdrawing all financial support
from Nathan Gordon for the foreseeable future.
Oh, child.
It's everyone's best interests...
the ward's, mine, yours.
Ms. Young, I'm here because
I thought you were a serious person.
Also, Nathan hasn't had to fight for an election since the '90s.
In my opinion, he could use the exercise.
But if you think I'm going to abandon him,
you're not being serious.
He is not being serious.
I told Gordon the way it's been isn't good enough anymore.
We have to think beyond the neighborhood.
The mayor's never gonna care about the 6th,
but he will if the 6th locks arms with the 48th,
the 19th.
We're at a turning point in this city,
where we can come together in a fight for our lives.
There's a party going on tonight in the Loop...
a gay gala for a black man who was murdered by police.
That's a lot of angry white folks
who care about one of ours.
The Honorable Nathan Gordon should be there, working,
but he's not.
Should you be there?
Danny!
What on earth do you think you're doing?
Making my grand entrance.
- How are you, Danny? - Out of the house at least.
- I miss him so much. - I know. Me, too.
- Where's Jira? - She's home. She's with a friend.
She's not quite up for parties yet, so...
We've got you.
That's a start.
Our table's near the front.
Come. Everyone is looking forward to seeing you.
How is it that I've never been invited to this?
Same reason nobody here will be at the South Side Peace Fair
- in a few weeks. - Mm-hmm, I need that hat.
You know, I loved Chicago when I went away to college,
and when I came back, I loved it even more
because it was home, but my home
is the most segregated city in America.
I have nightmares about somebody saying to me,
"Who was that got shot a few months ago?
Was it Benny something?"
Someone could say that about my son.
Nathan Gordon has been doing good in the 6th
for a long time.
2016 happened because people were comfortable.
Nathan's planning on riding out his last term.
I won't.
None of us can afford to be comfortable, Ms. Benson.
It's Dinorah.
And I'd like to call you Tia.
Oh, you stayed in
to go through your father's things?
Oh, I did that with my dad once.
It was a big mistake.
There has to be something in here about my mom.
All right, so you find out who she is, and then what?
I have no idea.
Maybe I just wanna hear her say it,
that she doesn't want to know me.
He was so put together at the press conference.
I'm not like him.
I cried.
You know, maybe I'm like her.
But there's nothing here.
Well, that's 'cause your mom's never wanted to be found.
That's not on Daniel.
Look, I get... you wanna punish someone
for how you feel.
I've been there.
I just think you both deserve better.
Look, let's just go. Let's go, um...
Oh! Why don't you just invite me
to the most amazing LGBTQ party of the year,
since the fact that you haven't already
is rude as hell when you know I would love
to freak out on a dance floor?
I don't think there'll be dancing.
Until someone starts.
Oh-ho-ho-ho.
It is my honor to introduce
Harrison's husband, my dear friend,
Daniel Calder.
I'm Daniel Calder, speaking on behalf of my husband,
and as many of you know,
suing the city on his behalf.
Harrison brought me here to this gala 20 years ago,
and back then, when people would ask us how we met,
we joked that a black man, a gay man, and a doctor
walked into a bar, and I fell madly in love with him.
Thankfully, that's a joke that doesn't work as well today
because people can be so many things...
should be so many things.
But often, they... get reduced to one thing,
and they could die for it.
Harrison died for it.
I, um...
Sorry. Um, Harrison Brennan...
saved lives.
He saved mine.
He loved me more than I ever thought I would be loved,
more than I expect to be loved again, if I'm being honest.
I thought my family was safe.
Harrison...
...never made that assumption because he worked in a hospital
and he saw things every day.
I thought we were safe.
And now...
My life is shattered and...
even if the man who killed my husband is punished...
...there's nothing that's gonna bring my love back.
I just wanna say thank you to Harrison
for helping me raise my hero, Jira.
As long as I have her, I have love in my life, and we...
I hope we'll be okay.
I...
...would just like to ask all of you,
let's all make it harder for this to happen.
Nathan's going to be very angry with me,
but much angrier with you.
I'm here for the fight.
There's a strong ally.
Oh, I don't think now's a good time.
Mr. Calder.
Dinorah Benson.
- That was a beautiful speech. - Oh.
It wasn't very, um... Anyway, thank you.
I want you to meet Tia Young.
- Hello. - Hello, Mr. Calder.
Ms. Young is campaigning for City Council
on the South Side, but she's also running
for families like yours.
Thank you.
I see a friend. Excuse me.
Um... it's very nice to meet you.
I met your, uh, your husband once.
It was a very long time ago,
but he was a... he was a very, very good man.
I could tell that right away.
When did you meet him?
I'd had a, um, a medical condition,
and he... he took care of me.
Well... he was very good at that.
I'm very sorry he was taken away from you
and your daughter.
How is she?
Do you have kids?
That... is the first time that I have seen her smile
in six months.
I've been trying to be the thing that she needs,
but when Harrison died,
she lost something that I can't give her.
And if you have kids, you know...
all you wanna do is... help 'em.
That's true.
I'm sorry for taking up so much of your time.
You have a good night.
Oh-ha-ha-ha.
You're the least shy person I ever met.
Saves time.
Same as your PIN. That's just stupid.
Planning on stealing my identity?
Trade you anytime.
Beer's in the fridge.
Great.
You and Carranza make a good couple.
Hmm. Please.
He works with me 'cause he has to.
He thinks I'm...
...whatever he thinks.
He's wrong.
You're a good guy.
They why'd you take the tape?
You weren't the only cop in that store.
Exactly. When people see that tape,
they don't see the whole picture.
I was protecting us,
you, 'cause you're good police.
You can hate me if you want, but I'd do it again.
I'm gonna get you another beer.
I'll be right here in shock
that a guy in this house is getting something for me.
Thanks for watching out for him...
that night.
He can't say it. I can, so...
_
You did great.
I forget sometimes that you're not okay either.
I thought when we got you, I could protect you.
I wish I could.
What's wrong?
Uh, I know you tried.
But she's not... "unavailable."
She just doesn't want me.
I want you...
since before you were born.
I have always wanted you.
_
credits