Previously on "Ordinary Joe"...
Hey, forget the trial period. You're hired.
- Thank you. - Yeah.
I keep forgetting how much I miss Atlanta till I get here.
It's home, and now you're here, so that's a bonus.
I have a son?
I'm gonna find him and I'm gonna meet him.
That's him. That's our son.
Her name's Jenny Banks.
He was with her out of town upstate.
- Is he cheating? - That's not for me to say.
I have the results of your bloodwork,
and you're actually pregnant.
Is it possible that we've met before?
- You went to Syracuse, right? - Yeah.
We bumped into each other at graduation with the case.
That's right.
- Joe Kimbreau. - See, I knew it. I remember.
Do you want to stay with me until it's safe to go home?
I'd like that.
No, Joe.
I don't want to leave anything left unsaid.
I love you.
Please don't.
_
Gwen Kimbreau.
Yeah, long time, Professor Lamson.
Let me guess,
you're finally here to take me up on that date.
It's nice to see you too, James.
Wow.
No, this isn't about me.
It's about my son.
You know I taught him how to play the piano
before he could walk, and, well, he's good.
So your boy has dreams
of playing Lincoln Center one day?
He can't become a cop.
I can't lose another one.
Can you get him in for an audition?
- I can get it. - No, no, I got it.
Oh, Mom.
Happy New Year.
- Hey, welcome home. - How's our patient?
Better now that you're here.
- Hey. - Hi.
- No, don't get up please. - Come on, I'm fine.
No.
I'm so sorry I couldn't pick you up from the airport.
Are you kidding?
You're barely out of the hospital.
I'm not gonna make you drive.
Plus, I missed your face.
Okay, I'm late for rehearsal.
The school where I teach music
is throwing a tribute concert for me
to celebrate 20 years of the choir I started.
Joe told me. That's incredible.
- You okay? - Ooh, that cough.
- Here's a nebulizer. - I'm fine.
Gwen, it's okay. I got it from here.
- Just do what you have to do. - I can take care of myself.
Says the guy who's wearing
the same sweats for three weeks.
- Okay. - Really?
Meds are on the table.
Just text me if you need anything, okay?
- I love you and you. - Love you.
Bye, guys.
- She's excited. - Yeah, she is.
I never got a chance to thank you.
For what?
For staying with me at the hospital.
I don't know how I would've got through that without you.
Look, I know that you saved a kid's life and all,
but just promise me you're never gonna run
into a burning building again.
- Sorry. - Come on.
Hey, I swore I'd never lie to you, right?
What I said to you before I went in,
I meant it.
And it's okay if you're not ready to say it yet.
I know I just kind of sprung it on you.
Can't drive without these.
Nope, nope, nope.
Please tell me she was joking
about you wearing the same pants for three weeks.
I washed them.
Come on, go put some real pants on
- and go for a walk. - Okay.
Washed them.
This is yesterday compared to six months ago.
The curvature has gone from 40 degrees to 53.
Now, at this rate, Dr. Koy believes that it's best
to intervene sooner rather than later,
and I agree with him.
The severity of that curve
could impede the expansion of the left lung.
I have dreaded this since his diagnosis.
Yeah, no, I get it.
It's scary, but putting it off scares me more.
With the left lung compromised like that,
a common cold this winter
could easily turn into full-blown pneumonia.
What do we need to do?
I'll put you in touch with the surgeon.
It's, um... it's an invasive procedure.
Takes over six hours, so having blood on hand
for a transfusion is vital,
ideally from the biological parents.
Now, because Lucas is considered high-risk,
I think the safest way...
I'll donate, obviously.
I'm not sure that'll be enough.
I'm gonna let you two discuss.
It's time to tell Joe the truth about Lucas.
We have to.
You think Chris will even remember that goodbye?
- He was barely conscious. - I will remind him.
Do you really have to leave so soon?
I'm really starting to hate Atlanta.
I wish Christmas break was longer.
Take that fire hazard out to the curb
sometime before Valentine's Day, please.
Only if Cupid promises to bring you back.
Bye.
- Love you. - I love you.
- Bye. - Bye.
Hey, babe, back so soon? Did you forget...
- Kinsley, I'm so sorry. I... - Nope.
Still not dressed, huh?
Okay.
- Should I be concerned? - Oh.
So tomorrow's the big night, Mom.
Hmm? You ready to be fêted?
Yes, but I think the bigger question is,
are you up to performing?
I'm fine.
- And you and Amy are... - We're fine.
Okay, you're avoiding. Classic Kimbreau move.
Trust me, I'm an expert.
Mom, it's my marriage, my mess, I got it.
No.
Jenny, hey. Happy New Year.
Well, big news.
The adoption agency reached out.
Zeke wants to meet us.
What? Are you serious?
I spoke with the adoptive parents.
Zeke's been asking questions,
and then he made it his Christmas wish to meet us.
Are you... I mean, can we?
I have to talk to Darren,
and maybe you should talk with Amy?
Yeah. Yeah.
- All right, let me know. - All right.
Well, that seemed like something.
Zeke wants to meet me.
Synced & corrected by QueenMaddie www.addic7ed.com
I am now entering the kitchen.
Kinsley, hi. Happy New Year.
Fully dressed this time.
So how long did it take you
to make these zipper pants for Christopher?
Uh, one, you know, maybe two days.
Not including the time you spent cleaning up blood
after you sewed your finger to the hemline twice.
It was once, thank you.
All right, well, maybe I should rephrase.
How fast could you make, I don't know,
let's say three...
dozen pairs?
Okay, look, I know it sounds a little bit crazy,
but over the holidays, I was sharing
the adaptable pants with some caretaker friends,
and I may or may not have presold, like, 36 pairs.
Dad, these could help a lot of people.
Adaptive clothing's, like, $800
or hideous or both.
And I have a friend in the garment district
who will hook us up with some industrial fabric cutters.
Oh, so I can lose several fingers.
Dad, we got this.
Zayla, why is it
that when my personal life is doing great,
my career is a complete dumpster fire?
Whoever said "Women can have it all"
needs to be punched in the face.
Got to admit, I admire the side hustle.
Haven't seen you waiting tables like this since college.
- Uh, it's my only hustle. - You must have some leads.
No.
Idea: you know that podcast I'm producing with Tedd Calvin?
- Mm-hmm. - We're recording an episode
and our guest dropped.
You should fill in.
Seriously?
His audience is, like, ginormous.
He's on our side. It'll be a friendly room.
It's a chance to get your name back out there.
Get back into the mix and out of this pizza pit.
I don't know. I don't think I'm ready.
Pizza pit? Hmm.
You are welcome for the job, but your friend here
is no longer welcome to free pizza.
Who let her in here, anyway?
The one on the left. It's fierce.
But not, like, scary fierce, right?
Would you say that about a man?
Maybe.
Eric, I trust Zayla. Run with it.
Like the wind.
Hey, you okay?
No.
I don't know what to do.
My chances of having a child of my own is finally here,
but it's with the wrong person.
You're 1,000% sure this is Bobby's baby?
Yes.
After our last miscarriage, I guess you could say
Joe and I, we're experiencing a dry spell.
If you're going to keep this baby,
and you want to keep your marriage,
you need to tell Joe the truth.
I already feel like I'm losing him.
If I tell him this, he's going to be lost.
And if you don't tell him,
you're gonna lose yourself.
Hey, how are you?
Sorry to crash your party.
She was, uh... She was leaving anyways.
Um, so Jenny called me.
Oh.
Zeke's family reached out through the adoption agency.
He wants to meet me.
That's huge.
And I want to do it.
Yeah, I'm with you.
- You sure? - He's your son.
You deserve to meet him.
Yeah.
Well, thank you,
and... there's just the Darren factor,
Jenny's husband.
For any of this to work,
we have to get him on the same page.
Why don't we invite them over for dinner?
We could talk it over.
- Seriously? - Yeah.
Okay. Um, thanks.
Hey.
I need to talk to you.
Okay. Something wrong?
It's about something that happened
before I even knew you.
What happened?
I guess I thought I could
put the whole thing behind me and move on with my life
and forget that it ever happened.
Jen, you're starting to scare me here.
I had a baby.
After undergrad, before law school.
And I...
I gave him up for adoption.
Why are you telling me now?
The adoptive parents reached out.
He's almost ten,
and he wants to meet us.
Us, you and me?
Me and the biological father.
Who is it?
Someone I know?
It's Joe.
Kimbreau.
The rock star.
Who's been to our house.
Who I took a selfie with with the girls.
That Joe.
He and his wife have invited us over to dinner
to talk about how to handle all of this.
Wow.
Well, this...
this isn't complicated at all, is it?
Darren.
Hey.
- How you doing, Jen? - Hi.
- Nice to see you. - You too.
Hey, Ray. Didn't know you were gonna be here.
Yeah.
- How you guys doing? - Good.
- Fine. - Fine.
What's going on?
Our son needs spinal fusion surgery.
- Oh, I'm so sorry. - Thanks.
We've known about it for a while.
And I can get into the details later,
but what it comes down to is,
Lucas is gonna need a blood transfusion.
Mm.
And you are an ideal match.
Um... why would I be an ideal match?
You're his biological father.
I found out that I was pregnant after graduation and...
What?
I tried to tell you.
I called you that whole weekend
and for months after.
Will you help our son?
Yeah.
- Voilà. - It's a cheeseburger.
No, it is not just any cheeseburger.
- It's Wagyu. - Ah, Wagyu.
Yeah, is that the one where they massage the cow?
Yes, yeah, exactly.
Best beef in the world for my best friend in the world.
Eric, I need a favor from you.
Lay it on me.
So I need to make three dozen zipper pants ASAP,
and I have no zippers.
Is this, like, a bondage thing or...
No, no, it's for Chris. It's adaptive clothing.
It's easier for him to get in and out of.
And so our new aid, Kinsley, thinks that,
you know, some other people could benefit from that.
- So she got some orders. - Okay, that's amazing.
That's amazing.
I remember the first time somebody actually paid
to eat something that I made.
No, it does. It feels good.
It feels good to, you know, have someone
appreciate your handiwork.
All right, you know what?
I know a guy.
- Yeah? - Mm-hmm.
- Hey. - Hi.
Wow.
I see you've transformed the dining room
into an adaptative-wear atelier.
Well, I've been prepping meals for the boys
since Jenny's been away,
and I see someone beat me to it.
Guilty.
I come from a big family.
I never learned how to cook for two.
Oh, I wasn't trying to step on your toes or anything.
Are you kidding me? That's perfect.
Now I can prep for my concert tomorrow night.
Concert? You singing?
- I'm being honored. - Oh.
Fancy.
So who's your date?
Um, no one.
I mean, there is someone I'm hoping will come.
He and I taught music at my school
before he got his dream job at City Conservatory.
That's the school that I thought Joe would go to.
- No, you don't... - It's okay.
- _ - I am so sorry Joe never showed up.
It's really not like him.
I am mortified you drove out here...
He just graduated.
He's celebrating.
Besides, it was worth it.
I... I get to see you.
Well, thank you for coming
and for, um, waiting.
I can wait more.
I would like that. Yeah.
You know, when I asked you to dinner a few years ago...
I wasn't in the right place, regrettably.
How about now?
- So did you call him? - No.
I never called him once after that night.
- Thank you. - You ghosted him?
Yeah, well, you know what, I thought I was ready,
but that's when Joe and Jenny were gonna have a baby
and life got in the way and... yeah.
Anyway, I did reach out to him after, like, a billion years
and invited him to the tribute concert,
but he hasn't RSVP'd, so whatever.
You know, if he comes, you should just ask him out.
That's what I did with my boyfriend, Xander.
We've been together for six months.
Okay, easier said than done.
Well, what's the worst that can happen?
He says no?
You don't get what you don't ask for.
So, you know, get yours, Gwen.
Who are you?
Someone who knows.
Okay.
I hope you guys like the food.
Ya Tu Sabes is one of our favorites.
Joe and I actually had our first date there.
Yeah.
If you don't like that, we have an añejo.
- I can go grab it. - No, I'm all set.
- It's no problem. - Thank you.
It's 1942. It's real nice...
So when did Joe tell you?
I found out myself just a few months ago.
Mm.
I found out today.
My wife's been lying to me since we met.
I apologized,
and I'll keep on apologizing
for as long as it takes for you to forgive me.
When you randomly showed up at our house
that one day, you knew, didn't you?
And at Jenny's birthday party,
which like, ah, an idiot, I invited you to.
You must think I'm the biggest chump in the world.
- I do not. - Darren, please.
You know what I keep thinking?
I'm in a bad dream.
I mean, I've got to be, right?
I mean, how in the hell did I get here?
I wish I could change how I handled things,
but I can't.
Giving up Zeke was the right choice back then.
But now that I have seen him...
Look, this could be a good thing.
Okay?
For all of us.
I hope you get a real good song
out of this one, Joe.
There's nothing good in this for me.
- Excuse me. - Yeah.
So then Zayla wants me to be a guest
at this, like, political podcast
that she produces.
Are you okay?
Um...
I just met with Jenny and her husband, Ray,
and, um,
I just found out that I have a son.
- I'm sorry, what? - Yeah.
Jenny and I, you know, in college, we...
- Yeah, yeah. - Yeah.
And so she...
I just found out, like, two hours ago.
Wow.
How did your mom react?
Oh, I can't tell her.
Are you serious?
Look, it's complicated, okay?
And Gwen Kimbreau cannot have a grandson
and not be a grandma.
Moms can handle a lot.
I mean, your mom's a pretty tough lady.
She may seem that way to you, but...
Look, secrets ruin relationships.
Trust me.
We are like a well-oiled machine.
Teamwork makes the dream work.
- How you doing, little man? - Fine.
Just low-key freaking out
about performing tomorrow night at Grandma's concert.
- What? - Oh, come on.
Since when do you get stage fright?
This time, Mom won't be there.
She's my good luck charm.
What if I freeze on stage?
Buddy.
Well, if you freeze, which you won't,
just, you know, think of this and you'll smile.
? Ooga-chaka ooga, ooga, ooga-chaka ?
? Ooga, ooga, ooga-chaka ?
? Ooga, ooga, ooga-chaka ooga, ooga, ooga-chaka ?
? When you hold me in your arms so tight ?
? You let me know everything's all right ?
? Come on ?
? I ?
? I'm hooked on a feeling ?
Yeah.
? I'm high on believing ?
? That you're in love with me ?
"Stage fright," my butt.
How do you know those lyrics?
Well, guys, Kinsley and I...
- Secrets. - That was sweet.
- You okay? - Not even close.
I had no idea the filing deadlines in Georgia
were different than New York,
and I missed two calls from Chris.
Mistakes happen
and you'll talk to Chris tomorrow.
Work screwed up my personal life
and my personal life screwed up my work life.
Hey, you'll figure it out,
but not tonight.
We're both fried.
And I know the perfect thing to get you out of your head.
Let's go.
- Yes! - You feel better?
It's a start.
You got another one in you?
Oh, yeah.
You actually ended up working for Bobby Diaz
all the way up till the recent hush money scandal
that took him out of office, right?
For a decade.
Yeah, it was a... it was a shock.
Rocked my world in... in the worst ways.
Yeah, no, I can imagine.
For my listeners out there that may not be familiar
with this entire story, Bobby Diaz used
fraudulent campaign funds as hush money
to pay off one of his former interns, Carrie Coleman.
But Carrie may not have been
Bobby's only mistress.
Isn't that right?
I mean, you yourself were in a long-term affair
- with the disgraced congressman. - I'm sorry.
At least that's what his wife,
Regina, has been alleging.
This goes beyond one man.
Okay, look, the real issue here is that we're dealing
with a system that is built by corrupt politicians
to shield them from accountability.
Amy, I'm gonna stop you right there.
This is just a narrative that we've heard too much.
You know, the system is broken,
institutional failure, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
The institution works perfectly,
just not for those that need it.
Okay.
You were the other woman. Hmm?
I've invited you on my show to give you a platform
to tell your side of that story.
Oh, please, what you want is
salacious "Page Six" clickbait.
Okay, I might be political kryptonite,
but I spoke the truth,
and I will never be ashamed of that.
Even if that means I get taken down for it.
I will always fight
for what is right and what is true.
Not like some pond-scum-sucking hack
who tries to gaslight people for ratings.
Amy.
I'm done.
Wow, you're practically a professional seamstress.
Any other hidden talents I should know about?
Actually, I started
sewing masks during the pandemic.
Oh.
I was feeling pretty helpless.
And at the same time, I was
completely blown away by the utter selflessness
of healthcare workers, like you,
who sacrificed so much to keep us all safe.
That passion led me to nursing school.
That's awesome.
What about you?
Oh, um,
to be honest, it was more practical than passion.
I got to support my family and, you know, I could learn
about how to take care of Chris.
What was it like in the hospital during COVID?
It must've been really hard.
So much pain and sorrow every day.
You know, people saying goodbye
to their families over the phone.
How'd you cope?
When my shift was over, I just put it aside.
You know, I had to for me, for my family, to survive,
but, um, I ended up shutting down.
I shut people out. I shut Jenny out.
Almost cost us our marriage.
- I'm so sorry. - No, I'm sorry.
I don't know why I just dumped that on you.
I never bring that up.
I don't know why I would say that just now.
Because I asked.
- Yeah. - And thank you for answering.
Thank you for listening.
Sure.
Yes!
I'm not sure if I should be scared or impressed.
Scared.
All right.
Don't call it a comeback, Banks.
Let's see what you got.
Ooh.
My mom used to say,
"All we can do is the best we can."
Says the girl who hits every bullseye.
Words to live by. Mom knows best.
- Another round? - Sure.
You know, in the six years you've been my paralegal,
I don't think I've ever heard you
talk about your mom before.
She was always there for me.
Day, night, whenever, and when she got sick,
I... I wanted to go home,
but she told me to stay at Syracuse
and finish school, so I did.
And she hung on until I graduated, and then...
A few months later, she was gone.
And...
I think I'll...
I'll always regret not going home sooner.
What I would give to have that time back with her.
I'm sorry.
To your mom.
Cheers.
What? Are you ready?
Come on, it's my big night. Chop, chop.
Yeah. Yeah, almost.
It'll just take me two seconds.
Okay, what's going on with you, huh?
You may want to sit down, Mom.
Okay.
Am I gonna need a drink too?
- Probably. - Yeah?
- Yeah. - Okay.
I met up with Jenny Banks yesterday.
And, um,
she told me that I have a son.
I'm sorry, what?
You have a grandson.
And you might be meeting him tonight.
His name is Lucas,
and I invited him to your concert.
Wow.
Man.
- Hey. - Hey.
You made it.
I'm so glad you're here. Glad that Darren came 'round.
He didn't exactly.
He's okay with me meeting Zeke,
but he doesn't want any part of it.
Well, you gotta do what you gotta do, right?
I don't know if that's right.
No, it... it is.
Well, you're lucky to have someone as supportive as Amy.
Yeah.
Hey.
- Hi. - Hi, I'm Joe.
Jenny.
Thank you so much for making this all happen.
Oh, don't thank us. Thank Zeke.
I'm Tracy, and this is my husband, Miguel.
- It's a pleasure. - Yeah, likewise.
- Nice to meet you. - You too.
Hi, nice to meet you.
So how you doing, little man?
I knew it was you on Halloween,
and then you liked my TikTok.
Oh, yeah, well, I...
I was trying to figure out a way to connect.
It was like I was getting signals from space.
I'm so glad that we can finally meet.
I did an Internet deep dive on you.
You're some legal shark.
Guess I got some pretty good genes.
We had to get rid of him 'cause he peed so much.
Oh!
Well, do you have any questions for us?
Favorite movies, food, sports?
Why did you put me up for adoption?
We were in no position to be able
to raise a child, Zeke, no matter how awesome.
You know, we just... We weren't able to be
the amazing parents that you deserved.
And, Zeke,
I have carried you in my heart
every day for these last ten years.
And now, seeing you happy,
loved, and adored
the way that I always prayed you would be,
I couldn't ask for anything more.
_
- This is a disaster. - Yeah, sure is, son.
You okay, babe?
Huh?
- Yeah. - Okay.
Okay.
No one but rescue workers have been allowed
near Ground Zero for months.
Yeah.
Everything within a few block radius of here
is basically uninhabitable.
What are we gonna do?
Well,
same thing I always taught you to do, babe.
We're just gonna play one note
and then the next.
That's a good idea, Joey. There you go.
Oh, the place looks great, right?
Yeah.
- Gwen. - Oh, hi.
Gwen Kimbreau?
Hello, James Lamson. Mm.
Wasn't sure you'd remember me.
You're a very difficult guy to forget.
Hey, Joe, so what happened?
City Conservatory extended a spot in 2011
and never heard back.
Yeah, music just wasn't my thing.
You know, I was meant to be a cop.
Um, excuse me for a second.
Sure.
So he became a police officer.
Worst nightmares realized?
We're, uh... we're okay.
Thank you for coming. I have to get...
Gwen, have dinner with me.
Old times' sake?
Can we make it, um, coffee?
We'll start with that. You have my number?
- Yes. - All right.
Maybe this was a mistake.
You are Lucas' father.
Nothing is ever gonna change that.
- Hey. - Hi.
Hi.
This is my friend, Joe, from college.
I remember you from college reunion
at the planetarium.
Yeah, yeah, that's right.
And it looks like you're a football fan, huh?
Go, Jints.
- Hi. So good to see you. - You too.
This is Ray, my husband, and our son, Lucas.
This is my mom, Gwen.
- Hi. - Hi.
Thank you for coming tonight, Lucas.
You know what, I... I saved you a spot right in the front row.
You're my VIP guest.
- You want to come? - That'd be great.
It's right in front.
Thank you.
I know, okay? Lookit. There's your seat.
- Just sit down. - Okay, babe.
Okay.
Is this seat taken?
James Lamson.
No, please, yes, go ahead.
I wasn't sure if you'd remember me.
I tried to forget you.
Have dinner with me.
I've waited ten years to hear you say those words.
Maybe third time's a charm?
Hey, everyone, welcome. Welcome.
If I could just have your attention for a moment.
First of all, thank you for being here.
This is certainly gonna be a very, very special evening.
And, uh, we're here to honor my mom,
Gwen Kimbreau, who started the PS27 Choir
20 years ago
to honor and help students whose families were impacted
by the tragic events of 9/11.
It has since become a New York institution.
She helped me find my love of music,
and it literally saved my life.
If there's any other former students here tonight
that she did the same for,
please feel free to stand and be recognized.
Whoo!
Well, what do you say? Why don't we thank her
by showing her what we all learned?
You guys ready?
You ready, buddy?
? Loving you the way I do ?
? I know we're gonna make it through ?
? And I would go ?
? To the ends of the earth ?
? 'Cause darling ?
? To me, that's what you're worth ?
? Where you lead, I will follow ?
? Anywhere that you tell me to ?
? If you need ?
? You need me to be with you ?
? I will follow where you lead ?
? If you're out on the road ?
- ? Ooh, ooh ? - ? Feeling lonely ?
- ? And so cold ? - ? Ooh, ooh ?
? All you have to do is call my name ?
- ? And I'll be there ? - ? Ooh ?
- ? On the next train ? - You were right.
I told my mom about Lucas, and she handled it like a pro.
Well, I'm proud of you, and...
I love you, Joe Kimbreau.
? You need me to be with you ?
? I will follow where you lead ?
? I always wanted a real home ?
? With flowers on the windowsill ?
? But if you want to live in New York City ?
? Honey, you know I will ?
? Yes, I will, yes, I will ?
? You never know how it's all gonna turn out ?
? But that's okay ?
? Just as long as we're together ?
? We can find a way ?
? Where you lead I will follow ?
? Anywhere that you tell me to ?
? If you need ?
? You need me to be with you ?
? I will follow ?
? Oh, oh ?
- ? Where you lead ? - ? Yeah, I will follow ?
- ? Anywhere ? - ? That you tell me to ?
? If you need ?
? You need me to be with you ?
? I will follow where you lead ?
- That was, uh... - Amazing.
I mean, that kid, he's incredible.
Watching you two was...
was something really special.
What?
Oh, man.
You can say it. You can say anything.
I'm pregnant.
- But we... we haven't... - It's Bobby's.
Synced & corrected by QueenMaddie www.addic7ed.com