Claws

Previously on "Claws"...

Calvin Simms? I'm your daughter... Desna.

I would like to get to know you and your brother,

if it's not too late.

When I'm with you, I don't feel so broken.

I'm falling for you, Polly girl.

How many people have you killed? Polly...

No, don't.

Your brother's been living at the casino.

Mahjong. He's a mahjong crackhead.

Anne, what's going on? You okay?

Some fella from the casino offered me money

to stay away from Dean.

What kind of shit are you into?

Mac and Melba ain't no good!

No one forced Calvin to take drugs.

They dosed him! What's more believable?

That someone secretly slipped him drugs

or that an addict relapsed?

Mac has been more of a father to me than Calvin ever was, ever!

D... Shit!

They got Dean. Who, Mac and crazy-ass Melba?

I am done with this shit.

D, what you gonna do? Run up in there like you're Rambo?

Watch me.

You are not listening to me, Roller!

D, baby, I'm listening. You just need to simmer down.

Get out of my way. Gimme the piece.

No. They got my brother.

D, you step one foot in that casino,

security's finna roll right up on you.

Roller, I got to do something.

D, not like this. D, stop!

D! Stop.

I can't have you locked up.

I just want my brother back.

It's okay.

Okay. So, the deal is, no Christmas tip, no mail.

Wait a minute.

Christmas was about six months ago, though.

Oh, I know. I got a lot of her mail.

I'm talking about government checks,

rebate checks, girl... Close your eyeball.

...birth announcements, wedding invitations...

She done missed a lot of shit.

But I still make sure she gets her AARP catalogue

to remind her that she old.

Ohh, you a messy bish.

I don't play.

Y'all...

What's wrong? What's going on?

Roller just stopped me from pulling a gun on Mac and Melba.

What are you talking about? They got Dean.

Kidnapped? He might as well be.

I mean, they... they in his mind.

Hey, Sheray. Virginia: Yeah, she's right.

Dean is trippin'.

This fool jumped outta the car last night

and went back to the casino just to play mahjong.

What do they want from him?

What can we do? I don't know.

Be still. You're about to mess it up.

Now, calm down. We can think of something.

I feel like I'm losing him, and I don't know what to do.

His stuff is still back at the motel.

He's got to come back eventually.

Come on, bright idea.

You coming with me. We'll be back.

Hey, if y'all need me to jack somebody's mail, now,

let me know!

I don't play that.

Here's one thing I know... Blood doesn't make a family.

In fact, I would go so far as to say

that your family has held you back.

You're like a majestic golden eagle

that somebody has locked in a cage,

and your sister and her friends, they're your captors.

They're feeding you scraps of rotten meat.

You know, you eat that shit long enough, it starts to taste good.

I-I-I think you're using an analogy.

Are... Are you saying that I-I'm being silenced,

like one of those sister wives in a prairie dress?

Your real family is a spiritual one,

not one ordained by a birth certificate.

Okay.

Yes, your... your turn.

Hey. What's the word, Polly Bird?

Oh, hey, Roller.

Um, you know, this little birdie's

doing just fine... tweet tweet.

You eatin' the soul out them shrimps.

What's wrong, Polly? You a'ight?

No.

He's gone.

I let him get away.

Who, Dr. Ken?

No, not Ken.

I mean, he's sweet and everything, but, no,

Yeah, he was good-lookin', too. Mm.

But, um...

I found out, you know, he was...

He was killin' people.

Pbht. You kicked him to the curb?

Yeah. He's a murderer.

Don't mean he's a bad guy.

So you think I made a mistake?

Maybe I should just go back to Bayside

and tell him I was wrong. Hold on one second.

This guy work for Mac and Melba?

Uh... what?

Oh. No. No, no. Uh, never mind, never mind.

Rewind. Rewind.

Double rewind, Polly Bird. You can't see this man.

But you said you thought maybe he wasn't a bad guy.

Well, he is 'cause he's killin' for those casino folks.

Polly, you go and find yourself a rough neck.

We out there, baby.

It's not the same.

He's not gonna be happy about this.

He hasn't been happy about anything that I've done lately.

But he needs this.

The only choice we have is for y'all to move in with me.

I keep telling myself

he's just obsessed with something new,

like he was with stripping and body building, but this?

Mnh-mnh. This is more than that.

Dean needs me.

He has always needed me.

And that ain't gonna change just 'cause

he's under Mac and Melba's spell.

I can tell you that. Yeah, yeah.

D-D-Des, what... what are you doing here?

What's that look for?

I like this.

Hmm?

Waking up together, going out to lunch.

It's nice. We're like a family.

Yeah.

All that's missing is a little one.

After that whole adoption fiasco,

I'm just not sure anymore. I mean, think about it.

The late nights, the vomiting, the getting peed on.

It'd be like being back in college.

Besides, I love what we have, you know?

Just the two of us. Yeah.

Totally.

Just the two of us.

I can't believe you came here and packed me up like I'm a child!

We're not in foster care anymore, Des!

This is what's best for you. You don't know what's best for me.

Y-You don't even know me!

I know your black ass better than you know yourself,

and you are coming with me.

I told you, Des, I don't want to cohabitate.

And I told you, you're obsessed with mahjong.

Dean, I can't let something happen to you.

Oh, God.

It's... It's... It's... It's... He's right.

Who's right?

Mac. Mac... h-he used an analogy.

He said that I'm a majestic golden eagle

and that you've been keeping me in a cage!

Dean, she's just trying to help you out.

How? By controlling me? Y-You can't stop me from flying!

What kinda white-people shit is that?

It's the truth!

And... And... And... And... And...

And I'm done with being held back!

What?!

I-I-I want you out of my life, Desna Simms!

Dean!

I just cannot figure out how the hell this happened.

I know. I mean, was I too overprotective?

You think that's why he turned his back on me?

I mean, yes, you are overprotective,

but that's not what's going on right now with Dean.

You have been a Goddamn saint to him, and you know that.

I have taken care of that boy my entire life.

Well, you tell him. Always putting him before me,

and he gonna say he don't want me?

He is just going through something, honey.

H-He'll be back.

Mac and Melba got him, Pol.

What if they don't let him go?

What do Mac and Melba want with this boy in the first place?

They already got you out of the casino.

I don't know what I'm gonna do

if Virginia can't talk some sense into him.

Dean, please look at me.

I'm busy.

I know there's some sort of pain you're feeling.

Uh, my sciatica's cleared up. Thank you, thank you.

Mahjong!

Let the pain go before you lose Des and everyone who loves you!

You... you're... You know what my pain is?

You are! You need to back the heck up, Virginia!

Let me... Let me out of my cage!