‘Everybody Hates Bed-Stuy’
Season 3, Episode 6 - Aired November 5, 2007
When Chris joins the school newspaper, he stretches the truth to write an exciting story about Bed-Stuy. Meanwhile, Rochelle helps a local councilman campaign for reelection.
Quote from Chris
Adult Chris: [v.o.] Not only was Brooklyn filled with fear, it was filled with reporters.
Female Reporter #1: Today, the streets of Bedford Stuyvesant are deserted. All of the murderers, rapists and Black people who normally populate these streets are behind closed doors. And yet, it is no safer, because of one man-- the Scissor Killer.
Male Reporter #1: There's the young man that-that broke the story. Let's see if we can get a word. Young man...
Female Reporter #2: Can you tell us any more about the killer?
Male Reporter #2: What kind of sweat socks did he use?
Male Reporter #1: How did you get away?
Female Reporter #1: How did you get him...?
Quote from Adult Chris
Adult Chris: [v.o.] The thing I was most afraid of was telling my parents I'd made up the story. I couldn't think of anything worse. Hello, worse.
Rochelle: Oh, my God, Chris, where have you been?! I was so worried about you! Your daddy is on his way home. This detective wants to talk to you.
Adult Chris: [v.o.] If you're Black, that's a sentence you never want to hear.
Detective Marino: Listen, Chris, we need a description of the killer.
Adult Chris: [v.o.] Give me a second to make one up.
Chris: Well, he's Black, um, five-two, light skin, uh, afro?
Adult Chris: [v.o.] He stopped listening after Black.
Quote from Rochelle
Rochelle: You got the wrong person!
Chris: No, no, no! That's my father. He's not a killer!
Detective Marino: How do you know?
Adult Chris: [v.o.] If I didn't tell the truth, there was going to be an obituary.
Chris: 'Cause there is no killer.
Rochelle: What?!
Julius: You better explain yourself, Chris.
Chris: I made it up. When I handed in my story to the school newspaper, they said it was so dull that they wouldn't even print it, so I made the story a little bit more interesting to read. I'm sorry.
Rochelle: There's a gun pointing at your daddy's head right now, and you're sorry? Lamar Johnson's campaign is falling apart, and you're sorry. People are running around this neighborhood just scared to death, and you're sorry. Boy, you don't know what sorry is.
Detective Marino: I'm going to ask you one more time, ma'am: Do you know this man?
Rochelle: Yes! That's my husband, for God sakes!
Quote from Chris
Detective Marino: Son, you've got a knack for inventing evidence. You might want to consider a career in law enforcement.
Adult Chris: [v.o.] In a moment, I might need a cop myself.
Chris: All I did was stretch the truth.
Julius: Oh, that's a coincidence, 'cause I'm about to stretch your behind. Get upstairs!
Rochelle: Get him.
Quote from Ms. Morello
Adult Chris: [v.o.] After my mother set me straight, I had to set the story straight.
Ms. Morello: You made it up?
Chris: Well, I'm sorry. I was just giving the people what they want.
Lisa: Oh, this is just great. All the real killers running around Bed-Stuy, and you had to make one up. That's just lazy. What else did you make up? Is your real name Chris? Are you even Black? Who knows?
Ms. Morello: This is so disappointing. You're the first Black writer in the school's history.
Adult Chris: [v.o.] I was the first Black everything in the school's history.
Ms. Morello: You reach reporter status, and you make up your story? What will your people think of you?
Quote from Adult Chris
Rochelle: Baby, don't worry. The campaign will be over soon then everything will be back to normal.
Julius: I don't know why you want to be involved with this guy. He's nothing but a crook and a womanizer.
Rochelle: Julius, would you quit being jealous. He is not a crook. I've know him since I was a teenager.
Adult Chris: [v.o.] So? Even Saddam Hussein had friends.