Round Table: Hour Four | Season 1

Hi.
I'm co-creator Reggie Rock Bythewood.
And this is the hour for Roundtable of "Shots Fired."
Joining us is Gina Prince-Bythewood,
Conor Leslie, Stephan James, Sanaa Lathan, and DeWanda Wise.
[theme music]
THEME SONG: Where do we go from here?
I find this hour, like, particularly
interesting because it's like the first time
we start to see, like, a little bit
of a chink in Preston's armor.
You know, always so controlled.
And that-- that opening scene where Cory is telling you what
he witnessed-- that's the first time that we
really see you emotional.
STEPHAN JAMES: Yeah.
I think so.
I think it was devastating for him.
- Yeah. - Right.
Because I feel like Preston has
these small, like, victories and small failures.
And this one, that sense of, like,
not being able to protect him.
Right.
Really registers.
Yeah, and I know you-- you loved, you know,
the performance by Marqus Clae.
Yeah.
16 years old, and that was a long speech.
REGGIE ROCK BYTHEWOOD: Yeah.
And he just nailed it each and every time.
And it was so subtle and had the layers of emotion comes
with a very experienced actor.
So I was really impressed.
They had him trapped against the wall.
And the two cops hopped out and threw him to the ground.
He was laying there screaming, someone call my mom's.
Someone call my mom's.
REGGIE ROCK BYTHEWOOD: In this hour,
it's, like, the first big win that Ashe
and Preston have together.
And it just makes you guys come together because we
officially get the case open.
Now you're assigned to solve the case of Joey
Campbell and Jesse Carr.
And it obviously has an effect on your characters.
SANAA LATHAN: Mm-hm.
There's that thing when you're working so hard for something,
and you don't know if you're going to get what you want.
We didn't know that we were going to necessarily get
to open this case officially.
And it is a huge relief.
And, you know, the pressure is just so thick down there.
And they're working so hard.
And I think that bar scene was great because you
have to have a release.
REGGIE ROCK BYTHEWOOD: It's one of the few scenes
early up top where we see Preston
without the suit and tie. STEPHAN JAMES: Yeah.
REGGIE ROCK BYTHEWOOD: You know, he's got a sweater on.
STEPHAN JAMES: Yeah.
REGGIE ROCK BYTHEWOOD: You know--
STEPHAN JAMES: A little bit [inaudible].
REGGIE ROCK BYTHEWOOD: Ashe is showing a little shoulder.
SANAA LATHAN: Showing off them musc-les.
REGGIE ROCK BYTHEWOOD: That's right.
Yeah.
You know, a little somethin' somethin'.
REGGIE ROCK BYTHEWOOD: Right. [chuckling]
Right.
And, you know, I just love also that side
where it's just like Preston is going to step to these dudes.
STEPHAN JAMES: Yeah.
REGGIE ROCK BYTHEWOOD: And Ashe is gonna
step right along with him.
All you need to know is that she ain't your lady.
So step.
Step?
STEPHAN JAMES: At this point, we're-- we're all we got out--
out here. SANAA LATHAN: Mm-hm.
And we need to have each other's backs.
We done good today.
We did.
SANAA LATHAN: It's interesting that Preston made the decision
to go a separate way.
Because she would have jumped on Preston.
[chuckling] - Yeah, true.
But [inaudible] is true to your character.
At the end of the day, your ambition right now to
prevail at this new position--
STEPHAN JAMES: Yeah.
--superseded anything else.
STEPHAN JAMES: Yeah.
And I think that's still where you're at at this point.
STEPHAN JAMES: Yeah.
GINA PRINCE-BYTHEWOOD: Yeah, professionalism.
Though, but he still was, you know, he was shook.
He was shook.
When he got back to his hotel room.
- He was shook. - Yeah.
- He was shook? - He was pretty shook.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah. - [chuckles]
It shook me up a little bit. REGGIE ROCK BYTHEWOOD: Right.
Can't lie about that.
GINA PRINCE-BYTHEWOOD: Though what's interesting
is that you didn't go there-- STEPHAN JAMES: Yeah.
--because it wasn't smart.
But you and Sarah--
I was just thinking that.
--hooking up so early and continuing it under
cover is the dumbest thing--
It's so dumb.
--for-- for you--
But, like that's why people do those things.
It's dumb. - --and for you.
But--
It's less of a conflict for me.
CONOR LESLIE: True.
You know, I don't have to deal with Sarah every day.
So--
CONOR LESLIE: But also at the end of it,
when the case is closed, he knows he's not going
to be living in North Carolina. [chuckling]
STEPHAN JAMES: Yeah.
More so a fling for us both, really.
It was a-- but I-- yeah, I think that was mutual.
I also think there's a difference between a fling
and maybe other intense chemistry
that you have with someone else.
I think it's much closer to home with Ashe.
Yeah.
Mm-hm.
I think also Sarah and Preston hook up in hour one.
I think both of them and both those characters
just don't know what's coming. STEPHAN JAMES: Yeah.
So it's fun.
Like, it's so fun.
There's something very youthful and fun about it.
And then both of them, I think, like, reality hits in both
of their worlds that, like--
STEPHAN JAMES: Yeah.
--life is not that simple.
STEPHAN JAMES: Mm-hm.
And-- and I think even by hour four, it's starting
to be much more real.
Enjoyable is not-- is not the forefront, I think,
[inaudible].
Yeah, but the other thing that's really interesting
is, you know, like Preston, you know, Sarah is
extremely ambitious and driven.
True.
You know, we just hear about your ambition, and kind
of interesting, why you decided to work with the governor
and what you were looking to get out of it.
Yeah, she's in the very early stages of what most politicians
must go through of her career.
And she's at the beginning stages of still
really, like, wanting to make a difference
and wanting to help make the world a great place.
I don't think she's naive, necessarily.
But I think it's easy for her to believe that she can make
a difference by being with someone who she thinks wants
to make a good difference.
REGGIE ROCK BYTHEWOOD: It was also Sarah that really pushed
and helped nudge the governor--
Mm-hm.
--to just fight for the school and, you know,
ultimately to help see if Shawn can get in a shot
of being in that school.
She starts to see that the governor
does value her opinion.
So she hired me for a reason.
So I have something to bring to the table.
And I think when she reads about these things
and sees them on the TV, it's one thing.
But to visit this family I think does strike a chord in her.
We don't care what color they are.
If those kids come to our community,
we're going to have to install metal detectors in our schools.
That's right.
Hold on a second.
I'm a parent, too.
I want what's best for my daughter,
same as you want what's best for your child.
I will gladly go along with your plan to bring kids
in from the houses if you're willing to send
your own teenage daughter to a school near the houses.
[murmured agreement]
Show us how open-minded you are.
Yeah.
Yeah.
[applause]
REGGIE ROCK BYTHEWOOD: What it is I love about this scene
is that everybody was in their own bubble,
in their own worlds. - Mm-hm.
Yeah.
REGGIE ROCK BYTHEWOOD: What does it do to my children?
- Absolutely. - Yes.
If you're going to allow black kids to come to the school--
And [inaudible].
REGGIE ROCK BYTHEWOOD: --like, is
it going to change the dynamic?
And that everybody could look at the same situation--
Right.
--and have, like, various points of view on it.
GINA PRINCE-BYTHEWOOD: It was heartbreaking.
And I think-- DEWANDA WISE: It's also just a--
to be real, like, a very impressive integration of a,
like-- GINA PRINCE-BYTHEWOOD: Yeah.
--another facet of this conversation--
GINA PRINCE-BYTHEWOOD: Mm-hm.
--into the, like, the throughline, you know,
of the series of these 10 hours because you address, you know,
the education component without it being like,
you know, an aside to the camera, if that makes sense.
Mm-hm. Yeah.
Well, it's interesting because, you know,
we shot this, you know, last year.
And I remember telling you in hour
one, hour two, hours three, I was like, yo, hold back.
DEWANDA WISE: Mm-hm.
Don't cry yet. DEWANDA WISE: Right.
Like, it's coming.
And I'm really-- it was really important to me
that you just held it until hour four,
when you have that big emotional scene with Shawn.
There won't be 35 kids to a classroom.
Everybody gon' get they own--
I don't care about all that.
Start caring.
This school gon' give you a chance.
A chance at what?
Not making any friends?
A chance to not ending up like your brother.
I lost Joey.
I can't lose you, too.
(CRYING) I can't.
I can't, Shawn, please.
Please.
Please.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Please.
You still have me.
DEWANDA WISE: That was the tipping point for Shawn
because up until then, we spoke about him
being on the brink and feeling everything
that he should feel, right?
And that's completely that righteous rage.
And never having seen his mother in this position,
and it coming to fruition, and her being in that state--
that was the tipping point. GINA PRINCE-BYTHEWOOD: Yeah.
For him to be in that school and for them
to be at that town hall.
And the fact that you, as a mother in that moment,
are fighting for the life of your son.
Mm-hm.
GINA PRINCE-BYTHEWOOD: For you, if he
does not get into the school, he's going to end up like Joey.
And you say that.
And for Shawn to hear that, I mean, that-- that scene
breaks me every time.
REGGIE ROCK BYTHEWOOD: Yeah, well, I really
love scenes where somebody's right,
but they can also be wrong.
And a person who's wrong could also be right.
And that scene you have were you and Platt pull over these guys,
and he's trying to teach you a lesson.
- That's-- - Yeah.
--such a great scene.
[inaudible]
--because you never think of it from that point of view.
GINA PRINCE-BYTHEWOOD: Of course.
And he didn't tell him.
He showed him.
That is the thing that is exciting to me
about this show is that that's where empathy is created, when
you can see, oh, wait a second.
STEPHAN JAMES: Right. - Mm-hm.
GINA PRINCE-BYTHEWOOD: How they feel.
They're going through something, too.
Wow.
That situation, that moment is so tense.
You felt, really, how tense it was shooting it.
Mm-hm.
I mean, the tension was-- was there.
Mm-hm.
It wasn't something we had to--
- Right. - --to play.
You feel it.
The three of you need to turn around and put
your hands behind your head.
Pat them down.
[smack]
Get your hands off me.
Hey, I said, don't touch me, all right?
Ow!
Hey, that's my kid!
Well, your dumb-ass kid should get some common sense.
Get up.
Will Patton's such an incredible, incredible actor.
And he gives off just an incredible performance.
I think that's the other thing that, you know,
Gina, we've always talked about with Stephan,
one of the things that we love is just the subtlety.
It's like a little look kind of tells you
everything that he's feeling.
I was just so--
Thank you.
--blown away because both of them were in shades.
And I caught everything.
I just thought that was insane.
REGGIE ROCK BYTHEWOOD: (CHUCKLING) Right, right.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So, you know, in hour four, we have this near-miss
between Ashe and Preston.
But now we're back to being professional.
Now we have both cases open.
And, you know, we just move forward
to see where it's going to go. - Yeah.
And Breeland, at the end of it,
is looking into your personal life.
Mm.
- What does that mean? - Wow.
It's gettin' juicy, y'all. [chuckling]
It's getting juicy.
Getting juicy.
Well, thank you all.
Thank you for joining us for our "Shots Fired" Hour
Four conversation.
We'll see you next week for Hour Five.
[theme music]
THEME SONG: Where do we go from here.

Round Table: Hour Four | Season 1 | SHOTS FIRED

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