CHRISTOPHER DE PAOLA
TEASER FLASHBACK: Through the fence, a young Justine watches Trace hit balls to Real Justine. Trace and Real Justine laugh and hit some beautiful points. Justine watches as her sister is loved and adored by their father when she plays tennis.
Justine plays a few tournaments while keeping her composure… she still loses. She begins to act out off the court as she calms on the court. She drinks, parties too much, stays out late and becomes reckless.
Justine’s relationship with Ernesto progresses.
Ep. 7 Approach Shot
FAULT
Tommy lays out by the pool. Gloria dives in and loses an earring. Tommy attempts to fish it out with a net- pool boy comparisons in full effect. He finally dives in and retrieves it. Both he and Gloria are extremely close in the pool, sexual tension palpable. Gloria tells Tommy to wrestle control away from Trace and take charge of the school. Justine and Ernesto witness this very intimate moment between Gloria and Tommy.
Tommy goes in front of the Board of Directors and explains why the school needs to be academic and not a tennis academy… he wants Latino kids to be educated, feel empowered by that education, and therefore control their future- not be athletes who are controlled by white people with money; create leaders, not athletes.
Tommy finds a model of the school in Trace’s study… tennis courts have been added and the school is now
called The Tommy Nolasco Tennis Academy. Tommy is bombarded with flashbacks of his father and/or Roost bullying him into playing tennis.
Tommy confronts Trace. Trace says they have to capitalize on his name.
Tommy confides in Ernesto about the visions of Roost he can’t seem to escape.
Olivia starts a new job as a barista at a coffee shop. She gets a call from someone who wants to meet with vital information about the US Open final. She meets with an unshaven Latino with an accent and tattoos who says he was the locker room attendant the day of the final. He vehemently attests that a meeting between Trace and Tommy before the match never occurred. Olivia has no panic attack at the interview… did the tennis wall stress reliever work?