Death

"**Death**" is the eighth episode of *Hoops*.

## Plot

A school-based grief counselor gets more than she bargained for when Coach, Opal, Ron, Barry and Shannon all share their long-suppressed traumas.

## Summary

Principal Opal holds a memorial for Coach Singleton. DJ asks why the team has to be there and Hopkins replies that a revered teacher and coach at Lenwood has died. He then says as an aside that he was a "huge asshole." "Like you, Coach," asks DJ, and Hopkins orders him to take a lap. Opal reveals that they've brought in a grief counselor and tells everyone to raise their candles high. Shannon comes over to Hopkins, complaining that her lawyer called, saying Hopkins wouldn't sign the divorce papers, again. Hopkins says he doesn't understand why they have to get lawyers involved, that he doesn't want to pay for it, and she replies that she's paying for it. She suggests that his not signing them is some warped way of telling himself that they'll get back together. She tells him it won't happen. He asks her what's wrong with her, to show some respect for a man having died, at the same time taking a delivery of chicken fingers. Opal shouts that the Lord works in mysterious ways, saying for him to show her something, and the delivery guy gets set on fire by one of the candles. Hopkins shouts for somebody to grab the man and save the chicken fingers, as the man falls to the ground and burns to death.

In the school gymnasium, Opal hosts another memorial, this time for the delivery guy, Kyle G.. She says she'd like to reintroduce the grief counselor, Dr. Brooks, now available to talk about the passing of Singleton and the graphic death of Kyle G. She calls it a "twofer," that when it rains, then says rain would have helped. Hopkins calls it the best smelling tragedy he's ever seen. Hopkins sees the counselor, who tells him that Kyle G.'s death wasn't his fault just because he was his delivery driver. Hopkins agrees that it was Kyle's fault for having a ponytail, that a ponytail at a vigil is like walking around with a fuse on your head. She asks what brings him in today, if it's Mr. Singleton, but he tells her that he needs to talk to someone about his wife, that she's a lunatic. Brooks replies that she's there for the students and if he's not there to talk about Singleton or Kyle, then he needs to leave. He agrees that he can talk about Singleton, that he was his basketball coach in high school. He tried out, but didn't make it. In a flashback, he asks Kirk what he's going to tell his dad. Kirk suggests he tell him that trying to please him all the time is exhausting, but he says he always uses that excuse. He meets a girl, who tells him that basketball is stupid. He tells her she doesn't get it, that his dad is Barry Hopkins, who was a runner-up for the Sixth Man of the Year in the ABA. She says she wishes she could have heard what he said to the guy who didn't put him on the team, but he tells her he didn't say anything. She tells him he should have let him have it, that yelling at people makes you feel better. When an old man shouts at them for being loud, she curses him out. "I'm Shannon, by the way," she tells him.

She has him go back to the school, telling him to "go for it." Hopkins tries, but ends up speaking to Coach Singleton politely. Shannon eggs him on from outside, and he continues that Singleton is a knucklehead and a piece of poo. Shannon tells him to really give it to him and he cusses him out. He tells Shannon that he feels alive, that he's on fire. They high five, and he tells Brooks that the next day Shannon jayed him on the photo lab and he knew they were meant to be. Brooks tells him that it has nothing to do with the tragedies of the last 48 hours. He keeps going, trying to twist her words into an endorsement of him remaining with his wife. She says she doesn't have all the details, but he thanks her and leaves, tossing her a dollar bill. Ron enters the room, saying he's the kids' favorite teacher, a best friend to them and a shoulder to cry on. He offers his help in any way he can, but then starts reminiscing about his past before he can stop her.

He has a flashback to being in Iraq in 2003, where he was soldier who went "old-school" on Iraqi forces, defeating gun-wielding soldiers in hand-to-hand combat. They shot at him, but he used martial arts and wouldn't even grab a gun, saying he was on a roll. He tells her this how he stays so calm now, saying again to let him know if she needs anything. Hopkins pays a visit to Shannon, telling her he paid a visit to a professional therapist, who said she thinks they should be together. He says he's not signing the papers and based on her opinion, he'll win her over with grand gestures. She tells him he's not winning in either court, but he says they have a cat-and-mouse thing going. Shannon goes to the counselor, calling her a "dumb Dr. Phil wannabe" and saying she's putting idea's into Hopkins's head. Dr. Brooks tells her that she cannot storm in while she's talking with a student. Shannon demands Brooks hear her side. Brooks pleads with her not to launch into an off-topic story, but it's too late. Shannon recalls a time when she and Hopkins were watching the basketball state championships and she went out for a "milk run." She went out to the saloon instead, and put on a performance riding a mechanical bull. That evening, she wrecked her car, stone drunk, had to work off the damage she'd done to the farm, and realized she needed to turn her life around and couldn't do that with Hopkins. The student, who's still there, agrees that Hopkins is "a bottomless pit of anger and resentments." Brooks agrees that Shannon is way healthier without him and Shannon leaves, saying she has a divorce to reinitiate.

Another boy comes in, trying to get a session, but now Barry is there, with a dog. Barry closes the door on the kid, asking if Brooks is really a state-licensed therapist. She agrees that she is and he tells her needs a signature showing that the dog, Felix, is an emotional-support dog. She tells him she's there for the kids, but Barry just offers a flashlight to check the dog for worms. He says she must want a story from him of yesteryear, "Ballin' Barry." She pleads with him not to begin a story, but he's off. He returns a moment of being regaled for his great accomplishments at a party, fawned over by women. He met a fiery girl, who told him he'd be a good player if he could make a free throw... and then they had sex. Dr. Brooks tells him his details are overwhelming and inappropriate. Nine months later, she revealed a baby in a newspaper, telling him it was his. She said he had to look after him because the boys in blue had her doing three to five for punching a congressman. During her time in prison, she shivved a warden and therefore is never getting out of jail. Brooks tells him it's fascinating, but she won't sign his papers, as she's there for another reason and his dog is eating her pens. He tells her that she won't be getting a steak in this town, unless he goes to a steakhouse that isn't his, then re-enters, saying he'd love to have her at Barry Hopkins Steakhouse anytime.

Shannon finds Hopkins painting her truck red, which he calls a "grand gesture." She says it looks like he's vandalizing her truck. He says he was trying draw a mural, but the paint started running, so now he's painting her truck red. She tells him that the "shrink" agrees with her now. She demands that Hopkins sign the papers, but he says that if he signs them, it's officially over and he's still in love with her. He tells her also that he doesn't want to have to change his name back. "Oh my God," declares Shannon, exasperated. Opal checks in with Dr. Brooks, asking her if everything is going okay. She tells her she's having trouble talking to the kids, that the adults seem like kids more than the kids do, that they can't handle their own problems. Opal giggles, saying it sounds just like Chelsea. Despite Dr. Brooks's pleas to stop, Opal now launches into a story. Opal recalls a time when she was a flight attendant and sang to her passengers. Chelsea was the pilot, though he preferred to be called "Sully." She reported to him that birds just flew into the right engine. He declared that they were all going to die and had a breakdown, but she told him to "sack up." She ended up taking over the controls and landed the plane in a river, but the pilot took all the credit. She was the one responsible for the miracle on the Hudson, but the pilot blackballed her. She tells Brooks that she'll try to keep the grown-ups out of her hair, "but they sure can ramble."

Outside, Hopkins finishes painting the truck, but Shannon declares that she's leaving. He tells her they're not going anywhere until they settle things. He lays in front of the truck while she revs the engine, warning him not to tempt her. She tells him she's going to squash him and never think about him again. Brooks counsels Matty, DJ and Timebomb, but they leave at the bell and Matty admits that they're just in there to miss last period. She asks what about what the saw at the memorial, but DJ tells her it was nothing, that he just watched a guy circumcise himself online. Dr. Brooks goes out to her car, muttering that she doesn't know what they expected her to do, that it's like a madhouse in there. Hopkins and Shannon come up to her, trying to get her to take their side. She tells them that it's not what she was there for, that she was there for the kids. She then admits that their own story sort of reminds her of the story of how she met her husband. She goes into her own flashback, about having been stranded on an island when she met him, just the two of them. Hopkins and Shannon both cut off the story, calling it boring. Shannon says she finds it selfish that she's rambling about herself. Dr. Brooks gets in her car, saying she's out of there. A delivery driver for Hopkins then crashes into her car. A memorial is held for Dr. Brooks, Opal saying that she wouldn't want them to grieve. "She tried to help some of us, then died. Anyway, don't forget the girls' volleyball car wash this weekend." Matty comments that he seriously does need therapy.

## Cast and characters

Starring:

* Jake Johnson as Coach Ben Hopkins
* Ron Funches as Ron
* Cleo King as Principal Opal Lowry
* Natasha Leggero as Shannon
* A.D. Miles as Matty
* Rob Riggle as Barry Hopkins

Also Starring:

* Steve Berg as DJ
* Kimberly D. Brooks
* Eric Edelstein
* Ben Hoffman as Timebomb
* Mary Holland
* Evan Mann
* Gareth Reynolds
* Sam Richardson as Marcus
* Hannah Simone as Dr. Brooks

## Gallery

Dr. Brooks and BenCoach Ben Hopkins and Shannon
## Navigation

* 1.01 The Pilot
* 1.02 My Two Dads
* 1.03 Ethics
* 1.04 The Sponsor
* 1.05 Matty Gets a Girlfriend
* 1.06 Zen
* 1.07 The Strike
* 1.08 **Death**
* 1.09 The Road Game
* 1.10 The Scout

## References

1. ↑ Patton, Rebecca (August 21, 2020). This New Netflix Show Is Basically One Big *New Girl* Reunion. Bustle. Retrieved on August 30, 2020.