We Imagine…. Us, Episode 3 features Mercy Watkins, the beloved daughter of Albert ‘Bumpy’ Watkins, a Black widower who was formerly incarcerated and the late Audrey Watkins, a Vietnamese-American nursing student. Mercy and Bumpy star in the 6-part companion podcast, The Long Way Around. It’s the year 2037, and Mercy is a 31-year-old, single mother reminiscing about a fateful journey she took as a 16-year-old with her father

Episode 2 features Claressa Brown, a Black environmental justice activist and college student who appears in the 6-part companion podcast, The Long Way Around. Claressa envisions a world that reflects environmental and racial justice as she travels to Lake Charles, Louisiana while listening to a podcast interview featuring the author of “The Sum of Us” and Board Chair of the racial justice organization, Color of Change, Heather McGhee.

Episode 1 features Anahí Echevarría Gutiérrez Barrios, a Guatemalan-American union organizer who appears in the 6-part companion podcast, The Long Way Around. As she travels to Houston, Texas to buy an engagement ring for her beloved Lucille, Anahí envisions a more equitable society as she listens to a ‘Re-Imagination Nation Podcast’ interview with award-winning journalist and Futuro Media Group Founder, Maria Hinojosa, and the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award-winning musician and activist, John Legend.

Bumpy and Mercy finally make up their minds about where they want to settle in Minnesota and rebuild their lives. However, a late-night party, Bumpy’s lingering health issues, a well-meaning neighbor and overzealous cops all combine to challenge the fragile future they have built.

Stranded in Illinois, Bumpy and Mercy’s situation begins to unravel. As the father and daughter debate their next steps —as well as speak with other passengers about the future— a road forward seems even more uncertain than ever.

With the altercation with the cops binding them to each other in a whole new way, Mercy and Bumpy explore New Orleans and Memphis while trying to decide where to settle in Minnesota. They’ve almost reached a decision when an accident derails their plans.