S04.E04: Light Skinned-ed

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

My family is so crazy we need our own reality TV show. How you still got beef from the 70's? Whew. And y'all need to stop flirting with people's daddy. 

Original air date 2022.09.29

[AngieBee1]

This was an episode for those who wanted the show to return to the basics. This was a throwback, straight-forward episode. Talking about return - I think we haven't seen Earn's parents since the first episode. Plus, the return of S2's Uncle Willie (Katt Williams).


-Dang, Aunt Jeanie - I thought we were going to be buddies because you don't think anything about eating cough drops as snacks, but you're pure messiness through and through.


-The praise dancers were a nice touch.


-Really hated how Earn's dad's peace was disturbed by those kids. He was riding on that ego high only to be taken down a dozen pegs.


-Gunna's appearance makes me think of PaperBoi's realization in "The Woods" episode. Al was finding some success but still living that life - still scamming, living in the same area and he was doing it to "keep it real". But his status was making that a threat. He couldn't keep living that same life. Then here's Gunna - rising, successful; attended The Met Gala looking gallant in Thom Browne and then a week or two later taken down with RICO charges and affiliation with a gang who are suspected of multiple murders. Just a waste.


-Earn says he doesn't want to be like them arguing all the time, but he got short with PaperBoi real quick when PaperBoi joked about Earn bringing Jeanie to the studio. He took his frustration out on Al like his father took his frustration out on the waiter.


-The Bobby Shmurda exit just leads you out into the open? No wonder he got busted.

[JenE4]

This episode had me cackling! “You just go in my purse and get yo’self some cough drops if you’re hungry.” Dead. The members of this family were hilarious—until suddenly they weren’t, and you realize their silly behavior was just an outward expression of decades of dysfunction. Gloria had to “steal dad” because Jeanie had a lifetime of being the golden child, while making Gloria feel like she was the least loved, seemingly because of Jeannie’s racism against her own family, ranking their skin tones. Likewise, now we see why Earn’s dad was all: This is my time! I need to stick to my schedule, 3 hours until the kids arrive. Just like Jeannie made Gloria feel lesser than, “the kids” at the mall made Earn’s dad feel embarrassed, after having his ego boosted by the cute sales lady and his nifty new hat. This poor family can’t even get bread without checking to see whether they’re deserving first. And so they end up taking the frustration that built up all day out onto the waiter. It was really a great build up with making these characters endearing and amusing—even though you could tell there’s something off with all of these people, but then as a viewer your heart breaks for them when you realize what led up to all of this. I also liked that Earn was back to his season 1 behavior of being kind of subservient: Yes, Auntie. Though you can tell what he’s really thinking, he doesn’t stand up for himself. (Donald Glover’s acting is pure perfection with this emotion.) Though we’ve seen Earn’s confidence grow over the last few seasons, being around his family puts him right back into that childhood dysfunction. Especially after learning in the therapy episode that he was abused as a child and seeing all of these family members, it makes you wonder who was the abuser. One of these people? One of the other countless aunts and uncles all around Georgia? But as the woman at the recording studio said, the only way to sneak out that door is don’t look back—not even a glance. Just like Earn’s dad was over with dealing with this family drama for 30 years. Can Earn and Al just focus ahead and not fall into the old family dynamics? I like to think their great escape is foreshadowing for their future: Just focus on what’s in front of you and leave the past dysfunction behind.

Edited September 30, 2022 by JenE4

[aghst]

I don’t remember the parents or aunts at all, especially the mother and aunt with their petty rivalry.

When Gloria drives off with grandad, stranding Earn and Jeanie you understand where Earn getting revenge on the TSA woman came from.

Then Jeanie talks about Earn laying with that beautiful girl, having the daughter but making Van something?  Whatever it was, a fucked up thing to say.

Al didn’t want to be around JeanIe either and maybe Earn’s father wanted to be away from Gloria.

”Just brIng Us the fucking bread” outburst seemed inevitable.

[xaxat]

I agree that this episode was more in line with the firts season. And I thought it was hilarious.

"It's mathematically impossible."

Rage quitting Uno

"They in Egypt!"

And, of course, Earns mom taking off with her father in the back seat.

In addition to the comedy, I thought the family's relationship rang true. It was cranked up to 11, but felt real.

Hat woman did Earn's dad wrong.

16 hours ago, AngieBee1 said:

The Bobby Shmurda exit just leads you out into the open? No wonder he got busted.

He looked back.

[Miss chi chi]

Sheeeiit! I love seeing The Wire actors!

Edited October 2, 2022 by Miss chi chi

[Bluesky]

Earn’s father’s hat wasn’t so unusual that those assholes would do that.   Cruelty from idiots hanging around a mall.    It showed how unkindness can destroy a person.  That was sad.  

[Sheenieb]

Question about the hat. Was it the same one Al had on in Amsterdam? It looked familiar. Al's spirit guide clowned him for wearing that fedora as well. 

[tennisgurl]

Every family has that one aunt who is nothing but drama. I liked spending time with Earn's family, it really did have more of a season one vibe before things got really surreal, although as funny as a lot of the episode was I spent a lot of time wondering if one of them was the relative that abused Earn.

You can really see a lot of Earn in his families issues, like Earn they clearly hold onto things for too long until they blow up and tend to take their frustrations out on other people like the waiter. 

Those guys at the mall were such assholes, Earn's dad was really feeling good about himself in his hat and then these jerks ruined it just to be mean.

Edited October 7, 2022 by tennisgurl