Season 1 Talk

[luckyroll3]

The Beef Plantation experience really hit home for me.  Golden Corral and Shoney's being the real-life restaurants of choice.

 

Remember the Sizzler?

 

All the kids were on a roll during this episode.  And the nosey neighbor, all too happy to help while checking out what they have and assuming they can't possibly afford any of it.  Priceless.

[peeayebee]

I liked this ep, but I felt it was one of the weaker ones. Like Inquisitionist said, something seemed off.

 

Still, there were some great moments and lines.

 

First off, I loved that the Beef Plantation had the gimmick to "Pay what you weigh." I don't know if that's a real thing, but it's pretty funny. 

 

Dre: If everybody is so unhappy, why don't we all just go home without eating.
All the kids (and Bow): YAAAAAAYYYYYY!

 

I loved the line that Dre used about pointing -- "I'm not going to point any fingers as to how they got that way, but I'll just use my thumbs." -- That's a good one.

 

Loved how Tracee Ellis Ross delivered a few lines. Well, I love how she says ALL her lines, but a couple really stood out. 

 

Bow: You have to teach our kids a lesson.

Dre: That's what I was trying to do.
Bow: Do it bet-ter.

(That was brilliantly funny.)

 

Bow: You get a job! You get a job! You get a job! Everybody gets a JOBBBBBBBBB!

 

Andre running into the glass was hilarious.

 

Zoe is gorgeous.

 

I wasn't too thrilled with the neighbor.

[dirtypop90]

The joke Bow made about all that affirmative action money she used made me cringe a bit. But I must admit to cracking AA jokes with family and friends of the same race but it's not something I would do in front of white people. So when she said it I was kind of like WOAH not in front of everyone (in the audience) Bow! lol

Edited November 13, 2014 by dirtypop90

[ari333]

I liked the neighbor lady. (Nicole Sullivan?)

[SimoneS]

Thinking about the show, I really love Dre's boss, co-workers, and Charlie. They never say or do what I expect on a sitcom. The "give the kids more stuff" and "Charlie getting hit by a car" responses to Dre's question about his kids' entitlement were so not what I expected that I busted out laughing, The Boss talking about he did not give his kids enough and Dre asking about his kid being in rehab, only to be told that one son got kicked out, but the other one was there now was so ridiculous. Yep, give the kids more stuff.

Edited November 13, 2014 by SimoneS

[shura]

If someone came to my door with a casserole because my kid said we had no food, I'd say things are fine, but we were teaching them a life lesson about appreciating what they have. See? Done.

 

Not really. First, your neighbor has just heard that you are abusing your kids by not feeding them, which is a whole different kind of misunderstanding. Second, even if she doesn't take your words that way, she may simply think that you are trying to hide the real situation that the kids clued her in on. 

[pookat]

The joke Bow made about all that affirmative action money she used made me cringe a bit. But I must admit to cracking AA jokes with family and friends of the same race but it's not something I would do in front of white people. So when she said it I was kind of like WOAH not in front of everyone (in the audience) Bow! lol

I have to admit, I couldn't stop laughing when Bow said she stole a Samoan scholarship. I found out years after the fact that a classmate had passed herself off as a member of a specific ethnic group to benefit from educational opportunities.

 

Awful in real life, but hilarious on the show. Frankly, it's also excellent social commentary that people don't always distiguish between non-Caucasian folks.

Edited November 13, 2014 by pookat

[truthaboutluv]

I let out a hearty cackle at Charlie rolling through one of Dre and Zoey's conversations. "Get that money, girl!"

 

 

What made it even more perfect was Dre's dead-pan "he got hit by a caras a child...he'll never be the same."

 

Where's Laurence Fishburne? He's been MIA these past two episodes.

 

 

Speculation but I think he may be doing double duty with Black-ish and Hannibal. During the season finale of Hannibal, Hannibal went on a mass stabbing spree that left a lot of characters up in the air. The show didn't want to spoil who died so they wouldn't say which actors were coming back. I have a feeling Laurence's character is one of those that survived. 

 

Are teen girls going to think taking selfies of their clothes is going to make them rich? Yes, because TV says so!

 

 

I think it's more the "Youtube will make you rich" and yes, they believe so but not because TV tells them so but because it's become a thing in real life. In fact that's why it's become a thing on shows. This season on DWTS, Bethany Mota is a competitor - her claim to fame, making  Youtube videos in her room. She gained over 7 million followers from that and has parlayed it into a fashion deal with Aeropostale, perfume deals, magazine covers, etc.

 

His name was Eric.  Which makes you wonder how the hell she got Pedro out of THAT.

 

 

I like that moment because I felt like it showed that despite where she may have come from, Bow herself has some of the same privilege and even a little spoilt attitude they were trying to change in the kids. 

 

First off, I loved that the Beef Plantation had the gimmick to "Pay what you weigh."

 

 

And Dre getting pissed at Junior for wearing thick jeans. Speaking of Dre and Junior, I just love how Dre sometimes gives him these "this boy is just a mess..." looks.

Edited November 13, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[Duke2801]

I like that moment because I felt like it showed that despite where she may have come from, Bow herself has some of the same privilege and even a little spoilt attitude they were trying to change in the kids.

 

 

Plus her dad was white!

 

The Beef Plantation experience really hit home for me.  Golden Corral and Shoney's being the real-life restaurants of choice.  When you don't have much money but want to feed a gang of people on the cheap, those all-you-can-eat buffets are every.thing.

 

 

Ha ha our go-to places were Ponderosa and Hoss's.  Same concept.  Cheap steak and all you can eat "salad" bar.  I sincerely thought that those were "good" steaks until I was a young adult!

[AD35]

 

I liked the neighbor lady. (Nicole Sullivan?)

 

Yes, Nicole Sullivan.  I recognized her from seeing her on King of Queens.

[MadyGirl1987]

What immediately came to mind to me was the Seinfeld episode where George's girlfriend's mother keeps seeing him in situations that make him look like a bum.

That must be it...

[mojito]

 

We learned a few things this episode.

We also learned that Diane does not like sharing a room with her brother.

[dirtypop90]

We also learned that Diane does not like sharing a room with her brother.

 

And poor Jack was horrified at the thought of them having separate rooms.

[Iamsweetdee]

This show is so delightful. No shrewish wives having to suffer through marriage with their idiot husbands, no 20 or 30 something's trying to navigate their ridiculous lust lives, just a family doing and dealing with family issues. Just delightful.

[mtlchick]

 

Bow: Do it bet-ter.

 

I am using that pronunciation from now on.

[kia112]

We also learned that Diane does not like sharing a room with her brother.

 

I really love that Diane calls her twin "friend."  And it's done is such a dismissive way.  This is the second time, I think.

[Shermie]

So a few people have parlayed their YouTube/selfie obsession into financial gain, doesn't make it a viable option for a financial future. The fickleness of their followers make it a short-term, minor windfall for most. One person I've never heard of being on DWTS hardly indicates a new economic model.

Considering the millions of videos on YT, it's not realistic that two sitcom teens on two different shows would find success that way. It might not have bothered me on this show if I hadn't just seen it on Modern Family. I guess I expect more creativity from blackish.

I wonder if Bow (don't know the actor's name) will get an Emmy nom, she is brilliant.

[truthaboutluv]

So a few people have parlayed their YouTube/selfie obsession into financial gain, doesn't make it a viable option for a financial future. The fickleness of their followers make it a short-term, minor windfall for most. One person I've never heard of being on DWTS hardly indicates a new economic model.

 

 

I don't think anyone's saying that everyone who goes on YouTube will become famous but rather that random people getting some notoriety thanks to social media is a trend that's been going for the last few years and so it makes sense that it's made its way onto television storylines. I was also disputing the idea that young girls/teens would get this idea that they could become rich and famous that way because the shows say so when no, it's likely because they see it happen to a few people and think they can as well. It's like the whole reality show craze. At this point it's clear that being on a reality show does not automatically equal fame and success but it sure hasn't stopped people from jumping on it because they've seen what it has done for a small handful. 

[scrambled eggs]

Remember the Sizzler?

 

All the kids were on a roll during this episode.  And the nosey neighbor, all too happy to help while checking out what they have and assuming they can't possibly afford any of it.  Priceless.

Loved Sizzler as a kid. Especially the salad bar (where you could make tacos!) and the cheese bread. The steaks were pretty subpar, though. We also sometimes went to a restaurant where the kids' meals cost what you weighed. So this episode gave me some flashbacks, though we never ate ketchup and baking soda sandwiches.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Remember the Sizzler?

Steak, seafood, salad, Sizzler! I wasn't quite at the same level as Dre (meaning as an adult, I am not nostalgic enough about Sizzler to actually go back) but I do remember how exciting it was to go there as a kid.

 

I was cracking up that Jack and Diane were selling lemonade but they had sunflowers, the cute colored paper straws, and a big booth, all of which cost more than whatever profit they made from their lemonade profits.

 

Oh, Charlie. His sadness about never having real taffy because of his lack of molars was hilarious. I think that they have achieved a nice balance of using him without using him too much. Loved Junior running right into the glass wall because Zoe cleaned it so well.

 

Nicole Sullivan.  I recognized her from seeing her on King of Queens.

I loved her on MadTV. She will always be the LITERALLY lady to me!

 

So a few people have parlayed their YouTube/selfie obsession into financial gain, doesn't make it a viable option for a financial future.

Of course that's true of many professions but you don't see that stopping all the kids with stars in their eyes who want to become professional athletes, models, actors, or singers. There are several ways to make money from your youtube videos too (similar to the way bloggers can make money from posting reviews on their websites). Many teenage girls post videos just so they can get companies to send them free makeup and clothes to review in their vlogs. Some vloggers have gone on to have their own makeup lines or become internet celebrities (one of the regular judges on Project Runway: Threads got her start as a 20 year old vlogger). And if you are both a vlogger and a blogger, it is very possible to make enough money to support yourself. There are some people whose only job is blogging and vlogging, and there are a lot of people who supplement their incomes with blog/vlog income.

[DearEvette]

I loved this episode.  I watched it with my kids who had never watched black-ish before and they were laughing out loud.  Which is a real accomplishment since both my kids are Zoeys  -- teenagers who are way too cool for it all.

 

I love that actor who plays Charlie.  His line delivery is everything.  Actually, I am really enjoying Andre's whole work environment, his co-workers are a hot funny mess. 

 

"This food makes me sad."  I am totally going to use Diane's line the next time I have a less than great meal.

 

Also enjoying further evidence of Junior's nerdiness.  His first paycheck and he's gonna 'make it rain at the comic book store.'  Oh Junior, never change.  Blerds represent!

 

And finally, I am absolutely loving that Bow is just as crazy in her way as Dre.  Sooooo happy they aren't going the old tired route where the wife is smarter and cooler than the husband.  Her stealing the expensive car and oops! leaving a diamond earring in the casserole pan was great.

[peeayebee]

Junior suddenly reminded me of Ryan from Trophy Wife. 

[AyeshaTheGreat]

While I didn't find this episode as great as others, there were still funny parts (that have mostly been mentioned).  One thing I liked was the kids thoughts at the Beef Plantation.  I like when Dre said something about getting all of that food for lost cost but then one of the kids mentioned it being genius because no one would want to eat it.  It reminds me of my family because my parents stay at Golden Corral but my siblings and I hate it.

 

Charlie had me in tears when he was talking about how he became the breadwinner at 8.

[SanDiegoInExile]

....I wonder if Bow (don't know the actor's name) will get an Emmy nom, she is brilliant....

 

I doubt she can dethrone Julia Louis Dreyfus, but Tracee Ellis Ross has knocked it out of the park nearly every episode.  Never watched her UPN/WB/CW/BET show, but have always been aware of her.  I am still not much of a fan of Anthony Anderson's style/schtick, but she has been outstanding. 

[pookat]

Charlie had me in tears when he was talking about how he became the breadwinner at 8.

I lost it with Charlie's lip quiver. "Will never have taffy... and you think about that."

Normally, Josh and Charlie would annoy me no end, but both are used very effectively and judiciously in this show, especially with their nonverbal gems. The actors are fantastic.

[Inquisitionist]

I liked this episode better on rewatch.  So many great moments!

[wmdekooning]

I suppose if you want to call the children, " freeloaders" you can make a case there since they don't work, don't have an income, and constantly need money. 

And we have our episode "The Gift of Hunger"...

[Cattitude]

I was rolling this episode might be my favorite except I miss pops.

 

I could so relate to all of it and Charlie is the best at inserting little funny jems here and there.

 

Love Bow at the end rolling up to her neighbor out powerwalking to give back the dish. Ridin' Dirty. ha!

[Inquisitionist]

What was the neighbor trying to tell Bow as she drove away?  Could not make it out.

[Cattitude]

What was the neighbor trying to tell Bow as she drove away?  Could not make it out.

 

She was trying to say she couldn't really carry a baking dish while she is power walking.

[crgirl412]

I LOVE this show!!  It somehow reminds of The Neighbors.  Maybe because it's new and fresh like living next to aliens!! 

 

 

The Neighbors

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2182229/

[laprin]

I find most kids in sitcoms annoying, but on this show I don't know which kid I like best. I'm leaning towards Diane. She slays me. 

[Rinaldo]

Diane's a fine choice, but I'm gravitating toward Junior. Not only are his reactions and line readings impeccable, but he can take a pratfall with the very best -- I'm talking John Ritter championship level. There's no certainty about whether child actors will stay with it as adults, but if Marcus Scribner does, I predict a bright future for him (in comedy, at least).

[jhlipton]

I was cracking up that Jack and Diane were selling lemonade but they had sunflowers, the cute colored paper straws, and a big booth, all of which cost more than whatever profit they made from their lemonade profits.

 

Have you met Diane?  I'm sure she calculated down to the penny the cost vs the projected revenue that a more "up-scale" lemonade stand would cost (along with the optimal lemon-sugar-water ratios).

[jhlipton]

We were driving around looking for a place to ear and when I saw an open Sizzler, of course we had to eat there!  The salad bar was weak -- they didn't have tater tots or fried okra and only one kind of chicken wings (they still had the taco bar, though).  I got steak and shrimp -- not much flavor to anything.  But it was worth it just to report back to y'all.  :D

Edited November 18, 2014 by jhlipton

[ribboninthesky1]

Fried okra! Now I want some.

[Rinaldo]

I think a person has to be brought up with okra (as with grits) to have an appetite for it. I salute those who enjoy it.

[jhlipton]

I think a person has to be brought up with okra (as with grits) to have an appetite for it. I salute those who enjoy it.

Not necessarily. My wife grew up with it and hates it; I came upon it in my adult years and love it.

Of course, we have the same attitudes about gefilte fish, so.

[Tara Ariano]

Dre’s mother, Ruby, comes for a visit, and she smothers her pork chops with gravy, Dre with love, and would like to flat out smother Bow, who feels the same way about her. Dre tries to find a way to get the two most important women in his life to get along.

Edited November 18, 2014 by stacey

[peeayebee]

The first time I had okra (in my 30's) was at a Shakey's. I really liked it. Then I had it at some other restaurant and hated it. Haven't had it since.

[DollEyes]

Once again, Black-ish tackled a serious subject in a funny way, this time, money.You know that a show's great when even a flawed episode is better than half the other sitcoms on TV. It may have been derivative in some parts-like Zoe's fashion vlog-but there were plenty of great moments to make up for them. Like Dre back in the day, there was a fast-food restaurant that my family went to on special occasions. For Dre's family, it was "Beef Plantation"; for mine it was Kentucky Fried Chicken, or KFC, for short, as many of you know it. it wasn't/isn't best restaurant in the world, but at least they didn't base their menu prices on the customers' weight.

 

  As for the BP's selections, those steaks alone looked as old as Jack and Diane, if not older. When it comes to the side dishes, the less said, the better. The only good things about the BP dinner were not eating it and it inadvertently exposing that the kids were spoiled. They're so used to material things that they didn't appreciate the value of a dollar, hence Dre and Bow's making them get jobs. Jack and Diane's lemonade stand was going great at first, until the kids pleaded poverty to the wrong neighbor, who jumped to so many conclusions about the family in general and Bow in particular that Bow had to resort to drastic measures, such as wearing a designer gown to get the mail-at 11 o'clock at night and "borrowing" a sports car to return the neighbor's casserole dish, which just happened to have one of Bow's diamonds which she "accidentally" lost, which served the neighbor right. Two words: "Church meat."

[dusang]

As much as I loved the episode, I challenge the idea that knowing good food from terrible food is evidence of being spoiled.  I understand nostalgia -- I still eat at some less-than-gourmet chains from time to time -- but I understand that the food isn't good, I'm surprised Andre would actually like Beef Plantation now.  I mean, he must know what steak is meant to taste like by now, right?

Edited November 18, 2014 by dusang

[ribboninthesky1]

There are some foods I grew up with and never liked (any part of the pig, boiled peanuts, pickled anything, as examples), so I'm sure it depends on personal taste.  I'm particular about how okra is prepared to reduce the...sliminess, but I totally understand why one wouldn't like it.  On the other hand, I love grits but find oatmeal gross.  No, it doesn't make sense to me, either.  

 

Andre is walking and talking hyperbole, so his reaction to the kids' lack of buffet enthusiasm seemed par for the course.  When you grow up in a lower income bracket than your children, I suspect it doesn't take much think of them as spoiled.  Other than Zoey, the kids seemed fine with putting in some work. And even Zoey had some creativity going with her Youtube channel.    

[Mozelle]

Fried okra! Now I want some.

 

Man, I always feel like a broken African because I can't stand okra. My mom certainly made it growing up, but I just refused to eat it. 

[dusang]

The only time I've ever eaten okra was in Bhindi Masala.

[SmithW6079]

I thought for sure that when Bow was going out in all her finery at 11 p.m. there was going to be another misunderstanding where the neighbor would see her and think Bow was reduced to turning tricks because the family needed the money. 

[dusang]

I thought for sure that when Bow was going out in all her finery at 11 p.m. there was going to be another misunderstanding where the neighbor would see her and think Bow was reduced to turning tricks because the family needed the money. 

 

Hahaha!!  That might be a bit dark for a family sitcom, though.

[Rinaldo]

Plus, a driveway on an affluent suburban street is not a financially advantageous spot to pick up drive-by tricks.

[dusang]

Plus, a driveway on an affluent suburban street is not a financially advantageous spot to pick up drive-by tricks.

 

Oh, Bow's definitely high-class, she'd be waiting for her chauffeured ride to the rendezvous.

[SimoneS]

Another hilarious episode. Dre's summertime dance among the flowers versus Bow's Winter is Coming fantasy was hilarious.

 

What a sweet ending. Dre taking Zoey's advice and standing up to his mother. I did love that Bow got her own back on Dre by telling his mother about what he said about her fake coughing.

 

Dre was so wrong to tell his mother about Bow's Therapy, but I cracked when she told Bow that their people don't do therapy, they do God or baths. "You don't want a hacking cough to be the soundtrack to tub love." "Are you horse whispering me? Let's go back the barn." Bwah. Where do the writers come up with these lines? 

 

Dre's co-workers continue to give the most useless advice on the planet. Josh is so inappropriate. Ah, Charlie always the weirdo. "I have got to get some friends."

 

Poor Junior. He got played. He is so sweet. Diane and her half straight hair. 

 

Forget to mention that I have always liked Jennifer Lewis, the actress playing Dre's mother. She is a wonderful comedic actress.

Edited November 20, 2014 by SimoneS