Season 1 Talk

[OnceSane]

We're getting off-topic a bit, so I moved the hair conversation to the Social And Race Issues thread. Please continue the discussion there. And be respectful of everyone's opinions and experiences. Thank you.

[mtlchick]

First time I'm watching this episode.  Oh Charlie. Just stay somewhat off center.  Never change.

[nicepebbles]

I wish the show hadn't gone the traditional MIL v. wife SL. Mostly, because the topic is always one where I go, "Why wasn't this dealt with before?" 16 years of marriage and Diane having her pressed now? Just stupid. I don't need the show to be about black issues all the time. I do need if you're going to do tv tropes, mix it up. Make it fresh.

Having said all that,

- Over the covers biscuit nap! I have to use that.

- He took his mama and GF to the same spot. Boy don't have any sense. Lol.

- Junior. I love everything about that kid.

They have to have Jennifer Lewis and Laurance Fishburne on at the same time.

[DollEyes]

  I liked it. Like I've said about last week's episode, it isn't "perfect," but it's still better than most of the other sitcoms on TV. The Mother-In-Law has been a staple of sitcoms since the beginning of television. She's a woman who has built most, if not all of her world abound her child and when the child marries, the child's spouse is considered a threat and becomes the "enemy" and Black-ish is no exception. In this episode, "evil" has a name and its name is Ruby Johnson. Everyone in the family looked forward to Ruby's visit, except Pops, who fled to Bermuda and Bow, who wished she was so lucky. Nothing Bow does is ever good enough. Ruby questioned Bow's parenting skills, her authority, her judgment, her cooking skills and even her taste, as proven by her doing Diane's hair without permission. Of course, Dre's not only blind to Ruby's faults most of the time, he worships her to the point of telling her Bow's personal business about going to therapy and even sleeping in the same bed with her because of her fake coughing fits, which always seems to happen when Ruby doesn't get her way. Perhaps the reason why Dre and Bow haven't set boundaries for Ruby before is because she was Dre's only regular positive support system when he was growing up. Pops was great in his way, but he wasn't there for Dre like Ruby was. Dre was in denial about Ruby's faults for years probably because he thought that admitting them would be an act of betrayal on his part.

 

  In desperation, Dre turned to Mr. Stevens, Josh and Charlie, which was, as usual, a big mistake, especially when it came to Charlie, who's allegedly a bigamist. For the most part, the best help that they gave Dre was helping his realize that he needs better friends. However, Josh did give Dre a good piece of advice about loving Ruby and Bow equally but separately, which for a few brief, shining moments actually worked when Ruby and Bow bonded over Dre's lack of personal hygiene re food preparation-until Ruby overstepped again re Diane's hair and the fight between Ruby and Bow was so bad that Dre and Diane's hair were caught in the middle. In another act of desperation,  Dre took Zoe's advice about how to make peace between Bow and Ruby by being honest with them, which he was by telling Ruby that while she'll always be his mother and he'll always love her, Bow is his Number One lady, who has proven her love for Dre by staying married to him for way longer than the two weeks that Ruby predicted.

 

  It's a shame that the smart Zoe who helped Dre didn't help Junior with his love life. Instead of hooking Jr. up with Natalie, the sweet and pretty girl who actually likes him, Zoe set himn up with Kira, the held-back senior who votes, smokes and may have had plastic surgery, just to preserve her own social status, which backfired at Jr.'s expense. Natalie may not be Zoe's first choice, but at least she seems like the type of girl who wouldn't interfere with Jr.'s homework or use Jr. for the wrong reasons.

[jhlipton]

Oh, Charlie, with your "two families I have to love separately but equally".  (The use of "separate but equal" with Josh totally unaware of the context was brilliant!)

 

Diane:  "I don't internalize things."  No, she writes them in a notebook as a guide for her serial killer years.  LOL

 

 "I have got to get some friends."

 

Poor Junior. He got played. He is so sweet. .

 

"I have got to get some actual  friends."

 

Junior was so smitten he even omitted the star wipes!

[Ms5h]

Very funny episode. Many lol moments.

[pookat]

Favorite parts for me were Diane's facial expressions during the entire ice cream scene and Dre's "I really don't understand the rules" refrain.

You never will, Dre, you never will.

Loved this episode!

[Dancingjaneway]

I loved this episode. Both plots were funny and I liked how they tied in together. I loved Dre's little fantasy world where he requests his race card. The music on this show continues to be awesome. First Earth Wind and Fire then Flashlight during Dre's "investigation". The kids on this show are great. I especially loved Dianes reaction to hearing how Dre "interrogated" Junior. 

[formerlyfreedom]

Dre campaigns to be the new Santa at the annual office Christmas party, but when that honor goes to Angelica, the lovely head of HR, he goes to great lengths to unseat her, because he's convinced Stevens & Lido needs a black Santa. Meanwhile, Bow is tired of competing with Ruby over who cooks the big Christmas Eve dinner.

 

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Flashlight during Dre's investigation was just perfect!

 

I loved when Diane stuck her face into the whipped cream and she refused to use a spoon.

[Seelouis]

Loved the scene where Dre is trying to bribe the kids with candy and money.  No words, just a great visual as he waves the bribe in their faces and then Diane slowly opens the draw full of candy and money.  

[Athena]

I liked Dre's "race card" fantasy. I really think the fantasy moments on the show are used perfectly.

[laprin]

Lawrence Fishburne always makes the most of his brief moments. I laughed out loud at him taking down that door. My siblings and I grew up in a home where closed doors were not allowed for kids. 

[Stella MD]

More Ruby-Bow drama? I wish they'd space this out a little. The overbearing mother-in-law is too much of a tired sitcom cliche, even for this show that otherwise seems fresh and enjoyable. I'm going to lose interest fast if this devolves into Everybody Loves Dre.

[Joimiaroxeu]

Flashlight during Dre's investigation was just perfect!

ICAM. There are some sitcoms where that would have looked corny but here it was smooth as silk.

[monakane]

Lawrence Fishburne always makes the most of his brief moments. I laughed out loud at him taking down that door. My siblings and I grew up in a home where closed doors were not allowed for kids. 

That was my favorite moment too.  Although I did get an Ike Turner vibe.

[peeayebee]

'Flashlight' always makes me think of The Bernie Mac Show. There was one ep where they played that song. I can't remember the ep's plot, but it was a good one.

 

Loved this ep. I've never really been a big Anthony Anderson fan, but he was cracking me up thruout the ep. Great expressions. So funny when the kids gave their version of what happened to the wall (and Diane), and Dre just stares skeptically at them before doing that two-finger-I'm-watching-you gesture. His line delivery is great too.

 

Dre: Sadly, I won't be playing my race card today.
Butler: Very good, sir. Will I be seeing you later at Chick-fil-A?
Dre: Probably.

 

Bow: Dre, did you hear that announcer?

Dre: Not really. I was listening to my hot dog.

 

I laughed so hard when Jack and Diane went down the stairs and made the hole in the wall.

 

Loved the bit where the kids were doing the Team Johnson all-hands-in thing, but they each said something different.

 

Junior is fantastic. His Godfather bit to Diane was wonderful. "Your candy is dead to us," and the kiss on the forehead.

[Rinaldo]

I understand that feeling; on the other hand, if they have an idea for a Christmas conflict, they can't exactly schedule it for April, it's now or wait a year.

[Jade Foxx]

 

Flashlight during Dre's investigation was just perfect!

 

The part when Dre was doing his "crime scene reconstruction," and threw the little black rag doll down the stairs.

 

I HOLLERED.

[DearEvette]

I like how the show has settled into it's own little groove.   I like how inventive the fantasy scenes are and how Dre will always get bad advice from his co-workers. 

 

But Diane is my little champion here.  I knew she would be the one to take the bribe, but I especially like how she gasped in awe and envy when Junior described being awakened from a dead sleep with a light shining his eyes.

 

And Bow's truly terrible karaoke was fantastic because I am pretty sure Tracee Ellis Ross has a decent singing voice.  LOL.

[dirtypop90]

this episode made me really happy. 

lmao at Dre throwing the doll down the steps during his investigation

[teebax]

I thought this was a really strong episode. Rainbow continues to be my favorite with Diane running a close second.

I would have died if Rainbow had done a Supremes song for karaoke.

[PRgal]

The more I watch this show, the more I see Dre being portrayed as the stereotypical "dumb dad/husband" that I see in commercials all the time.  Kind of tired of that.

[dirtypop90]

I don't see that at all with Dre. A bit clueless when it comes to his wife's emotions maybe but that's it. He's always on it at work and with the kids. He only falls short with Bow sometimes.

Edited December 6, 2014 by dirtypop90

[Mabinogia]

I do love that Bow is just as clueless/silly as Dre can be. They are equal. They both have their strong moments and their idiot moments. It's great, and both actors are great at it. I love how well they mesh. The MVP for me though is little Diane. That girl is hilarious and adorable. Her face when Dre was tempting her with Chunky Monkey was great, and something I could totally relate to because I would sell my whole family down the river for a pint of Ben & Jerry's. The whole cast is great though. This is my favorite comedy right now, and will secure a place in my all time list if it keeps going the way it has been. (Please, let this one actually stick around, I've already lost my other favorite comedy, Selfie, I can't loose this one too).

[nicepebbles]

Dre, how can you not know when to say or not say something man? Dude!

Throwing the doll down the stairs was hilarious! As was the door thing.

I love Junior. His whole preparedness about the big one was funny.

[Babalu]

I love Junior, too. My favorite small moment this episode was when the kids were trying to present a united front to their parents and Junior reached over to pat Jack on the head but ended up kind of smacking him in the face instead. Jack's WTF face at Junior was perfect, too.

[Inquisitionist]

Favorite parts for me were Diane's facial expressions during the entire ice cream scene and Dre's "I really don't understand the rules" refrain.

You never will, Dre, you never will.

 

it's pretty simple really: back me up on my opinions, but correct me if I make a factual error.

 

That said, I LOL'd several times when I finally got to watch this last night.  I usually save this show for Sunday nights, when my husband and I make it a double-header with Brooklyn 99.  Lawrence Fishburne is giving Andre Braugher a run for the money in the Afro flashback department.

[nicepebbles]

"it's pretty simple really: back me up on my opinions, but correct me if I make a factual error."

Exactly! What's so hard about that?

[Ms5h]

Awesome twist!

[kaygeeret]

Loved, loved LOVED this epi!

 

Great show tonight.

 

I was a bit meh on the show at first, but it has grown on me big time and tonight's epi sealed the deal as must see tv for me.

[Donny Ketchum]

Wait, we were supposed to be siding with the kids?  I thought Zoey, Junior, Jack, and Diane were acting like such ungrateful little shits toward Bow tonight.  Your mom just wanted to change things up a bit, you brats!  Go with it!

 

Though I'll admit that at the same time, Bow could've just tried to incorporate some of her old traditions into their current ones rather than take it over entirely.

 

Other than that, I was okay with this episode.

[Rinaldo]

Never making a mistake about what's opinion, and what's a fact? A person convinced of an opinion is likely to be certain (for the moment) that it's a fact.

[Joimiaroxeu]

This show is so great. Just one killer line after another. "Hennessy. Shaken, not stirred."

 

Wonder why they didn't let Jennifer Lewis sing without the autotuning? Too much like breaking the fourth wall?

[Inquisitionist]

The Matisse/Magritte issue was clearly factual.  The announcer's statements were open to interpretation.  So in the situations presented on the show, I think the distinction was pretty clear, both to the viewers and to Dre.  But yeah, "take your discussions about potentially racist comments private" is also good advice.

[Dancingjaneway]

Loved the episode. I liked the whole black James Bond exchange between Ruby and Bow. It did a nice job of showing that they do get along and have things in common. It was nice to see them come together in the end and watching them dirty the kitchen was so funny. Dre's co-workers continue to crack my shit up. Charlie suggesting that they plant coke on the HR woman and when Dre says no Charlie runs off to do something "not related". 

 

ETA: I also loved the "Why Dre should be Santa" slideshow. 

Edited December 11, 2014 by Dancingjaneway

[Seelouis]

I loved this episode!  Loved that the black president in Dre's slideshow was Dennis Haysbert from 24.  They do such a great job of handling sensitive topics with humor -- like the whole "black people can't be racist" sequence and "they take black people's jobs with tricks like working harder for less pay."  Also, that there is a hierarchy for becoming president and Santa -- White, Black, Mexican, gay. In other hands this could be wildly offensive, but it is just so well done.    

[mojito]

For me, this was an episode made good by many lines; it was the story that I didn't care for, though. Bow not wanting to give Grandma one of the 365 days a year to cook was one thing. Resenting a Mexican-American woman Santa (I could see that coming) was another (but the cracks made about the hierarchy of who should be next were cute). But at least they didn't do that tired "A Christmas Carol" show with Dre looking at Christmases past and present. More Pops.I'm looking forward to seeing Pops and Grandma together after a holiday mixup (without them ending up in bed together).

 

I liked Charlie in this episode more than in previous ones.

[PRgal]

For me, this was an episode made good by many lines; it was the story that I didn't care for, though. Bow not wanting to give Grandma one of the 365 days a year to cook was one thing. Resenting a Mexican-American woman Santa (I could see that coming) was another (but the cracks made about the hierarchy of who should be next were cute). But at least they didn't do that tired "A Christmas Carol" show with Dre looking at Christmases past and present. More Pops.I'm looking forward to seeing Pops and Grandma together after a holiday mixup (without them ending up in bed together).

 

I liked Charlie in this episode more than in previous ones.

 

I also want to see more of Ruby.  She's kind of a female Archie Bunker!  Also liked early 80s "video" of young Dre.  Adorable kid!

Edited December 11, 2014 by PRgal

[Drank-KoolAid]

I thought Dre and the kids were perfect as always, but I continue to love Bow so much more. I haven't laughed at a sitcom scene so hard as I did in the credits sequence. She looks so great and I loved her black dress in the first few scenes.

I doubt she can dethrone Julia Louis Dreyfus, but Tracee Ellis Ross has knocked it out of the park nearly every episode.

 

 

 

 

Don't get me started on the Emmys. They're supposed to reward the best performances of the year, but so often they reward the names they know (Dreyfus) or continue to reward shows that just aren't that good anymore (Modern Family).  But yes, Tracee --and the entire show--deserve recognition.

 

Tracee has always had great comedic timing. But on "Girlfriends," she and the actor who played William were the only ones who were really good at comedy. So when she was around her girlfriends, she was made to seem more goofy and scatterbrained than funny.

[peeayebee]

Fun ep. The one thing that bugged me was that Bow could just have Christmas DAY as her chance to cook a holiday meal. Of course I understand that it wasn't just that -- She was jealous of the praise heaped on Ruby by her family -- but I still wanted her to be more reasonable. However, that is not funny, and I do like seeing Bow being flawed.

 

Loved seeing Dre as a little kid, esp when he just looked into the camera with such a sad face.

 

I don't know why I wasn't offended that Dre brushed off the guy's death so easily. I guess it's because it's so unrealistic you can't take it seriously.

 

That Angelica "forgot" to tell Dre about buying Christmas presents was mean, not just to Dre but also to the children. But again, this isn't reality. It's funny.

 

So many great lines.

 

Diane: We'll still get our presents from the real Santa, right?
Jack: The WHITE one?

 

Ruby: You know, Rainbow, you're too hard on the kids. If I didn't know you were mixed, I'd swear you were Chinese.
Bow: Ruby, that's racist!
Ruby: Black people can't be racist.
Dre: I was robbed by a damn Mexican!

 

Dre: Check out my fat suit. It's going to transform my fit body into a jolly wonderland for children.

 

Junior: Christmas isn't about getting everything we want, or ANYthing we want. It's about Mom.

 

Junior: Why is there gravy on the ceiling?

 

Diane: It's a miracle! Jesus turned our turkey to ham!

 

Ruby: I didn't do it all. Your mama washed the lettuce.

[meep.meep]

This show is so great. Just one killer line after another. "Hennessy. Shaken, not stirred."

 

Idris Elba should so be black James Bond!

 

"your mama washed the lettuce."

[TiffanyNichelle]

I like Dre's mom but it's only her second appearance and I'm already dreading her next episode because I hate what Bow becomes when she turns up. It's uncomfortable. I did love her getting busted for not actually cooking the Christmas dinner.

[ZaldamoWilder]

Dre:  Why are there are 20 boxes of {forgot the name} catering boxes in the garage?

 

Bow:  So, about your computer browser history.....?

 

Dre:  let's eat!

 

I live for their dialogue. 

[Adeejay]

What happened to Pops?

[mojito]

 

I like Dre's mom but it's only her second appearance and I'm already dreading her next episode because I hate what Bow becomes when she turns up. It's uncomfortable.

Me, too. I think of it this way: one of the reasons that we resent some people is that in their presence, we become who we don't want to be.

[Tiger]

More Ruby-Bow drama? I wish they'd space this out a little. The overbearing mother-in-law is too much of a tired sitcom cliche, even for this show that otherwise seems fresh and enjoyable. I'm going to lose interest fast if this devolves into Everybody Loves Dre.

I think i would agree if anyone other than Jennifer Lewis was playing Ruby, but she's just damn funny in the role. And usually I hate when actors play the same role over and over again, but Jennifer Lewis is an exception there too.

I hope Laurence Fishburne wraps Hannibal soon because I really want to see Pops & Ruby together.

[PRgal]

I think i would agree if anyone other than Jennifer Lewis was playing Ruby, but she's just damn funny in the role. And usually I hate when actors play the same role over and over again, but Jennifer Lewis is an exception there too.

I hope Laurence Fishburne wraps Hannibal soon because I really want to see Pops & Ruby together.

 

I, too, would love to see Pops and Ruby together.  Pops and Ruby drama would be GOOOOOOOD! :P  As for why Bow can't do dinner on December 25 - maybe that's when they go to HER family's house (do we know anything about her parents, other than the fact that her dad's white and her mom's black?)?  Or perhaps she could be on call (though she's probably senior enough that she can take December 25 off)?

[DeepPoet117]

(do we know anything about her parents, other than the fact that her dad's white and her mom's black?)?

We know they're not in a cult anymore.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

ANYMORE!