Season 1 Talk

[Inquisitionist]

Your google didn't do me any good.

 

Sorry about that!  I've correct the link to what I thought I had provided the first time around.

[monakane]

I loved this, but thought that Beau Bridges was wasted.  Other than his love of black women, there wasn't much written for him.  Plus, I kept thinking that if I were casting a white guy to play Bow's father, Jeff Goldblum would have been my choice, because with him you get the height and the big eyes.

 

Of course, Anna Deavere Smith could have played both parents and we would have believed it.

 

I would have loved to have Jeff Goldblum as the father.  Bow doesn't look like either of the actors who played her parents which was a little distracting.  It would have been stunt casting but also fun if Diana Ross showed up as her mother.

[AyeshaTheGreat]

This episode was truly laugh out loud funny.  I am going to have to watch it again some time.  Just about everything I remember was funny has been mentioned.  Great episode.

[DearEvette]

Wait, that's not weird, is it? Booze over ice cream is delicious!

 

Hmm... Imma have to give that a try.  I imagine a liquer over ice cream would be tasty, but liquor?  Hmm...But now that I think of it I think I may have had rum over butter pecan and somebody called it a cold buttered rum?  This bears investigation......

[needschocolate]

Loved the episode, but I kept thinking that I would hate to have either set of the grandparents as relatives  Hilarious to watch, but they would be awful to live with.   

 

Great episode, great casting for all the parents. The kids reactions to their parents not being married was hilarious - "I guess we're all bastards!"

 

I loved Dre's "I'm a baby daddy" and Bow's "I'm a single mother" comments, along with Dre's promise to treat her children as his own.  

[hendersonrocks]

"See you Ol' Dirty"

 

As a fellow ODB, I howled at that line (and loved it was Diane that said it).

 

This episode was so good. This season, on the whole, has been SO GOOD. It's such a joy to watch a family that loves and laughs together in ways that don't make me want to gouge my eyes out (yeah, I'm looking at you Modern Family). 

Edited March 7, 2015 by hendersonrocks

[Driad]

 

Do Dre or Bow have siblings?  

 

Both mothers had amazing necklaces.  Where do they shop?

[CurbUrEnthusiasm]

Late to this topic but I just wanted to add that I think Marcus Scribner (Andre Jr.) is doing a really fantastic job. I know most people fawn over Diane/Marsai (rightfully so) but I'm always impressed by him in particular as A LOT of his scenes (especially in this episode) could be disastrous in the hands of someone less talented. I got some good laughs from him yelling "It was your mom!" after getting punched and his completely deadpan reaction to Dre revealing he used to be fat.

 

He's obviously still a little green but he has some really great comedic timing and never fails to make me smile - really great casting there. Plus I love seeing black "nerds" on TV other than the Steve Urkel variety!

[Tiger]

Do Dre or Bow have siblings?  

 

Both mothers had amazing necklaces.  Where do they shop?

Dre has a younger sister who is gay and will be played by Raven Simone in an upcoming episode.

[LadyintheLoop]

And Bow mentioned two sisters in the Christmas episode.  

 

Did we ever hear the surname of her parents? I've been hoping her maiden name was something like Rainbow O'Shaughnessey or Rainbow Grabowski. 

[peeayebee]

I agree with your post except for him being a little green. I think he's perfect. Like you said, great comedic timing, and great facial expressions too. I already mentioned it, but there's something hilarious about the way he says "weirdos" when telling his dad about homeschooling.

[Mabinogia]

Plus I love seeing black "nerds" on TV other than the Steve Urkel variety!

 

I do love that about Junior because, unlike Urkel, he doesn't look like a TV nerd. No dorky glasses, no ill fitting clothes. He just looks like a normal kid, maybe not the coolest, trendiest kid, but he looks like the majority of actual teenagers IRL. He just happens to like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings and that's just who he is. And I agree that the actor is doing a great job. The whole show is perfectly cast. I think they are all great and each one of them has had standout moments. Each of the kids has exceeded my expectations.

[peeayebee]

I just rewatched. 

 

I was curious who played Bishop Don Juan. It was Bishop Don Juan. I looked him up. I didn't know he was a real person.

 

One thing I missed the first time was when Bow rushes into the hospital chapel in the first fb, she splashes her face a bit with some holy water.

 

I loved the bit at dinner when Alicia tells Pops, "It's bulgur kernels," and Pops responds with disgust, "It's kernels of bulgur." I cracked up. It sounds so much worse. Why does it sound worse?

 

Oh, and I loved the Tibetan throat singers, esp when one of them started up and startled Dre.

[CaughtOnTape]

I don't know why but when Laurence Fishburn turned to the lady behind him inside the hospital chapel and said "What are you cryin about?" or something to that effect...I died laughing.  Just the way he said it.  And it totally came off as unscripted.

[Iamsweetdee]

I don't know why but when Laurence Fishburn turned to the lady behind him inside the hospital chapel and said "What are you cryin about?" or something to that effect...I died laughing.  Just the way he said it.  And it totally came off as unscripted.

That was by far my most favorite line. 

[funkopop]

Its been a long time since a show I watched dedicated a full episode to bloopers, the last I remember was My Wife and Kids.  I'm excited they are bringing this back, it feels very TGIF-ish.

Edited March 10, 2015 by funkopop

[SmithW6079]

Did Pops and Alicia know each other before they were in-laws? It seems like that was implied during their kitchen talk.

[Stella MD]

I dunno, this feels very self-indulgent and unnecessary for a mid-Season 1 show. Or maybe I'm just surprised that the congratulatory talking heads have so far outweighed any actual bloopers. The show is funny, y'all, you don't need to explain why it's funny and relevant.

[sinkwriter]

I love watching gag reels on TV show DVDs, so this was fun for me to watch. 

 

P.S. The young actress who plays Diane is clearly a mini adult. She was hilarious.

[hendersonrocks]

That was underwhelming. Mainly because it was more like an extended promo than it was real bloopers, I guess? At least that's what it felt like to me...a few minutes of bloopers and a whole lot of interviews & revisiting scenes from prior episodes. 

[sinkwriter]

I did wish there were more bloopers and less "explanation" of the show.

[Rinaldo]

Yes, it was way more a "behind the scenes" (which is fine, I enjoy seeing actors -- particularly those I'm otherwise unfamiliar with, like the kids especially -- as themselves if it's a show I care about) than a "bloopers." OK, but not one for the memory books.

[tominboston]

 

I dunno, this feels very self-indulgent and unnecessary for a mid-Season 1 show.

 

I hate to be a grump, but that was my reaction too. It's nice that the cast members all like each other and enjoy what they're doing, but it was basically a half-hour of self-promotion for a show that really didn't need it at this point in its run.

 

I do have to note that the producers did a great job of casting all four kids, though.

[peeayebee]

I really enjoyed this, but I do wish there were more bloopers. I loved the run of Anthony's ad-libs about the first black president. Oh, and his blooper of calling George Washington, George Jefferson was hilarious.

 

I liked seeing the actors outside their characters, esp the girl who plays Diane. I know actors are not their characters, yet it was a bit surprising to me how nice and normal the actress is. 

[MaryMitch]

I'm glad it wasn't a "typical" bloopers show; normally those just consist of someone making a silly mistake or breaking character, and everyone thinking it's hilarious.

 

Those kids are all adorable!

[mojito]

Seemed like the kind of show they'd do when a program was beginning to slip in the ratings. What next? Pro basketball or musical guest stars playing themselves? Save the act of desperation for later.

[Joimiaroxeu]

I think they may have started their Emmy campaign early. Hopefully Black-ish will be able wrest the award from Modern Family's clutches.

[attica]

I would have enjoyed this a ton more had they cut the overly intrusive background music. Which is not to say I didn't enjoy it, but, geez, turn down that racket! [/my mother]

 

I was pleased to see that Miles is much brighter than Jack. And I giggled to hear AA talk about the show like a fish stew, foodie that he is.

[SmithW6079]

I thought this was pretty pretentious-ish. "We're all so happy and we love each other and working with each other and everyone is so funny and we're so lucky."

 

This behind-the-scenes show should have happened before the show started, just like ABC did a Galavant one.

 

I did wish there were more bloopers and less "explanation" of the show.

 

Me too. If you're going to advertise "bloopers," then let me see mistakes and actors cracking each other up for the show, not just a few here and there in between talking about how fabulous you all are.

[Watermelon]

The "Aren't we awesome" premise wasn't even fully evolved. Show off Jack and Diane acing scenes while adults break. Show Junior going wild on sets if he's so physical. I read an article that Yara's ridiculously smart, give the girl a school book.

 

It's not that difficult.

[Racj82]

Damn, y'all some grumpy people. Instead of showing a rerun, they had a little fun. It was advertised as bloopers and behind the scenes. That's what they gave. Wow, they have fun and are proud of their show. PRETENTIOUS BASTARDS. I don't know what else they were supposed to be doing. That's how all behind-the-scenes footage is. Fun way to pass the time.

Edited March 14, 2015 by Racj82

[Black Knight]

They would've had more material if this didn't come during the first season of the show, but still, I had a good time watching. My favorite bits were "Jack's" riddle with "Diane" reacting in the background, and Tracee Ellis Ross saying the voices in her head were talking to her. Hee!

 

For some reason, it never registered with me before that the teen actress's name is Yara. I never heard of that name until Game of Thrones renamed a book character Yara for the show and thought it was a name they made up. Obviously I was wrong. I also loved Yara talking about how she had had so many similar conversations in her own house about The Nod.

[Inquisitionist]

Instead of showing a rerun, they had a little fun.

 

I had more fun re-watching an earlier episode.  :-)

[RedHawk]

I loved Dre's "I'm a baby daddy" and Bow's "I'm a single mother" comments, along with Dre's promise to treat her children as his own.

 

 

I loved Bow saying, "But, I come with four children!

[topanga]

 

I agree with your post except for him being a little green. I think he's perfect. Like you said, great comedic timing, and great facial expressions too. I already mentioned it, but there's something hilarious about the way he says "weirdos" when telling his dad about homeschooling.

 

I do love that about Junior because, unlike Urkel, he doesn't look like a TV nerd. No dorky glasses, no ill fitting clothes. He just looks like a normal kid, maybe not the coolest, trendiest kid, but he looks like the majority of actual teenagers IRL. He just happens to like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings and that's just who he is. And I agree that the actor is doing a great job. The whole show is perfectly cast. I think they are all great and each one of them has had standout moments. Each of the kids has exceeded my expectations.

 

I love all four of the kids, with Diane being my favorite. But Junior's right there with her. I also think that amongst the kids, Marcus Scribner is the most natural as an actor. I never get the impression that he's an actor saying funny lines. He's just being Junior. Hilarious, and great with physical comedy.

 

(I hope Raven has a chance to do physical comedy because she's great at it--she used to be, anyway).

[RedHawk]

I like all the kids, too, but I want Jack to not always be the "lesser" of the twins. I'd love for him to have a hidden superpower, such as being a chess wiz or a very talented ice skater or something.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Things begin to fall apart, in more ways than one, when Dre hurts himself playing basketball right before his 40th birthday. He hands the planning of his big party over to his much younger, hipper assistant, fearing he really is getting too old to be cool. Bow and Ruby face off over who can get Dre the best gift, and the kids try to figure out what to give their dad for his special day.

[SmithW6079]

Bow and Ruby face off over who can get Dre the best gift

 

Ugh. I'm so tired of the "mother-in-law hates the daughter-in-law and vice versa" trope. Ruby is a nasty bitch who needs to grow up and realize her son is married to a wonderful woman.

[Rockstar99435]

He is very good at hiding.

[mojito]

Forty? Good grief, Bow must be a super woman, unless she's really supposed to be around 50 herself. She was attending medical school while she was popping out kids? I wonder what kind of vitamins she takes?

[ribboninthesky1]

Yes, I assumed Bow and Dre were in their forties. But this show isn't about career realism in any form or fashion. 

[PRgal]

Forty? Good grief, Bow must be a super woman, unless she's really supposed to be around 50 herself. She was attending medical school while she was popping out kids? I wonder what kind of vitamins she takes?

 

Maybe Bow is a cougar?

[formerlyfreedom]

Bow learns from her colleague that Dre never had the vasectomy a few years back that he was supposedly scheduled, so she decides to see if he'll come clean and tell the truth.

 

 

[tennisgurl]

Ruby needs to stop being so awful to Bow. It`s not funny, it`s just mean. 

 

Besides that, solid episode, although I totally thought Dre and Bow were already in their 40s. They have two teenagers. I guess Dre was younger? Bow was pregnant before the wedding. 

 

I love Forever Young so much, It`s going to be stuck in my head all week now, I know it. 

[spaceytraci1208]

I must work "Well, I don't have Diane money..." into my lexicon of phrases

[laprin]

I missed Lawrence Fishburne this episode. Charlie continues to be awesome!

[DrivingSideways]

Absolutely died when they had Diane doing the Rudy from Cosby Show riff!  Hilarious.

 

I also thought Bow and Dre were in their mid-40s.

[SanDiegoInExile]

Anthony Anderson turns 45 later this year (August 15, 1970).

Tracee Ellis Ross is heading toward 43 (October 29, 1972).

 

What I loved in this episode:  The Rudy Huxtable Riff

What I loathed in this episode:  Mama Ruby....it's time for her to move on

[Writing Wrongs]

This episode was cracking me up.

 

"Health wise, black 40 is white 75."

"Is it more offensive that I assumed you starting having kids as a pre-teen or that I can't tell how old black people are?"

 

LOL

[Mozelle]

What? No one caught the Pharrell-like way in which Curtis behaved? Then to have JD turning ever single conversation to how he's a producer extraordinaire. Speaking of music folks, I don't know if I've said it before, but I do love the music selections on this show. They're always pitch perfect.

 

Forty? Good grief, Bow must be a super woman, unless she's really supposed to be around 50 herself. She was attending medical school while she was popping out kids? I wonder what kind of vitamins she takes?

 

Zoey is 15. If Bow and Dre are the same age (or around the same age), I don't think it's too farfetched that Bow would have had Zoey and Junior while in medical school. It isn't unheard of. One of my really good friends is an OBGYN; we became friends while she was in medical school. I remember her mentioning from time to time colleagues of hers who were getting married or were pregnant.