Season 2 Discussion

[topanga]

This is the generation who got trophies for just showing up, with helicopter parents making sure their special little snowflakes never know hardship.

The last exchange between Vivian and Diane pushed the girl twin from precocious kid to budding sociopath. The only question is does she knife her family to death before she turns double digits? She was already eager for a knife fight with her classmate -- and they didn't play it for laughs.

The show continues on its quest to make the Johnsons horrible people.

When Dre calls out Bow about sticking her "yellow ass" where it doesn't belong and means it in a pejorative manner, what does that say about him using racial slurs?

I agree with all of your points except the one about the Johnsons being horrible people.  This episode was one of the few where Dre wasn't being horribly obnoxious to everyone except his mother.

 

--Yes, this generation of children is different. And it starts with parents, who don't expect as much from their children as parents from prior generations. And while I don't think Zoey is an experienced enough driver to pick up the twins from school--not to mention that she might have her own afterschool activities--there's no reason that she can't start dinner some nights. And Jr. can certainly iron his own shirts. BTW, I include myself int eh "lost parents" generation. My two kids, 12 and 14, don't do nearly as much as I did at their ages.

 

--The thing about Diane is that her thoughts are indeed disturbing (hence the court-appointed therapy), and she did put a pillow over Jack's face (was she really going to kill him? I'm not sure). But besides the incident with Jack, have we ever heard about any real violence or anti-social behavior with her? She doesn't get into fights at school or terrorize neighborhood animals. She doesn't physically harm Jack or any of her other siblings. And she does show remorse for her actions, although that tends to be when she ends up on the wrong side of one of her schemes. "I played this all wrong." So I agree that she's narcissistic and self-serving--but aren't all of the Johnsons like that????  Diane's thoughts just go to a darker place than anyone else in her family. 

 

--In terms of the "yellow ass" comment, which I missed (so thanks!), this is how black people used to talk to each other. I'm not sure if it's PC anymore, but I remember my relatives constantly telling the kids in my family to sit our black assess down or to take our black behinds to bed (we range in skin tone from alabaster to mahogany). And the lighter kids were also told to do various things with our yellow asses. I know it sounds mean and offensive, but to us kids, that's just the way adults talked. When used in those general terms, they weren't insults. Of course, there were times when kids were told that their skin was too black or that they thought they were better than everyone else because they were high-yellow, and those were definitely insults. 

 

I know know why Dre is still speaking that way, though. Isn't he supposed to be this highly-evolved black man of the 21st century? Maybe he has too many remnants of Ruby and Pops' life lessons. 

[DearEvette]

--In terms of the "yellow ass" comment, which I missed (so thanks!), this is how black people used to talk to each other. I'm not sure if it's PC anymore, but I remember my relatives constantly telling the kids in my family to sit our black assess down or to take our black behinds to bed (we range in skin tone from alabaster to mahogany). And the lighter kids were also told to do various things with our yellow asses. I know it sounds mean and offensive, but to us kids, that's just the way adults talked. When used in those general terms, they weren't insults. Of course, there were times when kids were told that their skin was too black or that they thought they were better than everyone else because they were high-yellow, and those were definitely insults. 

 

I know know why Dre is still speaking that way, though. Isn't he supposed to be this highly-evolved black man of the 21st century? Maybe he has too many remnants of Ruby and Pops' life lessons. 

 

Ha!  Have you met Dre?  But seriously, though, the show has given some subtle and not-so-subtle signals of the color divide between Dre & Bow.  Like your breakdown about how black families talk to each other (this still happens in mine, btw, mostly among the older set. And yes my family members have a wide color range from true gingers -- red haired, green eyed & freckled -- to dark, dark jet skin) there is love, affection, and a whole heaping help of black solidarity,  but there is also an undercurrent of knowledge of how color/colorism gets unpacked internally.   But it is simply not done externally.  You don't air your laundry in public, you do it in your backyard behind your fences.

 

In the show, I noticed it was most overt when Bow's parents visited but there have been a few sprinkles here and there with Dre alluding to Bow's skin privilege.

Edited March 28, 2016 by DearEvette

[roseslg]

I liked the episode.  I think it is hard to get help once you reach a certain level of success.  God knows I would love to get a cleaner to come in a few times a week and clean stuff, but my mother would probably kill me.  We were definitely not with means growing up, so to spend money on something like that seems a bit over the top and show-offy.  heck, my mother things a dishwasher is a waste of time, I beg to differ.   When I was designing my kitchen, the Ikea person who was helping me out said that Island folks (she was also from an island), didn't need dishwashers.  It's seen as sort of a bougie thing.  I told her I had been washing dishes for 30 something years and it had to stop!  

We have a black nanny in our nanny share but we go to the other family's house.  I would feel weird having a black nanny (having been one for a bit).  It's hilarious though that now people often think I'm the nanny to my daughter.  My husband is white, I'm black, she looks all white.  

 

We've been known to call a few folks high yellow in my family.   It'll take a lot to unpack what that means, but it's not usually with malice.  There is a lot of privilege that comes with being lighter, but that's for another day.  

[kylies-lips]

This is the generation who got trophies for just showing up, with helicopter parents making sure their special little snowflakes never know hardship.

The last exchange between Vivian and Diane pushed the girl twin from precocious kid to budding sociopath. The only question is does she knife her family to death before she turns double digits? She was already eager for a knife fight with her classmate -- and they didn't play it for laughs.

The show continues on its quest to make the Johnsons horrible people.

When Dre calls out Bow about sticking her "yellow ass" where it doesn't belong and means it in a pejorative manner, what does that say about him using racial slurs?

 

This is a sitcom so they are going to take situations and go completely over the top for laughs. Everything about Diane taken out of the context of being a sitcom would be frightening behavior for a little girl but in the context of crazy ass family, its funny.

 

 I didn't bat an eyelash at the "yellow ass" comment. I actually like that Blackish has dialouge like this, and I also like the point is made alot in the show that Dre and Rainbow have difference reference points when it comes to racial identity. 

 

Regina Hall was great but I still really miss Charlie. 

[sinkwriter]

The only part I didn't like was Junior. Which is weird because I usually like him a lot, but his hitting on Vivian was really uncomfortable and cringeworthy rather than funny to me. I'm glad she kept pushing him away.

[Duke2801]

This episode was a win for me! From the Neti Pot to Bo worrying about if her pajamas were cute enough to Jr. and Jack's little "competition" for Vivian's attention, I was laughing a lot.

 

And speaking of Vivian....damn Regina Hall!  She looks as hot today as she did as Shondra in Malibu's Most Wanted (which was also the first movie I saw Anthony Anderson in -- I think they were cousins in that movie?) And I think that movie premiered sometime in the early 2000s.  I definitely will have what SHE is having!

[OnceSane]

Dre's sister, Rhonda, is getting married to her girlfriend, Sharon, and the upcoming nuptials leads to a conversation on tradition. Dre finds out that Bow is against the patriarchal convention of taking the man's last name, but he never knew this because Bow's maiden name is also Johnson. Meanwhile, Jack and Diane want to be the ring bearer and flower girl but worry they've aged out of the gigs, and Junior and Zoey prep Ruby to embrace her daughter's relationship.

[Bronzedog]

Trace Ellis Ross really looked like her mother in the crying scene.

[TiffanyNichelle]

Thank goodness for Zoey because neither mother should get those kids. I would also like both Bow and Dre to start checking their mothers for the way they talk about their spouses. It's disrespectful and just shitty. They look like assholes for letting it happen, imo.

 

The truth bombs were funny especially Junior honestly believing Obama was calling him. The little kids believing the small stuff like the stuffed animal, that makes sense.

[MsFlibbles]

I miss Charlie, too.

[Dee]

I howled at Davis serenading Ruby with 'I Don't Have The Heart' as the bathroom caught fire.

 

Also got a good laugh at Andre and Rainbow crying in stereo about tilapia. Anthony and Tracee are a fantastic comedy team.

 

I'm glad that the show is utilizing D'Alicia a lot more. Anna Deavere Smith is a gem.

Edited April 7, 2016 by Dee

[readster]

Its amazing that Zoey is the most level headed and well portrayed family member. No, its true. She acts like an average teen, she is responsible, but yet still gets caught up making mistakes. Mean while, her brothers are constantly portrayed as stupid and her sister acts like she is so smart she is better than anyone else. I did like that Diane wasn't immune to being sheltered with lies like everyone else. I completely agree, both moms should not have custody of their grand kids they horrible monster-in-laws that both their kids defend blindly. They are completely devoid of reality and act like they are better than everyone else and that no one is good enough for their children even after several years of marriage and the fact that two of their grandchildren are almost grown. Time to let it go, but sadly I do know people like this. In fact a friend of mine who is in his mid 50s, all his kids grown, married and out of the house with their own kids still has to deal with his in-laws who are in their 80s and still acting like their baby girl needs to be taken cared of because she has a disability and can't work. Yet he has been gainly employed for years, is planning on retirement in 10 years and is locked in and all their kids have successful lives and marriages. Yet they are still: "Are you sure you are going to have a job next year since you're a teacher?" Sadly, my in-laws while not extreme as Ruby and Bow's mom and are in their mid 70s now, still act like they know better and want o make sure their youngest daughter (my wife) who is now 40 needs to be secured since she has a disability. I know many parents never stop worrying about their kids and such, but still its get to the point where they have to realize, they aren't going to live forever. 

  I do wish we had more with the boys having some sense of intelligence. Outside of basketball and reffing, I feel like Junior and his brother have to played as morons instead of just being naive to things. I hate it when writers drive characters to the extreme with their faults because it gets not only old, but you wonder how characters like that can still even remember how to breathe at that point.

[DearEvette]

I think they've evolved with Zoey and I like where they're going with her.  I remember the episode last year where Bow takes Diane to work with her and Diane becomes fascinated with the guy with a hatchet in his head.  Bow characterizes Zoe as the one who would not work outside the home but marry well "probably several times."  Junior is characterized as the typical nerd who would probably live at home for awhile.  Jack is the only one who is considered not quite bright.  while Diane is smart, with her only age and lack of life experience limiting her.

 

This episode seems to have continued with those characterizations with the exception of Zoe.  Before, the show seems to have taken pains to paint her as a smart but rather shallow person.  But starting with the car episode and now this one, it seems the show has decided to give Zoey some depth and I like it a lot.

 

I don't think Junior is being painted as dumb, really.  But rather naive and credulous in the ways that people who tend to live inside books and video games can be.  He's book smart, not street smart.  Now Jack, they really are making him rather dim, bless his heart.  Diane is a baby shark.  I think they had to give her some vulnerabilities and still make her believe silly things otherwise her character is at risk of becoming unlikable.  Thankfully Marsai Martin is so charming that she helps keep Diane from stepping over the line into too pre-cocious territory.

 

I loved the the whole Tilapia as trash fish.  That scene was great.

 

Also, I liked the sly little line from Stevens to his "female diversity hire."  It is a great little acknowledgement that "diversity hires" (i.e. affirmative action) in the workplace actually benefits white females more than POC. 

 

Poor Josh, not even considered a possible option for being a guardian.

 

I LOVED the Different Strokes credit sequence.  I was humming the song all night.

Edited April 7, 2016 by DearEvette

[Slade347]

I howled at Davis serenading Ruby with 'I Don't Have The Heart' as the bathroom caught fire.

 

 

 

I had to rewind that scene a couple of times because I was laughing so hard when Davis was yelling "fire!"

 

Also loved the Diff'rent Strokes sequence.

[attica]

I was only a few minutes in to the ep when I asked myself, Why not Zoey? I'm glad the show caught up with me by the end.

 

I have no idea where TER got that voice she used in the Tilapia scene, but omg, it killed me dead.

 

I never mind a show wasting time with 'your mama' jokes.

 

When Diane called Junior 'long head', I was all, yeah, he kinda does have a long head!

[KateeBar]

This episode cracked me up. I loved how much Junior was enjoying dropping the truth bombs. He was so funny as the diabolical person, and the whole snack interlude was fantastic. "This guacamole tastes so fresh!" "It's not."

 

I agree that they've given Zoey a nice arc here, and I hope it continues. I'm okay if she still stays a little shallow/vain, because that's partly just her age, but I liked seeing her compassionate side as well. Seems like normal growing up, wavering between being an awful teenager and learning how to be an adult. 

 

Really, why can't every sitcom be like this and Brooklyn Nine-Nine?

[Traveller519]

So, this led to me spending more time googling Tilapia than I ever should have.

[Silly Angel]

It's not even fish, Traveller! It's trash!

I died. TER slays her lines readings. That said, i do enjoy a nice neutral whitefish with homemade salsa.the kids' war of secrets was great. I love how they're united in their nasty behavior, proof, while the parents fumble around trying to secure their futures, that they are a team

RIP, original Squeaks.

[Bronzedog]

Damn. I was planning to have tilapia for dinner. And it's not even a fish.

[peeayebee]

I have no idea where TER got that voice she used in the Tilapia scene, but omg, it killed me dead.

The voice was hilarious! I don't think I've heard her use it before.

 

I never mind a show wasting time with 'your mama' jokes.

 

*Ahem* Your mother...

 

I love the shirts the kids wear. Jack was wearing one that had a giraffe and a brontosaurus hugging. Junior was wearing one with a drawing that looked like Urkel.

 

Love when Jack says, "I thought you were fast-forwarding thru lion sex!"

 

I also loved the way the boss says, "I'll take your little black kids."

 

Bow's mom with the pink eye was so funny. All the cut-aways to flashbacks or just stills from flashbacks were great.

 

Ruby's Trump lines were kind of funny, but I wish Bow didn't have to actually say she sounded like Trump.

[tennisgurl]

Junior... you really did not get the point of Ex Machina. 

 

I have just returned from a black hole of Google and Siri searches to learn the truth about Tilapia. What a long, strange trip it was. 

 

I miss Charlie too Dre. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

I was HOWLING during the Tilapia scene! Good thing I hadn't yet taken a bite of my sandwich, otherwise I would have choked on it!

The voice Tracy was doing sounded just like Lucy Ricardo!

Lord, but my stomach was hurting by the time it ended. I also snerked when Dre asked June Bug if he'd heard from Pops!

I miss Charlie too, Dre! So glad Wanda wasn't on. I like her, but not on this show.

Okay, now I want to know why Pops has been M.I.A. for so long!!!

[shura]

I liked that the Tilapia Truth is so important to Dre that he feels it absolutely must be imparted on his kids even from beyond the grave. Come on, man, it's still protein, no matter what it is.

 

Ruby's Trump lines were kind of funny, but I wish Bow didn't have to actually say she sounded like Trump.

 

Yeah, explaining a joke is never good. Speaking of Trump, I was thinking it might have been funny if they'd made Diane's rival for class president (or what was it) appear Trumpesque in her campaign somehow. I don't know exactly what could have been done there, but I'd have loved to see these writers take a crack at it.

[Joimiaroxeu]

Those references to the TV show The Leftovers were interesting. I wonder what the connection is between Black-ish and that show?

Guess I'll never (knowingly) eat tilapia again. Thanks, Black-ish!

[charmed1]

James Ingram lol. I'm dying because my aunts have always lusted after him. I think the list goes:

1. Jeffrey Osborne

2. James Ingram (honorable mention for his brother, Phillip)

3. Frankie Beverly

[mansonlamps]

 

Also, I liked the sly little line from Stevens to his "female diversity hire."  It is a great little acknowledgement that "diversity hires" (i.e. affirmative action) in the workplace actually benefits white females more than POC. 

 

I do a lot of hiring and promoting at work and I'm not going to get in a debate here where it doesn't belong, but I wholly disagree with this opinion stated as fact.

Loved Zoey stepping up in the end, this rings true as I have seen a number of large families name a guardian only until the oldest turns eighteen at which point he or she becomes the named guardian. Ha, I was one such guardian myself (not the eighteen year old one, the one where the eighteen year old took over for me.)

[Dee]

Zoey's always been mature. Sure, she's shallow and can occasionally be boy crazy, but she's always had a fairly level head on her shoulders.

 

She's successfully monetized her popularity, twice, was crucial in keeping Junior from becoming a future Young Republican and completed every task Andre threw at her to land her car.

 

It's Rainbow who began floating the idea that Zoey lacked depth, because she and Zoey aren't BFF's like Rainbow and D'Alicia.

[peeayebee]

Those references to the TV show The Leftovers were interesting. I wonder what the connection is between Black-ish and that show?

I feel like a dum-dum. I've watched all of The Leftovers but missed any references in this ep.

[Sparger Springs]

I do a lot of hiring and promoting at work and I'm not going to get in a debate here where it doesn't belong, but I wholly disagree with this opinion stated as fact.

Loved Zoey stepping up in the end, this rings true as I have seen a number of large families name a guardian only until the oldest turns eighteen at which point he or she becomes the named guardian. Ha, I was one such guardian myself (not the eighteen year old one, the one where the eighteen year old took over for me.)

No its a fact. It may not be at the place you work but its a fact. The biggest beneficiaries of Affirmative Action are white women. Typically white women have white partners and their success benefits more white people. AA in the long run has been better for white people than anyone else.

Edited April 9, 2016 by Sparger Springs

[topanga]

I was only a few minutes in to the ep when I asked myself, Why not Zoey? I'm glad the show caught up with me by the end.

 

All I could think of was, "Party of Five! (or Four, in this case). And Zoey will be Charlie Salinger." 

 

 

I howled at Davis serenading Ruby with 'I Don't Have The Heart' as the bathroom caught fire.

I loved the picture with Jennifer Lewis and James Ingram. It looked real--I hope it wasn't Photoshopped.

[PRgal]

I really liked this episode. Funny but dealt with real issues that some of my friends and I have faced: the conflicting emotions involved when black families hire "help" for their home.  Dre and Bow brought the comedy without being over the top stupid. And Dre wasn't annoying for once. I loved that he continued to call the nanny, "Black Nanny" until she asked him to stop. 

 

 

I think the conflict can happen with anyone whose family was lower income.  My grandmother is 90 years old and despite us all being concerned about her well-being, refuses hired help.  I don't think she really experienced "success" until much later in life, and it was through her children.  What's interesting, however, is that her kids - at least those who stayed in Hong Kong - had no issues with hired help, despite growing up in a working class household.  I wonder if it's because most middle class families in Hong Kong have "helpers" (that's the HK PC term for housekeeper/maid/nanny), usually from the Philippines.  Many middle class (and above) homes have sleeping areas in the kitchen for hired help.  My cousins are the first generation to grow up with nannies and now that they're adults (with one who has kids of her own), hiring someone was just...expected. 

[SmithW6079]

I wondered why -- when Bow and Dre -- were talking about their parents taking care of their kids, no one mentioned the possibility that the old folks might predecease them, rendering their argument moot.

It was kind of sad that the Johnsons seem to have no friends.

I know that they've shown Dre's sister, but why in all the flashbacks does it seem like Dre is an only child?

[mansonlamps]

They do seem pretty insular, but I think most TV sitcom families don't have a lot of friends or at least ones that get shown very often.

[Slovenly Muse]

 

I know that they've shown Dre's sister, but why in all the flashbacks does it seem like Dre is an only child?

 

This bothers me too. It's starting to feel like she was only written in for one episode and then promptly forgotten. I'm genuinely curious what the story is there. Like, did ONE writer invent her for their episode, even though it was inconvenient to show canon and slightly contradictory to what had been established thus far, and then everyone else had to try and write around it, pretending she never happened, but not actually retconning her out of existence? Or was this a calculated move to introduce more of Dre's family, but no one's quite figured out how to really fit her in to the picture yet? Or did the actress suddenly become super-unavailable and now they have to avoid creating opportunities for her to appear? WHAT IS HAPPENING?!

 

I wanted to love this episode, but it REALLY bugged me that Dre's sister was never considered for custody. There was no reason given, just Bow saying no "out of spite" because HER sister wasn't an option. Even though Dre's sister is in a stable relationship, has a stable job, and is financially and, well, psychologically, in the best place to look after the kids if necessary, she was never even on the table, and it should have been a no-brainer. And I don't think the writers were taking an "anti-gay-adoption" stance so much as just handwaving away this character they already don't seem to want to have to make a plan for what to do with, so they could manufacture a ridiculous mom-off. Bit if Bow was ready to consider RUBY by the end, there's no way Dre's sister should have been overlooked. I know it's a comedy, and calm reasoning is generally expected to fly out the window for the sake of humourous shenanigans, but still, it was perplexing.

[luckyroll3]

When did Bow get a sister? Did we know she had a sister too??

[Mabinogia]

It doesn't bother me that Dre's sister was dismissed so easily because the whole point wasn't how is going to raise the kids if we die, the whole point was to show that Zoe is willing to step up and raise her siblings. No one was ever a serious contender. I actually like that the only reason they could come up with for not letting Dre's sister do it was because Bow was mad that he dismissed her sister. Because otherwise Sister would have been perfect and we wouldn't have gotten to the Zoe wants to take care of her siblings moment. Because I think it would have been worse for Zoe to be like "yeah, you could have my perfectly capable, great aunt do it, but what about me?" I don't think it would have worked as well that way.

 

I was glad to see Wanda missing from the work scene's. I like the actress but I just can't get into that character. I, too, miss Charlie. But I was so happy to see that the show hasn't forgotten him.

[DearEvette]

I think we have heard of Bow's sister before, I know I was not surprised to hear of her in this episode, so I am sure we've heard of her.

 

I think the flashbacks are very Dre centric because they seem to happen in maximum Dre Whine Mode so it is all about him.  But I wouldn't be surprised if it is also because Ruby always had a marked preference for Dre and so she spent more time with him.  I may need to go and re-watch the Raven Symone ep, but I swear Ruby is blatant about her favoritism of Dre.

[RedHawk]

This bothers me too. It's starting to feel like she was only written in for one episode and then promptly forgotten. I'm genuinely curious what the story is there. Like, did ONE writer invent her for their episode, even though it was inconvenient to show canon and slightly contradictory to what had been established thus far, and then everyone else had to try and write around it, pretending she never happened, but not actually retconning her out of existence? Or was this a calculated move to introduce more of Dre's family, but no one's quite figured out how to really fit her in to the picture yet? Or did the actress suddenly become super-unavailable and now they have to avoid creating opportunities for her to appear? WHAT IS HAPPENING?!

I wanted to love this episode, but it REALLY bugged me that Dre's sister was never considered for custody. There was no reason given, just Bow saying no "out of spite" because HER sister wasn't an option. Even though Dre's sister is in a stable relationship, has a stable job, and is financially and, well, psychologically, in the best place to look after the kids if necessary, she was never even on the table, and it should have been a no-brainer. And I don't think the writers were taking an "anti-gay-adoption" stance so much as just handwaving away this character they already don't seem to want to have to make a plan for what to do with, so they could manufacture a ridiculous mom-off. Bit if Bow was ready to consider RUBY by the end, there's no way Dre's sister should have been overlooked. I know it's a comedy, and calm reasoning is generally expected to fly out the window for the sake of humourous shenanigans, but still, it was perplexing.

In the next episode, Dre's sister is getting married.

[Dee]

In 'The N Word,' Rhonda, is briefly seen alongside Ruby & Dre as Pops is turning off the living room lights to conserve energy.

[snarktini]

I wasn't sure what I thought of how she pushed Junior away. One one hand I thought it was great -- she absolutely shut it down, no ambiguity. On the other, did she seem a little mean? She had such a light touch with everyone else that seeing her openly rolling her eyes at him felt uncharacteristic. 

 

It's interesting the cultural factors that go into being comfortable or not with "hired help".  I grew up in an reasonable well-off family that never even considered hiring for anything more than basic child care as needed, even though my parents could have afforded to. (They came from working class families.) My parents cooked, cleaned, sewed, gardened, roofed, plumbed, you name it. That DIY ethos really shaped me. I loathe cleaning my house, and would love to hire someone to do it for me. But I'm incredibly uncomfortable with the power dynamic, with being the "kind of person" who hires help (aka lazy / spoiled*), with asking someone to clean my floors and bathrooms (if I think it's gross, how can I ask someone else?). Rationally I understand it's an honorable job and I could be helping someone else support their family. And, yet. 

 

OTOH, A friend of mine lived in Spain for a couple of years and they got major stink-eye from the neighbors because they didn't hire a local to do their cleaning and laundry. It was expected in that area, as a way of supporting the community.

 

* I don't believe hiring people to care for your children or clean your house actually means you are lazy or spoiled. Not in the least! I say, more power to you. That's just the annoying inner guilt voice I hear.

Edited April 11, 2016 by snarktini

[Queena]

Am I the only person who heard Trump bit?

I was half sleep, so maybe I was dreaming...

I liked the episode. I'm going to rematch it.

Edited April 12, 2016 by Queena

[Rockstar99435]

I wasn't sure what I thought of how she pushed Junior away. One one hand I thought it was great -- she absolutely shut it down, no ambiguity. On the other, did she seem a little mean? She had such a light touch with everyone else that seeing her openly rolling her eyes at him felt uncharacteristic. 

 

He was sexually harassing her while she was at work. Why should she have to be nice to a guy who was objectifying her while she was just trying to do her job?

[peeayebee]

I commented on the Trump jokes -- Ruby sounding like Trump and then Bow actually referring to it.

[Writing Wrongs]

Since they had the same last name, I don't even get what Dre's deal was. He so annoying.

[TiffanyNichelle]

I spent the whole episode being annoyed at the both of them.

[OnceSane]

Dre's always strived to model his life after the idyllic families he grew up watching on TV, but he panics after he learns he could lose his job. Meanwhile, Bow tries to prove herself when she's put in charge of the school auction and enlists her kids' assistance instead of accepting the other moms' offers to help.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I would never marry someone who insisted that I change my last name. To put it another way, what kind of man would marry me if I insisted that he HAD to change his last name?

 

It was hilarious when someone pointed out that Dre's patriarchal attitude meant that Zoe and Diane would be the ones to change their last names while Junior and Jack would be ones carrying on the Johnson name. I actually had the typical argument about not changing my last name with my high school boyfriend (one of his arguments was that he was the only boy in his family and therefore the only one left to carry on his father's last name, so I pointed out that both of his sisters were free to keep their last names when they got married) and I told him since my father had no sons to carry on his last name so IF we got married and IF we had kids, then any girls could have his last name and any boys could have my last name. Hilariously, many years later when he got married, his wife didn't take his last name. We talked about it recently and he said he totally didn't care. HA!

 

But what really annoyed me was that Dre was so heated up over something that was a moot point (or as Joey Tribbiani would say, a moo point) since they already had the same last name, which is why I cracked up when Bow asked him if he wanted her to go down to the records office and tell them that she wanted to change her name from Rainbow Johnson to Rainbow Johnson.

 

Loved Junior's insane outfits. I was already thinking that Jack and Diane were too old to be the ring bearer or flower girl - aren't they at least 8? Or maybe 10? I was asked to be a flower girl when I was 9 and I was kind of insulted because I thought I was too old for that.

[Tiger]

They shoukd have done more with "The Deaconess" and the "homosexuals", and cut some of the ridiculous Dre & Bow argument.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Tiger

[GHScorpiosRule]

As ridiculous as Dre was, I just laughed because Anthony Anderson is just so funny! And true story, my mother didn't have to change her name either, because she and my dad had the same last name. I remember my cousin (my mom's brother's older son) insisting my parents were brother and sister because they had the same last name.  He was 10 at the time. I remember asking him what about Smiths? Taylors, and a whole host of other names. But nope. He wouldn't budge in his thinking.

 

And it's Vandal Savage! Martian Manhunter! I mean, Phil Morris!  Who played Sharon's mom? Because she looked awfully familiar.

 

If anything pissed me off, it was the lack of Pops. He SHOULD have been there!  I would have loved to have him walk in after Ruby said she took his last name not for him, but for her. 'Cause I know that Laurence Fishburn would have made it Hilarious!

Edited April 15, 2016 by GHScorpiosRule

[spaceytraci1208]

Who played Sharon's mom? Because she looked awfully familiar.

I don't know if you ever watched the show Half & Half, but she was "Big Dee Dee" on that show.

If anything pissed me off, it was the lack of Pops. He SHOULD have been there! I would have loved to have him walk in after Ruby said she took his last name not for him, but for her. 'Cause I know that Lawrence Fishburn would have made it Hilarious!

Seriously! I try to be reasonable and understand that Lawrence Fishburne probably has a full plate, but dammit, Pops would be an essential part of his daughter's wedding!