Season 4 Talk

[peeayebee]

On 11/1/2017 at 0:54 PM, Jodie Landon said:

He says "I don't like that shit. I don't like that shit," as he eats a banana.

They recreated the scene last night except the guy was jealous of Junior's chain and his newfound confidence. 

Thanks for the rundown of the plot and this particular reference. I didn't understand it at the time.

 

On 11/1/2017 at 1:17 PM, Joimiaroxeu said:

Heh, Pops had a perm back in the day.

I LOVED how he was checking himself out in the mirror and did that bit with his hands like, "Perfect." And now I'm trying to remember if the show has done that same kind of shot for Pops in other flashbacks.

[GHScorpiosRule]

10 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

I LOVED how he was checking himself out in the mirror and did that bit with his hands like, "Perfect." And now I'm trying to remember if the show has done that same kind of shot for Pops in other flashbacks.

He reminded me of Henry Winkler as The Fonz! You know, in the opening credits, Fonz looks at himself, starts to comb his hair and realizes he doesn't need to, and then does that shrug that shouts "Aaaay!!!" Pops did the same thing! And ironically, I believe Fishburne also guest starred on Happy Days! When he was wee!

[retired watcher]

Didn't Zoey go to public school? I thought she wanted to leave private school and try public.

[Court]

On 11/1/2017 at 11:25 AM, jmonique said:

This is why forums are good: I'm about 2 minutes into the show, and I'm so completely over Andre's treatment of Junior that I almost stopped watching.

Based on your responses, I'll see this one out!

I almost turned it off then. I did stop watching it because I couldn't believe how one sided the whole thing was. I can't stand the perception that private school must be better than public. Frankly, it was ticking me off. That's not the case. Now I'll finish watching that I've read these responses. 

[paulvdb]

On 1-11-2017 at 8:54 PM, Jodie Landon said:

Belly is a film about two drug dealers played by rappers Nas and DMX. The two begin to make a name for themselves, much to the dismay of another dealer, Rico. As Nas and DMX ride around in a luxury car, a jealous Rico looks on saying that he might have to snitch on them. He says "I don't like that shit. I don't like that shit," as he eats a banana.

They recreated the scene last night except the guy was jealous of Junior's chain and his newfound confidence. 

Thanks for explaining that. Never watched that movie or even heard of it. I never watched Dangerous Minds either but Gangsta's Paradise was impossible to avoid back then and I knew that it was from the movie and I knew the premise of the movie. So I knew which movie Jack and Diane were watching.

[msrachelj]

what is an indigo child?

[Quickbeam]

OMG, Indigo child! Snorted out loud. I really love how Bow's backstory is side eyed by the rest of the family. Her struggles coming from a non-traditional mixed family melding with black culture just make this show for me. 

I thought this was a pretty positive message about public schools. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigo_children

Edited November 3, 2017 by Quickbeam

[jhlipton]

Everything I hate about how Dre (and his siblings following Dad's example) treats Junior.  Proud of him ONLY when he does something Dre likes, happy that he hit another student, saying that he wasn't Dre's son if he's different at all.  F*** you, Dre -- I hope public school gives Junior enough confidence to sock YOU in the jaw.

[qtpye]

5 hours ago, jhlipton said:

Everything I hate about how Dre (and his siblings following Dad's example) treats Junior.  Proud of him ONLY when he does something Dre likes, happy that he hit another student, saying that he wasn't Dre's son if he's different at all.  F*** you, Dre -- I hope public school gives Junior enough confidence to sock YOU in the jaw.

"You're not my son, you're just some light skin boy in a sweater."  Da Fuck?  Dre is lucky he is married to hippy love child Rainbow, cuz if he was married to me, there would have been some damn mess after that comment (though it was kinda funny).

[hatchetgirl]

I have 3 versions of monopoly with my favorite being post cold war end russian monopoly. 

I was bothered with the way bow treats Megan as well. It's disappointing. 

Pops and Ruby were hilarious! 

[lavenderrose]

Dre is the literal worst. Bow is too for cosigning his behavior.

-I teared up laughing at the scene of Jr. picking up the chair and intending to smash it over the kid's head before he heard them talking nerdy. It was a funny sort-of tribute to Moonlight.

-Zoe's comment about not being popular without knowing a few bad eggs was spot on for someone her age.

-Jr. becoming a mini LL Cool J with the chain was funny.

-I'm glad that Jr. found his niche in public school and I wish that he had broke the kid's jaw.

-I loved Pop's comments about public schools. 

-They seriously need to replace Dre with a better actor.

[Dee]

I loved that one of the main reasons Junior enjoyed public school was because he liked being with other Black kids and having Black teachers.

It adds a nice bit of semi-generational contrast to the twins colorblindness.

Edited November 6, 2017 by Dee

[Ikki]

22 hours ago, Dee said:

I loved that one of the main reasons Junior enjoyed public school was because he liked being with other Black kids and having Black teachers.

It adds a nice bit of semi-generational contrast to the twins colorblindness.

I liked that as well. Black teachers are so important, and it's interesting to me that there was the implications that there were none at Junior's private school. I've read various reports about the importance of Black students seeing/having Black teachers, though at the same time there are numerous factors that limit the presence of Black teachers. 

[Toothbrush]

On 11/1/2017 at 10:20 PM, luckyroll3 said:

Finally caught up.  What a great episode...except my family is no longer allowed to play Monopoly after the embezzlement incident of 1996.

I remember cracking up laughing when you posted about it on the RHoP thread, and I thought of your family while watching this!

[Toothbrush]

On 11/1/2017 at 9:37 AM, Boofish said:

And honorable mention to Diane's juicebox clap when she thought Jr. had clocked a kid.

Gold. Pure Gold.

I rewound that a few times. Just perfect! I also loved her line about Jr's life being like living in a dystopian Judy Blume novel. 

On 11/1/2017 at 10:55 AM, Traveller519 said:

You know what the past two weeks have really proved? How much better the show is when Lawrence Fishburne is present. Not only for his own absurdity but some of the deft wisdom Pops provides. 

The PPD episode was proof of that two. He's not a character of focus, but he really supports everyone else. 

Agree 100%

The workplace scene was funny: Josh going to private school with not only Posts & Kelloggs, but children of owners of lesser cereal companies; Stevens' son being surprised that Dre is not already a grandfather & no longer eating at Cheesecake Factory. So clueless. And most of all, Charlie being ranked 5th in his hs class - 1st among the humans! 

[OnceSane]

Quote

Bow keeps in touch with Dre’s incarcerated godbrother, Omar, but when they find out he is being released from prison, Omar’s future sparks debate. Meanwhile, Ruby lets it slip to the kids that she’s been to jail and they push her to tell them more secrets from her past.

[Dee]

That was a lovely episode. Quite possibly my favorite episode of Black-ish ever.

[mtlchick]

I'm happy that Junior got a win against Andre.  Then he had to get all confused that Andre was being nice about it. 

 

Not my all time favourite, but definitely a keeper.  How many sitcoms do episodes on a topic like your period any more? 

[Traveller519]

Black-ish , do not let Lawrence Fishburne leave the lot! He is a treasure on the show. Very light on the sarcasm and humor this week, but his grandfatherly love for Jack read well with the sensitive treatment of Diane's story. Not to mention his fun interactions with Dre. 

[NUguy514]

Ruby is so much more palatable to me when she's directing her shittiness at Dre, who almost always deserves it.  I did appreciate, though, that Dre was actually nice to Junior for once during the shaving scene.

[charmed1]

Mmm. Didn't love this episode. One thing I love about the Black-ish kids and loved about the Cosby kids is that they're funny without sassing and being disrespectful towards their elders. So, I didn't find Diane's smart mouth towards her mother humorous nor endearing. "Don't nobody have time for you to be having conversations, Rainbow?" Nah, Joe. Menstruation or not, that was way out of pocket and not funny at all. I did laugh at Stevens' knowledge of Stevens Jr.'s murder plot, so go figure.

I could've sworn we already had an episode about Junior besting Dre at basketball. Or maybe I'm having flashbacks of Theo and Cliff.

I did like seeing both grandmothers talk about their experiences. I remember being horrified when I found out my mom told everyone in our family that I got my period, plus the people at her job.

[vibeology]

28 minutes ago, charmed1 said:

Mmm. Didn't love this episode. One thing I love about the Black-ish kids and loved about the Cosby kids is that they're funny without sassing and being disrespectful towards their elders. So, I didn't find Diane's smart mouth towards her mother humorous nor endearing. "Don't nobody have time for you to be having conversations, Rainbow?" Nah, Joe. Menstruation or not, that was way out of pocket and not funny at all. I did laugh at Stevens' knowledge of Stevens Jr.'s murder plot, so go figure.

That's the line I laughed at the most. It was incredibly rude but I remember being a teen and being so rude to my mom. I think because I was more comfortable with her, I was willing to take out my worst emotions on her. It wasn't a good thing but I did it (and don't do it anymore now that I'm more mature) so that felt very real. Especially considering Diane's horrible day. I'm sure all she wanted to do was go home and hide. And it was presented as very out of character, even for Diane who is often "evil."

I didn't go back and look, but this was written by a woman right? Because it was very real. The scene with all the women talking period stories was spot on real. Alicia and Ruby's stories were powerful.

I loved, loved, loved that Jack was the one who knew Diane needed support and called Zoey. It did make me wonder how much longer they'd be sharing a room. They're getting to the age where they're going to want privacy.

[fishcakes]

The "girl gets her first period" episodes always ring false to me. I don't know anyone whose mom made a big deal about it or who made a big deal over it for their own daughters. And the sitcom girls are always so emotional about it; hell, Diane had full-blown PMS. That doesn't happen when you're 11. Cramps, yes. Rage? Nah. A few years ago when everyone was still blogging, a friend of mine posted about her first period (not sure why, but with that kind of content it might be why no one blogs anymore) and everyone in the comments jumped in with their first period story, but about half the women couldn't remember much about it. The rest of us had fairly matter-of-fact stories that didn't involve violent mood swings or school humiliation. I don't know; this kind of thing just feels anti-woman to me. Menstruation doesn't make us crazy. Menopause doesn't make us crazy. A very few women are susceptible to emotional upheaval due to fluctuating hormones to an extent that would make others wonder what's wrong; the overwhelming majority of us are not and no one would know where we are in our cycles unless we choose to tell.

I did like the scene with all the women talking though, just because it rarely happens on the show where everyone behaves civilly to each other. Also, Alicia blowing that horn was hilarious.

43 minutes ago, charmed1 said:

I could've sworn we already had an episode about Junior besting Dre at basketball.

There was one last season, so I thought this subplot was a little strange too. It was the one where Junior dunked on Dre (and put his groin in Dre's face) and the video went viral.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

2 hours ago, charmed1 said:

Don't nobody have time for you to be having conversations, Rainbow

I’m pretty sure it was “Ain’t nobody got time for you to make friends, Rainbow!”

[attica]

In the Zoey flashback, I loved the expression Yara wore when the word 'sloughing' was uttered. It's an awful-sounding word. Good reaction.

[anna0852]

Definitely one of their better episodes. I really appreciate that neither Dre nor Jack or Junior has any issues whatsoever with periods being mentioned. It's really refreshing from the usual media representation of guys cringing and acting as though it is the worst topic ever

[charmed1]

32 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I’m pretty sure it was “Ain’t nobody got time for you to make friends, Rainbow!”

Even worse.

[luckyroll3]

29 minutes ago, attica said:

In the Zoey flashback, I loved the expression Yara wore when the word 'sloughing' was uttered. It's an awful-sounding word. Good reaction.

And then she looked down at her crotch!  LMAO!

[Joimiaroxeu]

"I know how to snatch a man's check." OMG, she's 11.

Peach Fuzz and Stink. Sounds like another spin-off!

Maybe it's about time for Diane to have her own her room? She's probably going to want more privacy and there'll be an opening when Zoey goes to college.

Since they've already painted Diane as the demon child, this PMS thing they've introduced seems like piling on to me. I'm generally not fond of female hormones = big trouble jokes, even when they're coming from women. Seems like the writers tried to even things out with the Junior vs Dre machismo thing and Jack desperately wanting to become an official Man but meh...

[Boofish]

I don't think it was raging period hormones, I just think Diane was angry and embarrassed. I don't have a "first period" story but I have one that makes me cringe and it just happened and I'm 50 soooo those stories tugged at my heart strings

Diane sassing her mother was funny but not funny if that makes sense. I thought she more out of line for what she said to her teacher although once again, I had a hearty laugh. In real life, an 11 year old child speaking to me that way would be my first appearance in criminal court.

[anna0852]

The more I watch this, the more I realize that Diane speaks very similarly to Dre. Very blunt, doesn't really seem to care about people's feelings and at least gives the appearance of insensitivity. Admittedly they are usually addressing different topics which is why it took me awhile to catch on. I see a lot of Dre's influence in his younger daughter. Not to say that it's appropriate. If I was Bow I would have divorced Dre long ago both for the way he speaks to her and the way he speaks to Junior.

[qtpye]

3 hours ago, fishcakes said:

The "girl gets her first period" episodes always ring false to me. I don't know anyone whose mom made a big deal about it or who made a big deal over it for their own daughters. And the sitcom girls are always so emotional about it; hell, Diane had full-blown PMS. That doesn't happen when you're 11. Cramps, yes. Rage? Nah. A few years ago when everyone was still blogging, a friend of mine posted about her first period (not sure why, but with that kind of content it might be why no one blogs anymore) and everyone in the comments jumped in with their first period story, but about half the women couldn't remember much about it. The rest of us had fairly matter-of-fact stories that didn't involve violent mood swings or school humiliation. I don't know; this kind of thing just feels anti-woman to me. Menstruation doesn't make us crazy. Menopause doesn't make us crazy. A very few women are susceptible to emotional upheaval due to fluctuating hormones to an extent that would make others wonder what's wrong; the overwhelming majority of us are not and no one would know where we are in our cycles unless we choose to tell.

I did like the scene with all the women talking though, just because it rarely happens on the show where everyone behaves civilly to each other. Also, Alicia blowing that horn was hilarious.

There was one last season, so I thought this subplot was a little strange too. It was the one where Junior dunked on Dre (and put his groin in Dre's face) and the video went viral.

Yeah, not really a big deal...definitely did not have many generations of female family member gather around me in praise and talking about how now I can create life.

[emma675]

I really enjoyed the scene of all of the women in the family telling their period horror stories, no matter how untrue to real life it may have been. That was definitely not my experience but I did have similar conversations with girlfriends later on in my teens after we all had a few years of dealing with it.

However, I hated Diane's raging mouth. But I didn't hate that she said all of those awful things I hated the way the adults basically fled from her or just let it go. This is an 11 year old child, you put a stop to that mess right now. Bow and Dre are letting her be the boss/tyrant in that house and it's pretty much their fault at this point.

[Rockstar99435]

I like when shows acknowledge that child actors grow up and look differently than when they were hired so I like that the show referenced how much taller Diane is than Jack. And that Jack is growing up too, even if he's not as tall as his sister. (Also, my husband teaches 5th grade and the smell issue is absolutely a thing. The nurse has to come to his class a couple of times a year and give the hygiene talk to remind the kids to shower regularly and to start wearing deodorant.) 

Jack and Diane's relationship is one of my favorite things about the show so I really liked that Jack was the one who realized how freaked out Diane was and that he called Zoey for help. Diane washing her sheets in the middle of the night so no one would see was really sad. She's so determined to always be in control of everything that seeing her vulnerable was jarring.

[AlleC17]

4 hours ago, vibeology said:

That's the line I laughed at the most. It was incredibly rude but I remember being a teen and being so rude to my mom. I think because I was more comfortable with her, I was willing to take out my worst emotions on her. It wasn't a good thing but I did it (and don't do it anymore now that I'm more mature) so that felt very real. Especially considering Diane's horrible day. I'm sure all she wanted to do was go home and hide. And it was presented as very out of character, even for Diane who is often "evil."

I didn't go back and look, but this was written by a woman right? Because it was very real. The scene with all the women talking period stories was spot on real. Alicia and Ruby's stories were powerful.

I loved, loved, loved that Jack was the one who knew Diane needed support and called Zoey. It did make me wonder how much longer they'd be sharing a room. They're getting to the age where they're going to want privacy.

I admit i laughed at the line, but I didn't think Bo's reaction was funny.  She just hopped to it and let Diane get away with that?  No way, period or not!  I am glad Diane apologized to Jack later on, but I would have liked to see her apologize to her mother.    I loved the basketball sub plot and scenes with Dre and Junior and loved the shaving scene too.  Dre's treatment of Junior is often very off-putting for me, so I loved their scenes together here.  The rest of the episode and cast were spot on.  Really enjoyed it. 

[Boofish]

Jack's love for Diane is one of the best things about this show.  It bought a smile to my face to see he knew the difference between something being wrong and "regular Diane." I need to find two people to call Peach fuzz and Stink LOL

[atiyah9369]

32 minutes ago, Boofish said:

Jack's love for Diane is one of the best things about this show.  It bought a smile to my face to see he knew the difference between something being wrong and "regular Diane." I need to find two people to call Peach fuzz and Stink LOL

My cousin has twins around the age of Jack and Diane. Also a son about the age of Junior.  Stink would be the perfect name for the boy twin and Peach Fuzz for the boy about Juniors age. LOL

[Joimiaroxeu]

Quote

The more I watch this, the more I realize that Diane speaks very similarly to Dre. Very blunt, doesn't really seem to care about people's feelings and at least gives the appearance of insensitivity. Admittedly they are usually addressing different topics which is why it took me awhile to catch on. I see a lot of Dre's influence in his younger daughter. Not to say that it's appropriate. If I was Bow I would have divorced Dre long ago both for the way he speaks to her and the way he speaks to Junior.

With Dre they write it off as his being a doofus, spoiled mama's boy who no one takes too seriously. They've written Diane to be harboring some kind of innate evil. Then, she's both the smartest person in the family and the darkest-skinned. I think there's some colorism subtext floating in there as well as a bit of negativity about young Black girls who are notably intelligent. Still not liking it and wish the show would stop it.

[peeayebee]

I loved this ep. Heart cramp!

Extra-angry Diane was hilarious to me, as were Bow's and Dre's reactions to it. Loved when Dre and Bow are talking outside the bathroom then Diane says, "I hear you whispering out there," causing Dre and Bow run away, cussing, in panicked fear. I also loved, "Ain't nobody got time for you to make a friend, Rainbow. Let's move!" I think it's the delivery, but I just find Diane so funny, much more so than I used to. She's definitely improved as an actor. In this ep you could see that she wasn't just being rude and mean; she was disturbed about something, which of course we learn is that she got her period.

Jack: What are you doing?
Diane: Nothing! This is normal night laundry.

Diane: ...And I know how to snatch a man's check.
Ruby: Eh!

Jack: Are you choking me out?
Diane: If I was, you'd be out by now. I'm hugging you, dum dum.

Diane: Hey, Peachfuzz and Stink! Shut it!

She has a fantastic delivery.

Loved the scene where all the women talk about their menstruation experiences. 

Alicia: Can we come in?
Ruby: Come on. We don't have to ask.

I also liked the stuff with Dre, Junior, and Pops. The psychological warfare thing that Pops pulled on Dre and then that Dre pulled on Junior was good.

Pops: He's a strong, young man. You cut hot dogs into your cereal.

Junior saying, "Is this another compilation of me falling on my ass?" followed by the compilation of him falling on his ass cracked me up.

Pops: That's not making you any taller. It's just making your arms longer.

Pops: You stink.
Jack: Like a man?
Pops: Like a dirty filthy funky man.

Jack: It's not my fault you're bad at shaving.
Junior: I have hard face angles.

My DVR cut off at the very end. Jack tells Junior, "I got the flow app." Then the recording cut off.

[tennisgurl]

That was delightful, even if I always find the "daughter gets her first period" episodes to be rather overblown. I assume some mother out there make a big deal out of periods, but its not any mom I've ever known. I almost feel like I missed out! 

Glad that Jack called Diane, and that he and Diane had a nice moment. All the stories were funny, and I generally liked all the subplots. I especially liked that Junior got a win on Dre, and that Dre actually helped him with shaving his face. Between the cute nerdy girlfriend, his new public school friends, and finally beating Dre at basketball, everything is coming up Junior lately. 

Pops needs to be in every episode of this show, he makes literally everything better. I have no clue what the show needs to do to keep LF on the show every week, but they need to figure out what that that is, and do it! 

[Luciano]

21 hours ago, peeayebee said:

 

My DVR cut off at the very end. Jack tells Junior, "I got the flow app." Then the recording cut off.

He said something like, "I sleep in the same room with her, I'm not taking any chances."

The look on Josh's face when Connor started his Lake House story was hilarious. He switched so quickly from a neutral expression to one of horror.

Edited November 9, 2017 by Luciano

[ItCouldBeWorse]

13 hours ago, fishcakes said:

Also, Alicia blowing that horn was hilarious.

That was a shofar!

[jhlipton]

3 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

That was a shofar!

And we have nothing to shofar it!  (Is it New Year's already???)

[Racj82]

Everyone's life is different. I think a lot of people have these aversions to certain things in media just because it's not a reflection on their life. Of course, there are parents out there that make a big deal of the period. Or the first time happens in a embarrassing situation. Just remove your own life experience from it. Also, as I always like point out. TV. It's TV. If everyone had a reasonable reaction to situations there would be no situations in sitcoms or no drama in dramas.

I still see complaining about Dre but I've actually seen great strides in the show to balance him out and to be more involved in the family. Also, there is a lot more heightened reactions by Bow and Dre. 

Ruby popping in out of nowhere to start talking by saying your period story was garbage actually made me bust out laughing. Ruby and Earl just pop out of nowhere.

Diane is always snapping at the mouth. It's funny to me that this is a talking point. She's always popping off at the mouth and she gets even ruder when she's upset. There wasn't anything new here. Bow and Dre are often scared of her comedically so their non parent like reactions are par for the course.

[Dee]

The interesting thing about Diane being fresh, is that Rainbow did chastise Diane about her behavior.

Granted, the show undercut Rainbow's reaction in the immediate aftermath, but at least the writers did make an effort to show Rainbow not being a total pushover.

[charmed1]

11 hours ago, Luciano said:

He said something like, "I sleep in the same with her, I'm not taking any chances."

The look on Josh's face when Connor started his Lake House story was hilarious. He switched so quickly from a neutral expression to one of horror.

Ha! Now I have to go back and look just for that. I never knew his name was Connor. In my head, I always refer to him as either Lyle or Eric, but Stevens always calls him Pumpkin or Sweetheart. I know he has a brother that is supposedly equally horrible. I love those little subtleties that the actors give us like Josh's looks, Diane's juice box clap, Jack's defense of LeBron James, Ruby taking off her earrings to confront the Disney employee. And I love of course being able to come here and talk about it and see other people's reactions to something I may have missed. Thank goodness for this forum and all the different perspectives.

[qtpye]

I thought this episode was sweet and I think it is wonderful when art (even if is a silly sitcom) can actually make you reflect on your own life experiences.

I come from some people who are ignorant as hell on these matters..  It was nice to see all the woman supporting her even if it did not match up to alot of peoples' reality.

[teebax]

7 hours ago, Racj82 said:

Everyone's life is different. I think a lot of people have these aversions to certain things in media just because it's not a reflection on their life. Of course, there are parents out there that make a big deal of the period. Or the first time happens in a embarrassing situation. Just remove your own life experience from it. Also, as I always like point out. TV. It's TV. If everyone had a reasonable reaction to situations there would be no situations in sitcoms or no drama in dramas.

I still see complaining about Dre but I've actually seen great strides in the show to balance him out and to be more involved in the family. Also, there is a lot more heightened reactions by Bow and Dre. 

Ruby popping in out of nowhere to start talking by saying your period story was garbage actually made me bust out laughing. Ruby and Earl just pop out of nowhere.

Diane is always snapping at the mouth. It's funny to me that this is a talking point. She's always popping off at the mouth and she gets even ruder when she's upset. There wasn't anything new here. Bow and Dre are often scared of her comedically so their non parent like reactions are par for the course.

I couldn't agree more. My mom didn't make a big deal about mine, but she did have a lovely chat with me about it. She raised us very tough-loveish, so I still remember that conversation with great fondness.

I liked this episode, but I couldn't help but think about how much of my black my mother would have knocked off of me if I'd talked to her the way Diane talked to Rainbow. Seriously, my mama does not play! I'm 45 and still a little afraid of her!

[attica]

My mom never had a period conversation with me. She was a librarian; she gave me books. :)  Which was fine by me; I would have been Mort.If. Ied. to have that convo with her. Let me puzzle it out on my own with diagrams and stuff!

[jhlipton]

7 hours ago, Racj82 said:

I still see complaining about Dre but I've actually seen great strides in the show to balance him out and to be more involved in the family.

Oh, yeah, real balanced, like snatching Jack's blanket because of some trifling thing.  Dre hates all his kids except Zoey and has an ego the size of the moon.