black-ish is one of the best shows on television. Period. Do yourself a favor and tune in for the black-ish season 2 premiere WEDNESDAY SEPT 23 9:30|8:30c, and let the laughs wash over you while you slowly realize that your life is better than it was 30 minutes prior. If this is not enough to convince you, then perhaps this list of 7 reasons to get excited for Season 2 will do the trick.
1. Dre
This is obvious. Dre Johnson is the narrator of the show and patriarch of the Johnson family, and his thoughtful approach to family and parenting is the source of much of the smart yet hilarious cultural dialogue in this show. Anthony Anderson received an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Dre, and it's very well deserved:
Dre Sees Zoey & Bow's Secret Texts|Zoey breaks curfew, but that's not the worst news for Dre.|Dre (Anthony Anderson) is worried sick about Zoey (Yara Shahidi), who is an hour late for curfew. When she finally gets home, Dre checks her phone to discover that she's been leading a secret life with Bow (Tracee Ellis Ross)! Dre always thought he was tight with Zoey, but it turns out she's been texting Bow and they've both been playing Dre. Emoji cryface! From Season 1, Episode 21 of black-ish, "The Peer-ent Trap." ABC WEDNESDAYS 9:30|8:30c.
2. Bow
We promise this won't just be a list of characters on the show. (Although that would be just as convincing, because this show sports some of the best characters on TV.) But for all of his good intention, Dre often needs a voice of reason. His wife Rainbow is that voice of reason. Usually. But she, like pretty much anyone who's ever tried to raise a child, is human. And humans aren't perfect:
Rainbow Forgets to Listen|Bow is so excited Zoey asked for advice, she forgets to listen.|Rainbow (Tracee Ellis Ross) has been eager to have her daughter come to her for advice, but when Zoey (Yara Shahidi) finally opens up to her, Bow is too busy basking in the moment that she forgets to listen. From Episode 2 of black-ish Season 1, "The Talk." ABC WEDNESDAYS 9:30|8:30c.
3. It's Real
There are plenty of laughs to mine from even the most serious of subjects, but not every show can tackle them with the sheer amount of laughter that black-ish can. For example: Getting old sucks, but it's a lot funnier when it's Dre worrying about it:
Dre Loses a Tooth. Is He Dying?|To prove he's not old, Dre takes to the basketball court.|When his coworkers insist he's old, Dre (Anthony Anderson) tries to prove he still has it by challenging them to a game of basketball. But things quickly go downhill when Dre gets a leg cramp and then loses a tooth while loading up on potassium from a banana. From Season 1, Episode 17 of black-ish, "30 Something." ABC WEDNESDAYS 9:30|8:30c.
4. It's Also a Fantastic Workplace Comedy
Your coworkers are like an extended family of sorts -- another group of folks you spend a lot of time with who can either help you out or drive you crazy. Mr. Stevens, Josh, and Charlie are some of the funniest coworkers you will ever find on TV. We could have made a separate entry on this list for each one of them with little difficulty.
Dre's Coworkers Tell Him to Spy on Zoey|Dre needs to use social media to keep tabs on Zoey.|At the office, Dre (Anthony Anderson) complains about catching Zoey driving even though she's only 15, so coworkers Mr. Stevens (Peter Mackenzie), Josh (Jeff Meacham) and Charlie (Deon Cole) recommend using technology and social media to keep tabs on her. From Season 1, Episode 21 of black-ish, "The Peer-ent Trap." ABC WEDNESDAYS 9:30|8:30c.
5. Awesome Guest Stars
As if the killer cast wasn't enough, this show also attracts a ton of standout guests. Season 1 included Sean "Diddy" Combs, Bill Maher, Mary J. Blige, Maury Povich, and Raven-Symone, just to name a few. Here's Michael Rapaport telling Dre he's corny:
Michael Rapaport Says Dre Is Corny|Dre's white client thinks Charlie has more cred.|Dre (Anthony Anderson) feels his blackness is threatened when a streetwise white exec from the Bronx (guest star Michael Rapaport) wants to put Charlie Telphy (Deon Cole) in charge of their account. To add insult to injury, Dre's Compton cred gets taken down another notch after coworker Laura compliments him for recommending "The Good Wife." From Season 1, Episode 20 of black-ish, "Switch Hitting." ABC WEDNESDAYS 9:30|8:30c.
6. Brilliant Comedy Sequences
Have you ever watched a scene in a sitcom where a man and a woman disagree on something? (Another way of asking that question might be, "Have you ever watched a sitcom?") But have you ever seen it play out as a horror movie? black-ish constantly subverts the cliches and tropes of modern sitcoms with sequences like this that never fail to bring a freshness to family comedy:
Dre Wants Credit from His Wife|Dre goes too far and things play out like a horror film.|Dre (Anthony Anderson) knows that credit is something that's always been hard for black men to get. When he loads the dishwasher, he insists that Rainbow (Tracee Ellis Ross) give him credit for helping her out. She doesn't think his "feat" is that big of a deal, so Dre pushes the issue until he realizes he's making things play out like a horror movie. From Season 1, Episode 4 of black-ish, "Crazy Mom." ABC WEDNESDAYS 9:30|8:30c.
7. No Pulled Punches
While many shows will avoid any potentially controversial topics, black-ish dives into them headfirst -- because they're real issues that real families confront every day. From sexuality to politics, you can bet black-ish will tackle the subject with brains, side-splitting humor, and a grace that is all too lacking from most comedies these days. To wit:
Dre Gets Lesbian Advice at Work|Coworker Laura was a LUG (Lesbian Until Graduation).|At work, Dre (Anthony Anderson) admits he doesn't like talking about his sister Rhonda (guest star Raven-Symone) being gay. He gets help from his coworkers, Mr. Stevens (Peter MacKenzie), Josh (Jeff Meacham), Charlie (Deon Cole) and Laura (Edi Patterson), who was a self-proclaimed "LUG" (Lesbian Until Graduation). From Season 1, Episode 22 of black-ish, "Please Don't Ask, Please Don't Tell." ABC WEDNESDAYS 9:30|8:30c.
Watch black-ish ABC WEDNESDAYS 9:30|8:30c.
