It's easy to label an uncharacteristically serious episode of a sitcom as A Very Special episode, but I will immediately reject the term if anyone tries to pin it on Wednesday night's episode of Black-ish. Because it was more than special -- it was vital.
The episode revolved around the entire Johnson crew gathering around the TV waiting to hear whether an officer was going to be indicted for assaulting an unarmed black 17-year-old.
That's when one of the youngest Johnsons piped up: "Why are these people so mad?"
What an absolutely powerful, moving & emotionally charged episode. It made me cry, laugh, think & hopefully it will start a dialog #Blackish— Darrell Dass (@DarrellDass) February 25, 2016
That #Blackish episode was nuanced and amazing...well done— Mel (@Melyorkie) February 25, 2016
That was a honest talk from multiple points of views that didn't feel the need to offer anything but hope #blackish— Katrina S (@thekatsaid) February 25, 2016
Mom Bo and dad Andre exchanged looks -- this was going to be a long night.
What unfolded was an in-depth and laudable discussion of the Black Lives Matter movement, with all members of the family chipping in. (The eldest son even used the words and ideas of Ta-Nehisi Coates to defend his point of view.) In a nutshell, though, Andre didn't want to sugarcoat things, and Bo wanted her young twins to feel safe in this world.
The kids, she argued, had "plenty of time" to see the ugly side of things; why not let them hold onto their innocence "a little while longer."
Things got heated, however, when the grand jury decided not to press charges in the case.
"How did this happen?" little one Diane asked. Another tough question.
That episode of #blackish just made history, I think. Should be mandatory viewing for...pretty much everybody.— Jennifer Taylor (@jennlmtaylor) February 25, 2016
That @johnlegend song was a great touch for the ending! #Blackish was everything tonight!— Laree Thomas (@LareeLaThomas) February 25, 2016
Three references to Ta-Nehisi Coates in the first five minutes. ABC really committed to diverse representation. #Blackish— Live Tweeting (@BlavityLive) February 25, 2016
"Hope is what keeps us as a people and a country moving forward and sadly, the best way to end that movement is to take away that hope," Dre says in a voiceover. "That hope, at its core, is all we really have to give our children -- a belief in something better. But when everything around them is doing its best to squash that belief, what do you do?"
By the end of the episode, they figure out a way.
After earlier rebuffing Junior's attempts to go out and protest with other members of the community, Dre and Bo decide to go as a family.
"I don't think the world is as broken as you do, Dre, but something's gotta change," Bo says.
Tonight's episode of @black_ishABC raised the bar. @anthonyanderson talking about Obama's inauguration walk made me cry. #Emmy #blackish— Deborah Richmond (@cinnamondeb) February 25, 2016
#Blackish was great tonight. I've had that conversation with my parents about police. It's real, nothing about that episode was made up.— Got Sports? (@ImHipHopHead) February 25, 2016
"The police are shooting people with no arms?!! Why am I just now hearing about this??!" #Blackish — Charlamagne Tha God (@cthagod) February 25, 2016
"I know how I feel and it's lost." - Zoey #blackishhttps://t.co/dMawCM934s— black-ish (@black_ishABC) February 25, 2016