black-ish 2014

I must say that I like Black-ish - and the -ish franchise as a whole. But by season 4, I'd hit a rough patch. Let me clarify this for you: I've always liked Black-ish. Just liked it, nothing more. Since almost every episode began with a history lesson, over the course of the first four seasons, I'd hit a rough patch. Meaning that I still very much liked the show, but I wasn't really looking forward to it either. BUT, then came Season 4 Episode 20: "Fifty-Three Percent". I was very much surprised by the different tone of this episode and happily surprised to find out that this was an arc that lasted multiple episodes. For the spoiler-seekers: This arc was about the marriage troubles that Andre and Rainbow were having. It was so different than what Black-ish usually is about, but so fitting, so real, that it was almost a relief to watch these episodes. Great music, magnificent acting, powerful writing and a team that just knows how to work your feelings. I must say that I've found my love back for the show since then. I even believe - or maybe I'm just seeing it differently because I like it much more now - that the show has gotten so much better, having overall interesting story arcs for the characters - like Junior taking a gap year, the twins growing up and their struggles and the Johnsons taking in Dre's cousin Kyra. It's also amazing to see how Black-ish, Grown-ish and now Mixed-ish intertwine and how these characters get actual growth and learn from everything they do - unlike many other comedy shows out there.