black-ish Season 5 Episode 1 Review: Gap Year
Rachelle Lewis
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Oh, how I have missed the Johnson family.
Bow and Dre are better than ever in black-ish Season 5 Episode 1 putting all the separation drama behind them, praise the lord. Therapy is doing wonders for them because they worked as a team to deal with Junior.
One of the great things about this couple is, they do view life differently. It is those views that cause them to have a completely different perspective on how to deal with problems.
Dre goes off the depend at times, but it comes from a place of love. He gave Junior a list of how much he had cost Dre and Bow over the years. Yes, it was his attempt to speak to his son like a man, but an itemized report was a little extreme.
Bow: What are you doing home?
Dre: How the hell did you get home?
Junior: I used the emergency credit card to book a flight.
Bow: What is the emergency?
Junior: I wasn't really feeling college right now.
Bow: What the…?
Zoey: Not to brag, but I predicted this on Twitter three days ago. I'm a prophet.
Don't get me wrong, Dre telling Junior the resort fee on the list was for his use of the pool throughout the years had me in stitches. Unfortunately for Dre, it backfired.
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Junior had a rebuttal for every single "man" reason his father gave him for going to back to school. It was a great conversation because he was confident, contradictory and right.
The oldest Johnson son had carefully thought about all the reasons this was the right decision for him.
Pops is not always the voice of reason. In fact, Dre generally does the opposite of what his father tells him to do. However, Bow and Dre had no choice but to listen to him when it came to Junior.
It was entertaining to see the look on both Bow and Dre's faces when they realized Pops was right. They raised a good, strong, honest man who was brave enough to frank with them about school.
Dre: What do you mean there is no plan?
Bow: Junior has no plan.
Dre: I will tell you what the plan is. He is taking his ass back to college!
Bow: Damn Skippy he is! How do you think this looks? I am Dr. Rainbow Johnson.
Dre: Yes, you are!
Bow: I went to Brown University. I went to USC Medical School. People know my name. I have a reputation to uphold. My kids go to college!
Dre: Yeah, they do! Wait a minute, even Jack?
Pops didn't agree with the gap year, but he knew Junior needed to find his way. Each generation has a different path, hopefully, and parents need to trust the job they have done raising their kids.
The softer, loving and caring side of Pops was a nice change. But let's hope that is rare because I love him as the inappropriate, hilarious and grumpy old man.
Kids don't know what is best for them, even at 18-years. Junior's choice may seem right to him, but he had no idea how it will affect the rest of his life. At that age, it is all about how you feel at the moment. He feels this is the best choice for him but only time will tell if it is.
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Taking a gap year is common for kids these days. Even though some never end up going to college, many of them do.
Thanks to Grandma Ruby, Diane s finally getting her own room. Boys and girls at that age need their privacy. There is no way they could have continued to share a room.
Dre: What if he never goes back Bow? I don't know where I would have been without college. When I was a kid walking through my neighborhood, the only jobs I thought you could have were a postman, a barber or a bus driver. All of them are good, but college taught me the world was bigger than my block.
Pops: He knows that dummy! Look the boy grew up different from how you did. Just like you grew up different from how I did, and now he is traveling down a road you ain't never been on before. You ought to be glad Junior has the opportunity to do it his way.
Bow: My brother and sister did it their way, and they are still spinning. I don't want that for Junior. You guys he is a scared kid, and I am just trying to protect him from making a bad decision.
Pops: Here's what I know. Your scared kid was brave enough to sit with you and be honest about feeling a little bit lost. And Dre, he stood up to you just now when you tried to bully him. I think that the strong, honest young man you both raised has earned a little bit of trust.
Bow: Are you saying you agree with the gap year?
Pops: Hell, no, that is still some white shit, but you owe it to him to see this through.
Dre: I guess he is right.
I like that Junior has to share a room with Jack. It is going to be very entertaining to watch these two cohabitate.
Just like Junior, the twins thought that it was best for them to share a room until someone else pointed it out. That is how life goes, most of the time kids and even adults don't always realize what is best unless someone else gives us insight.
A few final thoughts on the return of black-ish. So happy that Zoey is back, even though we all know it will be short-lived. She, as so many young adults do, speaks to her parents bluntly and honestly.
The whole parent-child relationship changes when a kid goes off to college. Bow and Dre, like many parents, have started to listen to their daughter more and realized she might know what she is talking about.
Dre: I have been thinking, and you can stay here until you go back to school.
Junior: No. You were right. If I am going to do this, then I have to take responsibility for my actions, because I am a man.
Dre: Ok, ok, ok. Son, I want you to stay. If you have some things you need to work out, I would rather you do it here.
Bow: Right here.
Junior: You know what, I don't even know if I am comfortable here dad. Your words hurt.
Dre: They were supposed to! Son, I am sorry I hurt you, but I really want you to stay.
Junior: I still don't know.
Bow: Oh please, we are begging you!
Junior: I don't know if he is.
Dre: I am not begging you.
Junior: When you showed me those numbers, the thing you charged me the most for was your time.
Dre: I am an important man!
Bow: Dre, please!
Dre: Junior, please stay. I beg you.
Junior: You had me at Junior.
Zoey is seriously my favorite character on the show. She always has a good one-liner, especially when she is insulting Junior.
Although I liked Grandma Ruby interfering with Jack and Diane, I wanted more of her wisdom. She marches to the beat of her own drum. Ruby is a great inspiration to live life to the fullest, while still taking care of those that you love.
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Family is always number one for the Johnsons. Sometimes we all need a reminder that life and problems that come with it need to get solved by thinking outside of the box. Oh and adding a little humor to any situation is always a good thing.
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Rachelle Lewis was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in 2019..
