MILES BROWN, LAURENCE FISHBURNE, JENNIFER LEWIS Black-ish Review: Things Were Different Then (Season 4 Episode 16)

Black-ish Review: Things Were Different Then (Season 4 Episode 16)

Samantha Coley black-ish, Reviews

 

Black-ish Season 4 Episode 16 “Things Were Different Then” gives us a look into Dre’s past with his father as Pops celebrates his 65th birthday.

It’s always been obvious that there’s a lot of love in the Johnson family, but Dre’s past with his father is a complicated one. Dre resents his father because from his perspective he wasn’t a very good father. But a trip down memory lane gets him to look at Pops behavior from another point of view.

JENNIFER LEWIS, TRACEE ELLIS ROSS, ANTHONY ANDERSON, MILES BROWN, MARCUS SCRIBNER, CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER
BLACK-ISH – “Things Were Different Then” – Dre reluctantly helps Junior plan Pops’ 65th birthday party and starts to see his dad’s past in a new light. Meanwhile, Bow decides to say “yes” to everything for a whole year and Jack & Diane take advantage of her, on “black-ish,” TUESDAY, MARCH 20 (9:00-9:30 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Ron Tom)
JENNIFER LEWIS, TRACEE ELLIS ROSS, ANTHONY ANDERSON, MILES BROWN, MARCUS SCRIBNER, CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER

Pops is turning 65 which is quite an accomplishment, as black men tend to die a lot younger than the national average. Junior doesn’t know very much about Pops or Dre’s childhood with him, so he has a very idealized version of the past in his head when he sets out to throw Pops a birthday party.

Junior: You must have plenty of great memories, huh? Just you and Pops, one A&W root beer float, two straws. Just a boy and his dad cruising up the coast listening to the beach boys.

MARCUS SCRIBNER, ANTHONY ANDERSON
BLACK-ISH – “Things Were Different Then” – Dre reluctantly helps Junior plan Pops’ 65th birthday party and starts to see his dad’s past in a new light. Meanwhile, Bow decides to say “yes” to everything for a whole year and Jack & Diane take advantage of her, on “black-ish,” TUESDAY, MARCH 20 (9:00-9:30 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Ron Tom)
MARCUS SCRIBNER, ANTHONY ANDERSON

As children we can have very specific views of our parents and sometimes we don’t always have the whole picture before we make up our minds. Pops did a lot of shady stuff while Dre was growing up, but he did what he did for his family.

Now that he’s an adult Dre can see that in spite of his flaws Pops did the best he could for his family in the world that he lived in.

Bow: You got a gift on your dad’s birthday. You forgave him Dre, and I get that he wasn’t able to listen, but forgiveness is about healing what’s inside you. It’s not about him.

Not every family relationship is perfect, and some may never be, but hopefully with time and perspective we can all learn to understand each other a little better like Dre and Pops.

Meanwhile, Bow takes a page out of Shonda Rhimes book (literally) and decides to take on a “year of saying yes” with the twins. At first it’s an exciting and joyful bonding experience for all of them, but they reach a point where Bow (and the kids) want a break.

LAURENCE FISHBURNE, JENSEN LEFLORE
BLACK-ISH – “Things Were Different Then” – Dre reluctantly helps Junior plan Pops’ 65th birthday party and starts to see his dad’s past in a new light. Meanwhile, Bow decides to say “yes” to everything for a whole year and Jack & Diane take advantage of her, on “black-ish,” TUESDAY, MARCH 20 (9:00-9:30 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Ron Tom)
LAURENCE FISHBURNE, JENSEN LEFLORE

I think Bow still learned an important lesson from Shonda Rhimes here. It’s okay to say yes, saying yes isn’t scary or a waste of time.

Because Bow is no longer working at the hospital she’s going to have a lot more opportunities to spend fun time with her kids. She doesn’t have to say yes every time, but now she can say yes more often and the three of them will have a better relationship for it.

I think this episode of Black-ish is very easy to relate to for a lot of families. Whether you see yourself in Bow, Dre, Junior, or another member of the Johnson family, there’s always an important lesson about love and life wrapped up in these 22 minutes.

OTHER THOUGHTS:

  • Cedric the Entertainer dropped by to celebrate with Pops, and maybe pickpocket the Johnson’s entire neighborhood.
  • Why doesn’t Jack know who Shonda Rhimes is?
  • How do you think the kids faired at yoga?
  • I loved that Ruby’s story of the past even rhymed as we flashbacked to Pops side hustle.
  • No matter how many times we see that flashback of Ruby blowing up Pops’ boat it never stops being funny.

 

What did you think of this episode of Black-ish? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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Black-ish airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on ABC.

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Samantha (she/her) is a social media specialist by day and a sci-fi junkie by night. As a freelance writer and podcaster, she also enjoys live-tweeting, blogging, good music, and better television. Her current favorite television shows include Star Trek (yes, all of them), Riverdale, and Stranger Things and there will always be a place in her heart for Battlestar Galactica, Leverage, and The West Wing.