The two week hiatus that ABC’s Blackish took from any discernible bias or controversy came to a sudden and violent end on Wednesday night, in an episode titled ‘Hope’. Billed as a “very special episode,” the Johnson family gathers around the television set and takes the audience through the experience of what it’s like to be a black family watching the verdict in a case of police brutality against black people. Or, I should say, what it’s like to be a liberal black family watching the verdict in a case of police brutality against black people
After watching a CNN montage of protesters and police in riot gear, leading up to the announcement of the verdict in the hypothetical case, Dre’s (Anthony Anderson) son asks him why the protestors are so angry. Then this happens:
Grandpa: Because the police are damn thugs.
Mom: Not all police.
Dre: Yeah, only 92%. The other 8% are advisors on "Law & Order" episodes.
Mom: Okay! Guys, why don't you go to the kitchen, get some to-go menus, and see if you can find us something good to have for dinner tonight.
Daughter: Why even bother? We're just gonna end up at Chipotle again.
Son: We cannot let that happen.
Mom: Well, why don't you go find something good, then? See what we can find, huh? Thank you.
Grandmother: You know, you can try and mask the problems of this world in savory barbacoa meat and floury tortillas if you choose, Rainbow, but it doesn't change the fact the police in this country have a problem with Black folks.
Dre: Thank you, Mama.
Junior: It's a little more nuanced than that, Dad.
Mom: Thank you, Junior.
Dre: I can't wait until a cop gets ahold of your ass.
Junior: Police definitely have a place in society, but with almost 1,000 police-related fatalities and billions of dollars in misconduct settlements...There might be some issues.
Dre: Boom!
Of course, people trying to kill police officers is kind of an issue as well. As is throwing out numbers on officer-involved killings without shedding any light whatsoever as to the circumstances that led to those killings. I’m sure Blackish will deal with all that next week.