'Black-ish' Lauded for Police Brutality Episode 'Hope'
"They are not just children, they are black children," the father says.
— -- The sitcom "Black-ish" tackled a more serious issue on its episode "Hope" last night -- police brutality. And pundits from sites like the Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly have applauded how the show stayed true to its brand of humor while tackling race relations in America.
EW writer Keertana Sastry wrote that "In one swoop, the series tackled police brutality with an incredible balance of depth and brevity that proves comedies can handle difficult subjects as long as they are done with a steady hand."
The Washington Post praised the ABC show for "staying true to its roots."
"'Hope,' which takes place entirely in the Johnson house, is exactly the type of multigenerational conversation that has made previous episodes of 'Blackish,' now in its second season, stand out amid the current sitcom line-up," writes Post scribe Bethonie Butler.
The episode centers around the youngest twins, Jack and Diane, and how their parents discuss and explain police brutality to them. The dad, Andre, played by Anthony Anderson, and the mom, played by Tracee Ellis Ross, along with their parents, all have different views on how to address race relations, as they watch a fake indictment case. Andre shares what he thinks is a realistic view on the world, while Rainbow wants to inspire hope in her young ones.
"They are not just children, they are black children and they need to know the world they are living in," Andre says in one scene.
"I just want to give them a little faith in the world," Rainbow says later on. "Help them hold on to their innocence and be kids a little while longer."
The official "Black-ish" Twitter account shared clips from the show's most crucial points and quotes -- serving as good starting points for debates at home, possibly among other families watching.
Fans on Twitter and social media also lauded the show for keeping true and yet educating its fans.
Anderson also retweeted a lot of the kind words fans sent his way.
Ross did the same. "LOVE all around" she wrote last night.
"Black-ish" is a show on ABC, part of the ABC family, which includes ABC News.