The BEST episodes of black-ish
Every episode of black-ish ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of black-ish!
An upper-middle-class black man struggles to raise his children with a sense of cultural identity despite constant contradictions and obstacles coming from his liberal wife, old-school father and his assimilated, color-blind kids.
#1 - Lemons
Season 3 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/11/2017
The nation is still reeling after the outcome of the presidential election, and tensions are particularly high at Dre’s work. Much to his frustration, they haven’t been able to get anything done since election night – eight weeks ago. Meanwhile, Junior is dealing with a disenfranchised student body as class president, and when he is asked to deliver Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech at school, Pops teaches him there is more to the speech than Junior thought.
#2 - Hope
Season 2 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/24/2016
When the kids ask some tough questions in the midst of a highly publicized court case involving alleged police brutality and an African-American teenager, Dre and Bow are conflicted on how best to field them. Dre, along with Pops and Ruby, feel the kids need to know what kind of world they’re living in, while Bow would like to give them a more hopeful view about life. When the verdict is announced, the family handles the news in different ways while watching the community react.
#3 - Daddy Dre-Care
Season 2 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/11/2016
When the flu breaks out in the Johnson household, Dre desperately tries to avoid catching it, while taking care of the whole family.
#4 - Sprinkles
Season 3 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/10/2017
In the Season 3 finale, Dre throws Bow’s baby shower and wants it to be unforgettable, but his plans are put on hold when Bow stops by the OB/GYN with a headache and discovers she is having complications.
#5 - The Word
Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/23/2015
Jack performs the song “Gold Digger” at a school talent show and when he sings a lyric that includes THE word, it leads to his possible expulsion from school. Dre and Bow work together to get him reinstated, and along the way, examine the evolution of THE word through the generations and just who, if anyone, has the right to use it.
#6 - All Groan Up
Season 3 - Episode 22 - Aired 4/26/2017
When Zoey gets into several colleges around the country, Dre and Bow begin to feel worried and sentimental. They reflect back on memories they’ve had with the family and wonder what life will be like without her around all the time. Pops enlists the twins to try and sway Zoey to go to college in a city they want to visit.
#7 - The Nod
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/8/2014
Dre sets out to expand Andre Jr’s social circle to include more black kids after he discovers Andre Jr. is clueless about “the nod.” Meanwhile, hoping to inspire little Diane to become a doctor, Rainbow takes her to work at the hospital... on what turns out to be the worst day ever.
#8 - The Purge
Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/26/2016
After Junior embarrasses Dre during a basketball game, Dre decides to remind Junior of his master pranking skills so he’ll never challenge him again. Meanwhile, the neighborhood participates in a “mischief night” during Halloween where petty crimes become legal, and Ruby takes it too far with the kids.
#9 - Being Bow-racial
Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/30/2016
Bow must address unresolved feelings about her own biracial identity when Junior brings home his first girlfriend, who happens to be white. Dre is handling a big project for a client at work and relies on Charlie to teach him how to relate to the campaign’s white, female point-person. Meanwhile, Zoey needs extra credit for her design class, and asks Jack and Diane if she can remodel their room.
#10 - Homegoing
Season 8 - Episode 13 - Aired 4/19/2022
As Pops and Ruby prepare to move away, Dre and Bow consider if they should make a big life change as well. Grappling with this idea at work, Dre receives some unexpected advice from Simone Biles, who tells him to follow his heart.
#11 - The Talk
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/1/2014
When Dre decides to give Andre Jr. the sex talk, he instantly regrets it when his son won’t stop asking questions.
#12 - Crime and Punishment
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/22/2014
Although Dre and Rainbow agreed they would no longer spank their kids, all bets might be off when Jack disobeys. Now, Zoey, Junior, Diane and a nervous Jack are afraid that their parents will go back on their word.
#13 - One Angry Man
Season 3 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/22/2017
Dre is forced to participate in jury duty after Junior responds to the summons that was thrown away. The case is supposed to be open and shut, but when Dre sees that the defendant is a young African American, he feels a civic responsibility to give him a fair trial. Meanwhile, Bow decides to let the kids swear in the house since they are more open with her that way, but she and Ruby soon regret the decision.
#14 - The Prank King
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/29/2014
Dre fears his holiday fun will be ruined when the older kids balk at the glorious Johnson Halloween tradition of seeing who can pull the most outlandish pranks on each other.
#15 - Dream Home
Season 4 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/15/2018
Dre and Bow are living separate lives and switching off with the kids. They start to realize how much they relied on each other and how hard it is being on their own. Dre gets his sleek, ultra-modern dream house in the canyon with all the amenities, and Bow doesn’t think it’s suitable for the kids.
#16 - Sister, Sister
Season 3 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/26/2017
Bow’s sister comes to town after filming a stint on a reality show, and they couldn’t have less in common. Meanwhile, Zoey suggests that Dre spend more time with Junior since she’s leaving for college, and Jack and Diane decide to rebrand themselves.
#17 - Black Like Us
Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/15/2019
Dre and Bow are furious after Diane isn’t lit properly in her class photo. Diane doesn’t want to make it a big deal, but they decide to talk to the principal about the need for sensitivity toward all complexions. Meanwhile, Junior claims there is unspoken colorism within their own family, and things get heated.
#18 - The Gift of Hunger
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/12/2014
After the kids turn their collective noses up at Dre’s favorite cheap restaurant in his old ’hood, he decides it’s time to give them a reality check. He insists all of them get jobs. But when Andre Jr. and Zoey start working at his office, he can’t help but interfere, and Jack and Diane’s efforts to make some spare cash leave the neighbors thinking the family has fallen on hard times, much to Bow’s embarrassment.
#19 - The Leftovers
Season 2 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/6/2016
When Dre and Bow realize they don’t have a legal guardian for their kids, they make it their mission to find replacement parents should anything happen to them. Meanwhile, Zoey and Junior reveal the truth to Jack about their old dog’s death and other family secrets he naively accepted.
#20 - Mother Nature
Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/10/2017
Bow is feeling overwhelmed after the birth of DeVante and learns she is suffering from postpartem depression. Dre urges her to get help and stands by her side while she works through it. Meanwhile, the kids babyproof the house in an effort to help their parents out.
#21 - Elder Scam
Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/17/2017
Ruby gets scammed and Dre begins to suspect that she isn’t as sharp as she used to be, particularly because she was the one who used to scam other people. Zoey’s friend Aaron visits and Diane develops an instant crush on him.
#22 - Who's Afraid of the Big Black Man?
Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/12/2016
After a situation arises at work, Dre’s views are confronted regarding how black people are perceived now versus when he grew up. He wants to be more open-minded about being a part of his community, and his first step is joining his Homeowners’ Association. Meanwhile, Bow wants to spend more time with the kids before the new baby arrives and gets advice from Pops on how to make them want to be around her.
#23 - Liberal Arts
Season 3 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/3/2017
Dre drops Zoey off to college for her two-day orientation, where she hits it off with a fellow freshman after they ditch the campus tour and meet a guy at the Black Student Union booth; and Zoey finds out Dre never turned in her housing application, so she pays a visit to the president and dean to plead for mercy. This episode serves as a backdoor pilot for grown-ish.
#24 - Black Santa/White Christmas
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/10/2014
Dre campaigns to be the new Santa at the annual office Christmas party, but when that honor goes to Angelica, the lovely head of HR, he goes to great lengths to unseat her, because he’s convinced Stevens & Lido needs a black Santa. Meanwhile, Bow is tired of competing with Ruby over who cooks the big Christmas Eve dinner.
#25 - Keeping Up with the Johnsons
Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/20/2016
After a month of heavy spending, Dre and Bow start to question if they are living too large. Dre’s crazy accountant, James Brown, has always been their go-to money guy, but when the topic of finances gets brought up at work, Mr. Stevens refers Dre to his more straight-laced accountant for a second opinion. Dre and Bow realize they need to be more financially responsible and try to prove to each other that they can live without their outrageous expenses. Meanwhile, the kids overhear their parents talking about money and Junior decides to start day trading.