The BEST episodes of black-ish season 5

Every episode of black-ish season 5, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of black-ish season 5!

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.

Last Updated: 9/12/2024Network: ABC (US)Status: Ended
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Black Like Us
star
7.77
253 votes

#1 - 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.

Writer: Peter Saji
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Purple Rain
star
7.63
285 votes

#2 - Purple Rain

Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/13/2018

The family is shocked to learn that Jack and Diane are not familiar with the iconic music of Prince. One by one, each member of the family works to explain Prince’s tremendous impact on their lives through his music.

Directors: Charles Stone
Writer: Peter Saji
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Relatively Grown Man
star
7.62
225 votes

#3 - Relatively Grown Man

Season 5 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/21/2019

When Junior gets an offer for his dream job working with Migos, Dre and Bow are determined to convince him to return to college and get his degree.

Directors: Anthony Anderson
Writer: Steven White
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Scarred for Life
star
7.60
301 votes

#4 - Scarred for Life

Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/30/2018

The twins opt out of the family Halloween costume for fear it will hurt their social status in middle school. Dre and Bow take it upon themselves to protect them from bullies by putting together the best haunted house and invite the whole seventh grade. Meanwhile, Junior starts spending time with a girl from Ruby’s choir and Ruby doesn’t know how to feel about it.

Directors: Linda Mendoza
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Don't You Be My Neighbor
star
7.57
324 votes

#5 - Don't You Be My Neighbor

Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/23/2018

The neighbors decide to rent their house out for homestays and it’s causing problems for the Johnsons. Dre develops a newfound joy of calling the cops over petty neighborhood issues but begins to question the example he is setting for Jack. Meanwhile, Diane develops her first crush and Bow wants to help but lets Zoey take the lead.

Directors: Pete Chatmon
Writer: Kenny Smith
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
star
7.55
237 votes

#6 - Black History Month

Season 5 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/26/2019

Dre is upset that Jack and Diane are getting the same surface-level education about Black History Month that he got when he was growing up; he is asked to make a presentation at the school assembly and wants to bring black history to life.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
star
7.54
227 votes

#7 - #JustakidfromCompton

Season 5 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/19/2019

Dre and Bow want to send Kyra to Valley Glen Prep, but after the school treats them like a charity case, they are infuriated. Meanwhile, Junior wants to get a job as Josh’s assistant at Stevens & Lido.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Gap Year
star
7.52
317 votes

#8 - Gap Year

Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/16/2018

After dropping Junior off at college, Dre and Bow are beside themselves when they find him back at home announcing his decision to take a gap year. Meanwhile, Jack and Diane begin to question whether they should still be sharing a room.

Directors: Gail Lerner
Writer: Doug Hall
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Enough is Enough
star
7.49
235 votes

#9 - Enough is Enough

Season 5 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/26/2019

After Kyra’s estranged father, Perry, shows up and wants to bring Kyra home to Houston, Dre and Bow work to show him the amazing life they can provide for her. Meanwhile, the kids go on a mission to get her one last chili dog from Larry’s.

Directors: Michael Spiller
Writer: Doug Hall
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Good in the 'Hood
star
7.48
226 votes

#10 - Good in the 'Hood

Season 5 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/23/2019

Dre’s sister Rhonda takes Jack and Diane to her part of town in a black neighborhood and claims the twins are scared of their own community. Dre and Rhonda take them to a local diner to show them why it’s so special. Meanwhile, Bow becomes the “office mom” at work, and Junior tries to help her break the label.

Directors: Rob Sweeney
Watch Now:Apple TV
Dreamgirls and Boys
star
7.47
236 votes

#11 - Dreamgirls and Boys

Season 5 - Episode 12 - Aired 2/12/2019

Dre and Bow struggle with the changing times of identity politics and gender neutrality. Diane auditions for the school play and scores the male lead part, but her crush starts spending time with another girl. Meanwhile, Junior’s Valentine’s Day date goes awry after Dre and Pops have a talk with him about chivalry

Directors: John Fortenberry
Writer: Gail Lerner
Watch Now:Apple TV
Stand Up, Fall Down
star
7.45
264 votes

#12 - Stand Up, Fall Down

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/27/2018

Junior hasn’t been doing much at home during his gap year, so Dre decides to put him to work as an intern at Stevens & Lido. Junior is astonished to see Dre’s co-workers say offensive things and Dre letting it slide. Meanwhile, Bow lets Ruby watch Devante after the nanny quits; and Ruby has a hard time following Bow’s rules.

Directors: Ryan Case
Watch Now:Apple TV
Is It Desert or Dessert?
star
7.45
221 votes

#13 - Is It Desert or Dessert?

Season 5 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/14/2019

Dre has concerns about Jack and Diane spending the weekend with their friends’ family in the desert. Meanwhile, Pops is forced to come to terms with how he treats women after he helps set Junior up.

Directors: Kenny Smith
Writer: Kenny Smith
Watch Now:Apple TV
FriDre Night Lights
star
7.43
229 votes

#14 - FriDre Night Lights

Season 5 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/30/2019

Dre is thrilled when Jack makes the football team, but Bow is against the idea. Meanwhile, Diane wants Junior to drive her to her first real date with Jalen, but Junior overstays his welcome.

Watch Now:Apple TV
Under the Influence
star
7.43
234 votes

#15 - Under the Influence

Season 5 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/16/2019

Jack is going through an experimental phase and getting himself into trouble, so Dre chaperones the twins’ school dance to keep an eye on him. Meanwhile, Junior fights with his girlfriend, Niecy, after she thinks he spends too much time taking care of Devante.

Directors: Linda Mendoza
Watch Now:Apple TV
Andre Johnson: Good Person
star
7.40
241 votes

#16 - Andre Johnson: Good Person

Season 5 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/9/2019

As they are planning Devante’s birthday, Bow wants to be more mindful with all the new child-rearing rules these days, but Dre isn’t having it; Jack and Diane try to change Ruby’s bad habits.

Directors: Ken Whittingham
Writer: Esa Lewis
Watch Now:Apple TV
Wilds of Valley Glen
star
7.39
248 votes

#17 - Wilds of Valley Glen

Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/8/2019

Dre must take Jack and Diane on a mandatory camping trip for school and hatches a plan for them to escape to a fancy hotel for some pampering. Meanwhile, Bow gets an award at work, but feels undermined after a colleague is surprised to learn that she went to USC for med school.

Directors: Claire Scanlon
Watch Now:Apple TV
Good Grief
star
7.37
272 votes

#18 - Good Grief

Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/20/2018

Bow’s mom, Alicia, visits the family for the first time since the loss of Bow’s dad, and she is still heavily grieving. Bow decides to throw a big luau-themed party for what would have been her dad’s next birthday. Meanwhile, Mason has an extra ticket to an MMA fight and invites Diane on the same night as the party.

Directors: Todd Holland
Writer: Gail Lerner
Watch Now:Apple TV
Each One, Teach One
star
7.31
227 votes

#19 - Each One, Teach One

Season 5 - Episode 17 - Aired 4/2/2019

Dre feels like he has made a difference with the diversity at Stevens & Lido as the head of the Urban Division, but when Junior tells him that Josh is his mentor, Dre flips out. Meanwhile, Jack and Diane show their friends a video of Bow dancing and now she’s become the hot mom.

Directors: Gail Lerner
Watch Now:Apple TV
Friends Without Benefits
star
7.30
260 votes

#20 - Friends Without Benefits

Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/4/2018

Bow makes a new friend at work and Dre thinks she has broken bird syndrome. Meanwhile, Junior transforms his shared room with Jack into a frat house, and Ruby and Diane gang up against them.

Directors: Ken Whittingham
Watch Now:Apple TV
Christmas in Theater Eight
star
7.29
259 votes

#21 - Christmas in Theater Eight

Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/11/2018

The Johnsons have a tradition of going to the movies on Christmas and they can never agree on what to see. Dre wants to see an important film about Rosa Parks, but they all want to see the latest action-packed superhero blockbuster. Meanwhile, Junior becomes embarrassed about taking a gap year after he runs into his ex-girlfriend Megan at the theater.

Directors: Jude Weng
Watch Now:Apple TV
Son of a Pitch
star
7.27
234 votes

#22 - Son of a Pitch

Season 5 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/19/2019

Junior shakes things up at Stevens and Lido as an intern; Bow has a meeting with one of Kyra’s teachers and learns that she has an aptitude for chemistry, but Kyra doesn’t want to transfer to a magnet school.

Directors: Eva Longoria
Writer: Steven White
Watch Now:Apple TV
Waltz in A Minor
star
7.27
235 votes

#23 - Waltz in A Minor

Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/22/2019

Dre’s teenage cousin Kyra needs a place to stay and the Johnsons decide to take her in, but they have different approaches to helping her adjust to suburban life. Meanwhile, Jack and Diane try to vet Kyra on social media to get information on her.

Directors: Pete Chatmon
Watch Now:Apple TV