The WORST episodes of mixed-ish

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

Rainbow Johnson recounts her experience growing up in a mixed-race family in the ’80s and the constant dilemmas they had to face over whether to assimilate or stay true to themselves.

Last Updated: 8/18/2024Network: ABC (US)Status: Ended
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Every Little Step
star
7.37
79 votes

#1 - Every Little Step

Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired 4/28/2020

The kids meet a homeless man in their neighborhood, and Paul and Alicia try to have an honest conversation with them about the homelessness crisis. Paul and Rainbow try to help by starting a soup kitchen at Rainbow's school. Meanwhile, Denise has a new boyfriend and Alicia doesn't think they're a match.

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Becoming Bow
star
7.37
186 votes

#2 - Becoming Bow

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/24/2019

Rainbow Johnson recounts her experience growing up in a mixed-race family in the ’80s and the constant dilemmas they had to face over whether to assimilate or stay true to themselves. Bow’s parents Paul and Alicia decide to move from a hippie commune to the suburbs to better provide for their family. As her parents struggle with the challenges of their new life, Bow and her siblings navigate a mainstream school in which they’re perceived as neither black nor white. This family’s experiences illuminate the challenges of finding one’s own identity when the rest of the world can’t decide where you belong.

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Brand New Funk
star
7.41
58 votes

#3 - Brand New Funk

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 2/2/2021

Alicia and Denise bicker over who is the stronger Black woman, and Paul and Harrison come up with a new way of showing affection. Meanwhile, Rainbow is put in charge of Johan and Santamonica and she struggles to maintain control over them.

Directors: Anton Cropper
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Material Girl
star
7.46
50 votes

#4 - Material Girl

Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 4/6/2021

Alicia treats herself to an expensive purse, but Paul finds out and demands that she return it; Bow bribes Alicia to buy her a fancy backpack so she can impress her friends at school.

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The Warrior
star
7.50
139 votes

#5 - The Warrior

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/1/2019

For Rainbow and Alicia, fitting in at school and standing out at work are hard enough; but with the added pressure from stay-at-home-dad Paul to make the world a little better every day, it might just be impossible.

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On My Own
star
7.51
59 votes

#6 - On My Own

Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 2/9/2021

Paul surprises the family by inviting one of his students to live with them, and Paul and Alicia compete to be his mentor. Meanwhile, Rainbow has a crush on their new house guest.   

Directors: Todd Biermann
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Girls Just Want to Have Fun
star
7.52
108 votes

#7 - Girls Just Want to Have Fun

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/29/2019

The popular girls at school ask Rainbow to join their group Halloween costume as Tootie from “The Facts of Life.” She thinks this is finally her opportunity to fit in, but Denise views the situation differently. Meanwhile, Alicia doesn’t want the kids to go trick-or-treating after Harrison and his colleagues tell her about all the dangerous things that can happen.

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Tainted Love
star
7.53
47 votes

#8 - Tainted Love

Season 2 - Episode 11 - Aired 4/27/2021

After the Johnson family discovers Harrison on a date, Paul decides to give Harrison some dating advice, which turns things upside down. Meanwhile, Alicia feels a little insecure after finding out all of her children go to Aunt Denise for advice instead of coming to her.

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She's A Bad Mama Jama
star
7.60
45 votes

#9 - She's A Bad Mama Jama

Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 3/30/2021

Alicia’s mom, Grandma Shireen, stays with the Johnson’s after her surgery, but taking care of grandma becomes a full-time job. Meanwhile, Denise tests each of the kids to see who is best fit to take care of her when she gets old one day.

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This Charming Man
star
7.61
77 votes

#10 - This Charming Man

Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/11/2020

Rainbow is excited to go on her first real date with Bryce for Valentine’s Day, but when her friends weigh in on the rules and expectations, she becomes very nervous. Alicia is wary to let Rainbow start dating and invites Bryce’s parents over for dinner to cross-examine them; and Paul gets into a fight with Bryce’s dad over politics.

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Weird Science
star
7.61
101 votes

#11 - Weird Science

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/19/2019

Rainbow’s passion for science deflates when her peers convince her that science isn’t cool. During Career Day, Rainbow code-switches and pursues journalism in order to fit in, only to find that the local news anchor attending the fair has also been hiding a part of herself. Meanwhile, Harrison works to mold a testimony from Denise who struggles to be anyone but herself, and Santamonica tries to steal the spotlight back after Johan suffers an injury.

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She Works Hard for the Money
star
7.64
80 votes

#12 - She Works Hard for the Money

Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/18/2020

Alicia gets a bonus after winning a big case and wants to buy a nice car, but having been raised on the “fifty-cent principal,” Denise wants her to buy two cars in lesser condition so she can have one. Meanwhile, Paul tries to teach Rainbow, Johan and Santamonica about the value of money.

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Do They Know It's Christmas
star
7.64
89 votes

#13 - Do They Know It's Christmas

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/10/2019

Alicia and Paul strive to maintain their “Winter Solstice” traditions from the commune, but their parents want to have a more traditional Christmas with the kids. Meanwhile, Alicia’s dad, Lynwood, competes with Harrison to be the kids’ favorite Grandad.

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Just the Two of Us
star
7.65
46 votes

#14 - Just the Two of Us

Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 3/2/2021

Alicia and Denise realize they've been boxed into Black women stereotypes at the law firm, and Harrison's attempts to help ends up causing more harm; Paul worries his new job is taking time away from spending time with the kids.

Directors: Shiri Appleby
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Let Your Hair Down
star
7.65
138 votes

#15 - Let Your Hair Down

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/8/2019

After a teacher tells Rainbow to make sure her hair is "neat" for picture day, she becomes self-conscious and begins a complicated relationship with her hair. Meanwhile, Johan and Santamonica struggle with their own hair identity.

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True Colors
star
7.66
86 votes

#16 - True Colors

Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/28/2020

Paul is shocked to hear from his estranged mother who wants to visit for Rainbow’s 13th birthday and soon learns more about why she abandoned him. Meanwhile, Rainbow sees turning 13 as a huge turning point in her life and wants a big birthday party, but Alicia wants to celebrate all the things Rainbow missed out on over the years while on the commune.

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Puttin' On the Ritz
star
7.67
102 votes

#17 - Puttin' On the Ritz

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/12/2019

The kids are excited to learn more about their grandad after Harrison invites the crew to family day at his country club. Although Paul thinks it’s a bad idea, he is eventually overruled. Meanwhile, Alicia attempts to fit in at the country club but ends up fighting with Denise about keeping it real.

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Bad Boys
star
7.67
72 votes

#18 - Bad Boys

Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/7/2020

Alicia and Paul try to deflect Johan’s interest in going to cop camp and one day becoming a police officer. Meanwhile, Rainbow gets her first role as a school safety patrol and quickly realizes that with great power comes great responsibility.

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Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now
star
7.70
77 votes

#19 - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now

Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/14/2020

After learning that scientists predict the ozone layer will be depleted in 20 years, Rainbow panics and tries to implement Earth Day at school to influence some change. To her surprise, she is met with resistance, forcing her to takes matters into her own hands to fight for the cause.

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Sweet Child O’ Mine
star
7.71
66 votes

#20 - Sweet Child O’ Mine

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/26/2021

After finding out Johan has been pretending to be a different race, Rainbow gets mad, and Alicia and Paul try to find a way to encourage Johan to be proud of being Black.

Directors: Todd Biermann
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All She Wants to Do is Dance
star
7.72
109 votes

#21 - All She Wants to Do is Dance

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/22/2019

It’s time for the Johnson kids’ first school dance, but before Bow can dance the night away, she’ll have to consider the social impact of her date choice. Johan finds an outfit for the dance and discovers his love of fashion, while Santamonica spends some time with Harrison.

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You Dropped a Bomb On Me
star
7.73
51 votes

#22 - You Dropped a Bomb On Me

Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 4/20/2021

Rainbow's best friend, Tamika, asks her to plan her 14th birthday party, so Bow goes out of her way to make sure it's the coolest birthday party ever. Meanwhile, Paul and Alicia battle it out for who is the "coolest," and Harrison takes Santi and Johan on a trip to Mexico for some quality time.  

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My Prerogative
star
7.75
53 votes

#23 - My Prerogative

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/23/2021

It’s not all fun and games when Paul wants to crash Denise and Alicia’s neighborhood Spades match, so they teach him about the cultural and racial significance of the game. Meanwhile, Santi, Johan and Bow learn about divorce after watching a movie, so Harrison tries to teach them that divorce can be cool.

Directors: Anton Cropper
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You Give Love a Bad Name
star
7.77
47 votes

#24 - You Give Love a Bad Name

Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 3/23/2021

Paul and Alicia encourage sex-positive conversations with Bow until she invites her crush over to their house and they worry about what’s happening behind closed doors. Meanwhile, Johan and Alvin are looking at advertisements, magazines and even the constellations to see if they can see boobs.

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Walk This Way
star
7.77
48 votes

#25 - Walk This Way

Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired 5/11/2021

Paul tries to become better friends with Denise so he uses his white privilege to help her out with her errands. Meanwhile, Rainbow, Jonah and Santi are selling chocolate bars for their school fundraiser but they pick up some questionable sales tactics.  

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