Black-ish - Dog Eat Dog World - Review

This week, Black-ish was all about how to say "no" to your kids, dogs and uncomfortable comments. Let's recap.

If there is one thing Dre warned viewers about in Dog Eat Dog World it's that you should be very careful of what you tell your kids. When Jack asks his parents if he can have a dog, he is told yes, but only if he brings home straight As. Well, that didn't go unheard by the young man who accomplishes what his parents thought to be impossible. So when Jack presents his report card to them, Bow thinks they have to fulfill their promise, while Dre is not willing to have a dog. Apparently, he had a situation with a Chihuahua that was coming at Zoey when she was a child, and he kicked it. Bow is pro dogs, but for Dre "black people don't mess up with dogs." At work, Dre discusses the matter with his co-workers, who are all dog lovers, and they try to figure out which racial reason might explain why Dre doesn't want a dog. But the thing is, he simply doesn't want to. Back at home, he decides to put the decision up to a vote, and Diane ends up being the one whose decision will decide the fate of the potential Johnson family dog. She votes for having a dog, hoping it will bring chaos into the Johnson home.

The dog conundrum is the perfect time for Bow's brother Johan (Daveed Diggs) to come back to the show, fresh home from France with an emotional support pug. Obviously he is pro dog and doesn't have much to add to the family dilemma, but his character brings in some comic relief when he is confronted to Ruby's flirtatious comments, making him feel very uncomfortable. He ends up talking to her about it and asking for her to stop, but this turns out to have a strange effect on him. He feels more vulnerable without Ruby's attention. Meanwhile, Junior decides to teach Jack and Diane how to take care of a dog by acting like one himself, which has the great advantage of putting some hilarious moments into this episode of Black-ish.

Since the dog plan has been approved, Bow decides the family should get a dog from a shelter rather than buy one, which of course Dre is against. He wants a dog with papers, like a boxer. To compromise, Bow finds a boxer rescue and has a Rescue Placement Coordinator visit their home to assess if it's suitable for a dog. She sees Devante as a danger for the dog, and Dre is appalled to see the requirements the rescue have to place a dog. Pet insurance? Someone with the dog at all time? It's insanity to him. Think of all the viewers who watched this episode while cuddling up with their dogs (including me and my 2-year-old Corgi). Think of them watching the scene where Dre's office is having a "Bring your dog to work Day" and Dre is baffled to see his co-workers gushing over their dogs. He shares his annoyance towards people treating dogs like people while some humans are treated worse than animals. He makes a good point, but Bow saves the day at the end of the episode by explaining to him that a dog is not a thing. They can be so much more. In the end, Dre accepts to put his kids' needs before his and goes to a shelter to get them a dog. The whole family is thrilled and guess what? It turns out Dre likes that dog too.

Dog Eat Dog World was a really solid episode of Black-ish, not only because it brought attention to a question not often raised on TV (people treating animals better than other people), but also because it did it very well.

What did you think of this episode?