The Premise
The animated reboot introduces us to the new
occupants of apartment 17C. It is important to note here that Reggie, is the
grandson of James and Florida, from the original series. Here’s a glimpse of the new characters:
- Reggie
(J.B. Smoove):
The grandson of Florida and James, Reggie is a struggling cab driver with
hypertension and a penchant for long, drawn-out rants.
- Beverly
(Yvette Nicole Brown): Appearance-obsessed despite financial struggles.
- Junior
(Jay Pharoah):
An artist repeating 10th grade for the third time.
- Grey
(Marsai Martin):
A smart, conscientious young lady with an activist-mindset.
- Dalvin
(Slink Johnson):
A drug-dealing infant Reggie has thrown out of the house.
- The
Roaches: Yes they are a part of the family, and
can be seen interacting with the Evans family throughout the episodes.
The Good, the Bad, and
the Baffling
The Good
- Black
Jesus: [Revelation 1:14-15] When Bev prays, a video game-playing Black Jesus appears, responding to or
ignoring her pleas—a callback to Florida from the original series.
- Inside
Junior’s Mind:
Episode 2, “Black of Focus,” offers an “Inside Out”-style visual into
Junior’s mind, unpacking his academic failures and artistic talent. This episode gives a glimpse of the struggles our youth face focusing in class.
- Love: there is a great deal of love
expressed by the characters towards one another.
The Bad
- Repetitive
Stereotypes:
The first three episodes are stuffed with repetitive stereotypes and stale
jokes; it got so bad, that I couldn't watch anymore.
- Caricatures
of Black People:
Most characters appear to be caricatures found in memes, lacking depth.
The Baffling
- Infant
Drug Dealer:
Dalvin, the infant character, mirrors Stewie from “Family Guy.” However,
casting him as a crack-selling baby on street corners misses the mark.
Conclusion
While the animated reboot
attempts to pay homage to the classic, it falls short in execution. Fans of the
original may find it dated, humorless, and baffling. The show falls short because it insists on making
each episode about stereotypes of black people, which are dated and shouldn’t
be a part of the plot. I expected something a little more uplifting.
