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The Best Episodes of black-ish

Every episode of black-ish ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of black-ish!

A family man struggles to gain a sense of cultural identity while raising his kids in a predominantly white, upper-middle-class neighborhood.
Genre:Comedy
Network:ABC

Best Episodes Summary

"If a Black Man Cries in the Woods..." is the best rated episode of "black-ish". It scored 8.6/10 based on 161 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 4/12/2022. This episode scored 0.3 points higher than the second highest rated, "Hope".

  • If a Black Man Cries in the Woods...
    8.6/10161 votes
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    #1 - If a Black Man Cries in the Woods...

    Season 8 Episode 12 - Aired 4/12/2022

    Pops, Dre and Junior go on a "man trip" to heal old wounds. Meanwhile, Diane and Jack contemplate their futures as they look at their college wish lists.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Hope
    8.3/10753 votes
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    #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.

    Director: Beth McCarthy-Miller

    Writer: Kenya Barris

  • Black Like Us
    8.2/10280 votes
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    #3 - 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.

    Director: Salli Richardson-Whitfield

    Writer: Peter Saji

  • Lemons
    8.1/10602 votes
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    #4 - 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.

    Director: Kenya Barris

    Writer: Kenya Barris

  • The Word
    7.9/10394 votes
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    #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.

    Director: Matt Sohn

    Writer: Kenya Barris

  • Mother Nature
    7.9/10350 votes
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    #6 - 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

    Director: Ken Whittingham

    Writer: Corey Nickerson

  • R-E-S-P-E-C-T
    7.9/10237 votes
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    #7 - R-E-S-P-E-C-T

    Season 4 Episode 14 - Aired 3/13/2018

    Dre and Bow confront gender biases of their own after finding out that both Junior and Zoey have become sexually active. Meanwhile, Ruby is hurt when she finds out that Jack and Diane have been hanging out with a friend’s grandmother after school.

    Director: Gail Lerner

    Writer: Steven White

  • The Purge
    7.8/10288 votes
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    #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.

    Director: Matt Sohn

    Writer: Lindsey Shockley

  • Being Bow-racial
    7.8/10297 votes
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    #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.

    Director: Kevin Bray

    Writer: Jenifer Rice-Genzuk

  • The Nod
    7.7/10509 votes
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    #10 - The Nod

    Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 10/8/2014

    Dre tries to help Andre Jr. expand his social circle. Rainbow tries to inspire Diane.

    Director: James Griffiths

    Writer: Kenya Barris

  • The Dozens
    7.7/10342 votes
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    #11 - The Dozens

    Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 2/25/2015

    Dre teaches Andre Jr. how to trash-talk a school bully, Diane is afraid of the dark.

    Director: Millicent Shelton

    Writer: N/A

  • The Real World
    7.7/10324 votes
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    #12 - The Real World

    Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 4/8/2015

    Bow invites her friends from college to an elaborate dinner party in hopes of impressing them; Dre learns a lot about Bow's past; the kids decide to create their own reality show by documenting the party.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Dr. Hell No
    7.7/10287 votes
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    #13 - Dr. Hell No

    Season 2 Episode 3 - Aired 10/7/2015

    After Dre gets his yearly physical and comes home traumatized, Pops explains his generation's strong aversion towards healthcare and admits that he hasn't seen a doctor in years. Shocked by this disclosure, Dre and Bow try to convince Pops to get a check-up and he begrudgingly agrees. When Pops finds out he has a clogged artery and needs a small procedure, the rest of The Johnson family handles the news in different ways.

    Director: Millicent Shelton

    Writer: Gail Lerner

  • The Leftovers
    7.7/10264 votes
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    #14 - 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.

    Director: Linda Mendoza

    Writer: Hale Rothstein

  • One Angry Man
    7.7/10242 votes
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    #15 - 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.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Sprinkles
    7.7/10260 votes
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    #16 - Sprinkles

    Season 3 Episode 24 - Aired 5/10/2017

    Initially wary, Dre embraces throwing Bow’s baby shower and wants it to be unforgettable. However, his plans are put on hold when Bow stops by the OB/GYN with a headache and discovers she is having complications.

    Director: Eva Longoria

    Writer: Laura Gutin

  • The (Almost) Last Dance
    7.7/10109 votes
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    #17 - The (Almost) Last Dance

    Season 8 Episode 11 - Aired 4/5/2022

    Pops and Ruby announce they are moving out of the house to travel the United States in their RV, garnering mixed reactions from the Johnson family. When Bow realizes she is beginning perimenopause, Dre enlists her mother’s help.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Homegoing
    7.7/10167 votes
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    #18 - 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. The Johnsons prepare for their goodbyes in the series finale.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Crime and Punishment
    7.6/10458 votes
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    #19 - Crime and Punishment

    Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/22/2014

    Rainbow and Dre agree they will no longer spank their children.

    Director: Claire Scanlon

    Writer: Corey Nickerson

  • Old Digger
    7.6/10264 votes
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    #20 - Old Digger

    Season 2 Episode 12 - Aired 1/13/2016

    Dre has never had a problem with Pops dating, but when it comes to Ruby, he won't let anyone come between them. When Ruby invites Dre and Bow to meet the new man in her life, Dre immediately goes on the defensive and finds any reason to dislike him. Once Pops learns that Ruby's suitor is the real deal, he comes up with a plan to distract her. Meanwhile, Junior meets a girl on a dating site, and Zoey, Jack and Diane convince him he's being scammed, so they devise a plan to meet "the girl" in person.

    Director: Linda Mendoza

    Writer: Steven White

  • Sink or Swim
    7.6/10275 votes
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    #21 - Sink or Swim

    Season 2 Episode 14 - Aired 2/10/2016

    After Dre notices that his neighbor Janine has never invited his family to any of her pool parties, he assumes she is racially stereotyping them as a family that doesn’t swim. The kids are shocked to find out that, in fact, Dre doesn’t know how to swim. At work, Dre shares the story with his colleagues, and Daphne Lido is not convinced it’s a race thing, so Dre confronts Janine directly. Meanwhile, Jack and Diane are a part of the Girls’ and Boys’ Rovers Organization, and they envy each other’s activities.

    Director: Michael Schultz

    Writer: Gail Lerner

  • Daddy Dre-Care
    7.6/10247 votes
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    #22 - Daddy Dre-Care

    Season 2 Episode 23 - Aired 5/4/2016

    The flu is going around the Johnson household, and with things in flux at work, Dre tries to avoid catching the bug at all costs. Dre has to step up and take care of the whole family. Ruby is in quarantine with Bow, and she learns a lot about her mother-in-law. Meanwhile, the kids want Bow to take care of them and resist Dre’s help.

    Director: Kenya Barris

    Writer: Jonathan Groff

  • Juneteenth
    7.6/10450 votes
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    #23 - Juneteenth

    Season 4 Episode 1 - Aired 10/3/2017

    The Johnsons go to Jack and Diane’s school play about Columbus Day, and Dre is dismayed by the historically inaccurate way that the holiday is portrayed. He feels like there aren’t enough black holidays, so he enlists Aloe Blacc at work to help him create a catchy song to raise awareness for a holiday worth celebrating, Juneteenth.

    Director: Anton Cropper

    Writer: Peter Saji

  • Advance to Go (Collect $200)
    7.6/10260 votes
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    #24 - Advance to Go (Collect $200)

    Season 4 Episode 4 - Aired 10/24/2017

    Dre brings everyone together for a rowdy family game night and the competition is fierce. The game of choice is Monopoly and as the night progresses, alliances are formed and some are pushed to their limits. Meanwhile, Bow makes it clear how she feels about Junior’s girlfriend, Megan.

    Director: Anton Cropper

    Writer: Gail Lerner

  • First and Last
    7.6/10233 votes
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    #25 - First and Last

    Season 4 Episode 6 - Aired 11/7/2017

    Diane experiences a big life event toward becoming a woman and Bow, Ruby, Zoey and Alicia are there to support her. Meanwhile, afraid that he may never be able to beat Junior at basketball again, Dre conducts psychological warfare on Junior before challenging him to a game.

    Director: Linda Mendoza

    Writer: Laura Gutin