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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!

Binge this in 2d 19h•Peaking at 7.7/10

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

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    black-ish Season 2 Episode 16 - Hope
    7.7/10(9 votes)

    #1 - Hope

    S2:E16

    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

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  2. black-ish Season 1 Episode 18 - Sex, Lies and Vasectomies
    7.5/10(4 votes)

    #2 - Sex, Lies and Vasectomies

    S1:E18

    Bow learns from her colleague that Dre never had the vasectomy a few years back that he was supposedly scheduled, so she decides to see if he'll come clean and tell the truth.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. black-ish Season 1 Episode 15 - The Dozens
    7.3/10(8 votes)

    #3 - The Dozens

    S1:E15

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

    Director:Millicent Shelton
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. black-ish Season 1 Episode 1 - Pilot
    7.2/10(12 votes)

    #4 - Pilot

    S1:E1

    Advertising executive Dre happily anticipates a promotion; Andre Jr. wants to covert to Judaism and have a bar mitzvah like his friends.

    Director:Kenya Barris
    Writer:Kenya Barris

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  5. black-ish Season 1 Episode 3 - The Nod
    7.2/10(10 votes)

    #5 - The Nod

    S1:E3

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

    Director:James Griffiths
    Writer:Kenya Barris

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  6. black-ish Season 1 Episode 4 - Crazy Mom
    7.1/10(10 votes)

    #6 - Crazy Mom

    S1:E4

    When Dre takes over "mom'' duties, the praise he gets from everyone at the school goes to his head.

    Director:James Griffiths
    Writer:Gail Lerner

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of black-ish

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  7. black-ish Season 1 Episode 6 - The Prank King
    7.1/10(8 votes)

    #7 - The Prank King

    S1:E6

    Dre is disappointed when the older kids balk at a family tradition.

    Director:Matt Sohn
    Writer:Lindsey Shockley

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  8. black-ish Season 1 Episode 13 - Big Night, Big Fight
    7.1/10(9 votes)

    #8 - Big Night, Big Fight

    S1:E13

    Dre is determined to keep the peace on Valentine's Day. Diane's siblings try to help her be nice.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. black-ish Season 1 Episode 17 - 30 Something
    7.1/10(8 votes)

    #9 - 30 Something

    S1:E17

    Dre worries about getting older when he injures himself playing basketball before his 40th birthday.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. black-ish Season 2 Episode 1 - The Word
    7.1/10(9 votes)

    #10 - The Word

    S2:E1

    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

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  11. black-ish Season 2 Episode 12 - Old Digger
    7.1/10(9 votes)

    #11 - Old Digger

    S2:E12

    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

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  12. black-ish Season 3 Episode 9 - Nothing but Nepotism
    7.1/10(8 votes)

    #12 - Nothing but Nepotism

    S3:E9

    Bow urges Dre to use his connections and secure Zoey a fellowship, but he doesn’t want his daughter relying on nepotism. When Bow finds Zoey a place at the hospital, Dre balks at the idea and successfully pulls some strings at Teen Vogue. Meanwhile, Junior loses his first job at an arcade pizza joint that the twins love after he reports their unclean practices to corporate, and they shut it down.

    Director:Gail Mancuso
    Writer:Yamara Taylor

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  13. black-ish Season 2 Episode 3 - Dr. Hell No
    7.0/10(7 votes)

    #13 - Dr. Hell No

    S2:E3

    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

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  14. black-ish Season 2 Episode 18 - Black Nanny
    7.0/10(9 votes)

    #14 - Black Nanny

    S2:E18

    Dre and Bow start to slip on the kids' activities and chores around the house, so Bow persuades Dre to hire a nanny. After several interviews that don’t go well, they meet Vivian, who impresses them with her desire to take care of the whole family, including Dre and Bow. Dre struggles with the idea of hiring a black nanny, but decides to give her a try. Meanwhile, Diane decides to run for class president, so when the smart and bubbly Susie Kwest becomes her competition, Zoey helps Diane create a smear campaign to win Diane the vote.

    Director:Anton Cropper
    Writer:Lindsey Shockley

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  15. black-ish Season 2 Episode 19 - The Leftovers
    7.0/10(8 votes)

    #15 - The Leftovers

    S2:E19

    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

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  16. black-ish Season 3 Episode 8 - Being Bow-racial
    7.0/10(9 votes)

    #16 - Being Bow-racial

    S3:E8

    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

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  17. black-ish Season 3 Episode 11 - Their Eyes Were Watching Screens
    7.0/10(9 votes)

    #17 - Their Eyes Were Watching Screens

    S3:E11

    When Diane stumbles onto some websites that give her more than she bargained for, Dre and Bow must take action. Concerned that the internet is corrupting their children, Dre and Bow decide to make their home an internet free-zone and deal with the backlash.

    Director:John Fortenberry
    Writer:Gail Lerner

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  18. black-ish Season 1 Episode 9 - Colored Commentary
    6.9/10(8 votes)

    #18 - Colored Commentary

    S1:E9

    Dre encourages the family to have each other's backs; Zoey and Andre Jr. must babysit the twins.

    Director:Ken Whittingham
    Writer:Yvette Lee Bowser

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  19. black-ish Season 2 Episode 11 - Plus Two Isn't a Thing
    6.9/10(10 votes)

    #19 - Plus Two Isn't a Thing

    S2:E11

    Dre's childhood best friend Gigi Franklin is in town, and Bow feels like an afterthought whenever the two of them are together. Dre and Gigi are like brother and sister, but it doesn't help that Gigi is an international pop star with model looks. When they get into an argument, Dre turns to Bow, who convinces him that she can fill Gigi's shoes as his best friend and they give it a trial run. Meanwhile, the kids always look forward to a visit from Aunt Gigi and during her stay, they become inspired to film a music video and become Youtube stars.

    Directors:Victor Nelli, Jr.
    Writers:Lisa McQuillan, Njeri Brown

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  20. black-ish Season 2 Episode 13 - Keeping Up with the Johnsons
    6.9/10(10 votes)

    #20 - Keeping Up with the Johnsons

    S2:E13

    After a month of heavy spending, Dre and Bow start to question if they are living too large. Dre's crazy accountant, James Brown, has always been their go-to money guy, but when the topic of finances gets brought up at work, Mr. Stevens refers Dre to his more straight-laced accountant for a second opinion. Dre and Bow realize they need to be more financially responsible and try to prove to each other that they can live without their outrageous expenses. Meanwhile, the kids overhear their parents talking about money and Junior decides to start day trading.

    Director:Millicent Shelton
    Writer:Courtney Lilly

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  21. black-ish Season 2 Episode 20 - Johnson & Johnson
    6.9/10(7 votes)

    #21 - Johnson & Johnson

    S2:E20

    Dre’s sister, Rhonda, is getting married to her girlfriend, Sharon, and the upcoming nuptials lead to a conversation on tradition. Dre finds out that Bow is against the patriarchal convention of taking the man’s last name, but he never knew this because Bow’s maiden name is also Johnson. Meanwhile, Jack and Diane want to be the ring bearer and flower girl but worry they’ve aged out of the gigs, and Junior and Zoey prep Ruby to embrace her daughter’s relationshi.

    Director:Rob Hardy
    Writer:Courtney Lilly

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  22. black-ish Season 2 Episode 23 - Daddy Dre-Care
    6.9/10(7 votes)

    #22 - Daddy Dre-Care

    S2:E23

    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

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  23. black-ish Season 3 Episode 4 - Who’s Afraid of the Big Black Man?
    6.9/10(7 votes)

    #23 - Who’s Afraid of the Big Black Man?

    S3:E4

    After a situation arises at work, Dre’s views are confronted regarding how black people are perceived now versus when he grew up. He wants to be more open-minded about being a part of his community, and his first step is joining his Homeowners’ Association. Meanwhile, Bow wants to spend more time with the kids before the new baby arrives and gets advice from Pops on how to make them want to be around her.

    Director:Matt Sohn
    Writer:Peter Saji

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  24. black-ish Season 3 Episode 6 - Jack of All Trades
    6.9/10(8 votes)

    #24 - Jack of All Trades

    S3:E6

    When Jack and Diane bring home the results of their career tests, Dre and Bow must come to terms with the fact that Jack may have a blue-collar future. Meanwhile, Ruby is convinced Diane is possessed with a little help from Junior and Zoey.

    Director:Linda Mendoza
    Writer:Gail Lerner

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  25. black-ish Season 1 Episode 5 - Crime and Punishment
    6.8/10(8 votes)

    #25 - Crime and Punishment

    S1:E5

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

    Director:Claire Scanlon
    Writer:Corey Nickerson

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Best Episodes Summary

"Hope" is the best rated episode of "black-ish". It scored 7.7/10 based on 9 votes. Directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller and written by Kenya Barris, it aired on 2/24/2016. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "Sex, Lies and Vasectomies".