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'Black-ish' Season 7 Episode 8: Who is Aunt Denise? Fans celebrate cameo, demand a Denise and Ruby 'shade fest'

Denise doesn't care about stepping on people for her own pursuit, perhaps that's why fans want to see that shade fest between her and Bow's mother-in-law Ruby so soon

Spoilers for 'Black-ish' Season 7 Episode 8

It was Christmas on 'Black-ish' but fans had way more to celebrate than Dre Johnson's (Anthony Anderson) identity crisis over being a Compton-born and bred guy and Rainbow Johnson's (Tracee Ellis Ross)  incessant need to teach her twins the joys of giving during the holiday season. Even Zoey and DeVante were finally mentioned in this episode, the highlight of it all had to be easily the appearance of Aunt Denise (Christina Anthony) in the final few moments of the show. A lot of fans are already aware of who the character is, but many just found out how she is related to the Johnsons through her sudden cameo that already has fans thrilled and craving or a 'Denise/Ruby shadefest' soon in this season.

For those unaware, Aunt Denise happens to be Rainbow's aunt from the spin-off show of 'Black-ish', called 'Mixed-ish' that revolves around the Johnson matriarch's life growing up as a mixed-race Black girl trying to find her place in the world. She is raised by her sassy and snarky aunt Denise, played by Christina Anthony on the ABC spin-off, as a character that's outspoken, social and a strict adherent of the Black aunty stereotype. Denise doesn't care about stepping on people for her own pursuit, perhaps why fans want to see that shade fest between her and Bow's mother-in-law, Ruby, so soon.

Ruby (Jenifer Lewis) is the religious Black woman stereotype - the kind that doesn't get along with her more modern, liberal daughter-in-law and hopes she would get closer to Jesus. Ruby is constantly trying to point out how Dre could have done better, so having her in the same space as Denise will be a delight. Perhaps why fans tweeted saying: "Aunt Denise showing up for dinner?? Oh snap! I've been waiting for a Denise/Ruby shadefest!"

That was of course after the initial celebration that Twitter exploded into when fans spotted Aunt Denise right at the end of the Christmas episode and remarked: "Was that Aunt Denise’s (from #Mixedish) first time on #blackish?" Others noted how Denise is still exactly the same as she was in the '80s, and tweeted: "It all started in the 80s huh lol. Denise ain't change. Can't wait for Santi to return," another pointed out: "I love that they had Aunt Denise just show up looking the same as she did in the 80s. LOL."

'Blackish' Season 7 will return with the rest of its episodes in January 2021, on Tuesdays, at 9 pm only on ABC.