'Mixed-ish' Season 1 Episode 2: 'Black-ish' spin-off continues to explore racial issues in the 80s
When Tracee Ellis Ross begins narrating the second episode of 'mixed-ish' grown-up Bow Jackson, she says "they say 1985 was a simpler time" when everything was split into a dichotomy: black or white, Reagan or Gorbachev, 'Dallas' or 'Dynasty', and Lakers or Celtics. But it is not just about race that Bow is talking about here and the episode focuses on three individuals this time and their choices - Bow, her dad Paul, and her mom Alicia.
Making space
In the first episode, we see Bow's sister Santamonica choosing to identify with her white side, and her brother Johan choosing to identify with his black side, but Bow does not want to choose either, feeling it meant discarding the other. So she does not choose and in this episode, we see a continuation of that. When Paul asks each of his children at dinner how they changed the world that day, she gets frustrated - she thinks school is enough to deal with without having to think about changing the world. She eats lunch alone and when asked by a teacher to point out who among two girls started a fight - one being black and one white - she chokes, leading to both the girls retaliating for the detention they got. But in the loo, eating lunch alone once again, she befriends another girl who does the same. The next day, however, she decides that they cannot hide forever and goes to the cafeteria. When they see there is no space for them, Bow and her new friend drag in a table, making noise and creating a space for themselves. People watch but the two girls are joined by others shortly, including Santamonica and Johan.
A man's work
Paul decides to be a stay-at-home dad since Alicia is working as a lawyer in his father's office. While he is proud of his decision, he is made fun of - especially his apron - by his neighbor, his father, and his sister-in-law. Finally unable to handle it, he goes out to find a job for himself with a resume that says he was arrested and also that he "is white", the latter when he gets desperate. But his search is unsuccessful and he is less optimistic by the end of the episode. But Bow points out that he changed the world through her when she decided to eat in the cafeteria.
Affirmative action
Alicia is back at work and it's cool to see a show set in the 80s that depicts the mother as the breadwinner and her workplace struggles. She does not want her father-in-law seen talking to her much because she does not want her colleagues to think that nepotism played a role in her being employed at the law office (it did though). Her father-in-law, Harrison, however, points out that her hiring will either be seen as nepotism or as affirmative action, no matter what she does. We then see this played out, how her colleagues don't invite her for staff meetings and being impressed with her case arguments as if they never expected it - which Bow narrates is known as microaggression today.
The sitcom continues to carve a space for itself, not just in the genre but also within the 'Black-ish' universe. Sure, one could ask why is it relevant today to show the racial struggles of the 80s, but perhaps it is important to remember so we don't forget the mistreatment many sections of society were forced to endure. 'Mixed-ish' looks like it will continue to link those struggles to what is relevant today.
'Mixed-ish' airs on Tuesday nights on ABC.