Ep 13. Keeping Up With The Johnsons

In Black-ish season 2 episode 13, titled "Keeping Up With The Johnsons," the Johnson family faces the challenge of keeping up with their wealthy and successful neighbors, the Tresidder family. Dre, the patriarch of the Johnson family, feels the pressure to compete with the Tresidders' extravagant lifestyle and status symbols, which include a private plane and a summer home in the Hamptons.

The episode begins with Dre and his wife Bow attending a neighborhood block party hosted by the Tresidders. The Johnsons are initially impressed by the Tresidders' luxurious home and amenities, but soon realize that they may be in over their heads when they hear about the Tresidders' upcoming trip to Italy.

Dre becomes determined to keep up with the Tresidders and impress them with his own wealth and success. He decides to lease a luxury car and invites the Tresidders over for dinner, hoping to show off his own status symbols. However, his efforts backfire when he accidentally reveals that he has leased the car and that the Johnsons are not as wealthy as the Tresidders.

Meanwhile, Bow is feeling insecure about her own success as a doctor and worries that she is not living up to the expectations of her wealthy peers. She seeks advice from her friend, who suggests that she start wearing designer clothes and accessories to keep up with the Tresidders. Bow initially resists this idea but eventually gives in and starts splurging on expensive clothes.

The episode ultimately explores the theme of social comparison and the pressure to keep up with others' success and lifestyles. It highlights the Johnsons' struggle to maintain their own values and identity in the face of societal pressure to conform to wealth and status symbols.

Overall, "Keeping Up With The Johnsons" is a humorous and relatable episode that explores the challenges of balancing financial success with personal values and identity. It offers a nuanced portrayal of the Johnson family's experiences navigating a complex social hierarchy and the obstacles they face in trying to maintain their own unique identity.