Ep 17. You Don't Know Jack

In Black-ish season 6, episode 17 titled "You Don't Know Jack," the Johnson family faces a moral dilemma when they find out that a wealthy and influential member of their social circle has been accused of sexual assault. Jack, the person in question, is a close friend of many in the group, and the Johnsons struggle to reconcile their loyalty to him with their beliefs about the seriousness of the allegations.

Dre, the patriarch of the Johnson family, is particularly torn. As a black man, he understands the devastation that false accusations can cause, but he also knows how important it is to believe victims when they come forward. His wife Bow, meanwhile, is a doctor who has treated many survivors of sexual assault and is acutely aware of how common and traumatic these experiences can be.

The episode follows the Johnsons as they navigate the aftermath of the accusation. They attend a fundraiser for Jack's defense fund, where they come face-to-face with protesters who believe that his wealth and status have allowed him to evade justice. Dre and Bow are forced to confront their own complicity in a culture that allows powerful men to abuse their position.

As the episode progresses, the Johnsons begin to grapple with the idea that their loyalty to Jack may be misplaced. They speak to other people who have been abused, including Dre's sister Rhonda, who was assaulted by a family friend when she was a teenager. While they still struggle with the idea of abandoning Jack, they begin to understand just how damaging it can be to sweep these kinds of accusations under the rug.

Ultimately, the episode ends on a note of ambiguity. The Johnsons don't come to a concrete decision about how to respond to the allegations against Jack, but they begin to move away from blind loyalty and towards a more nuanced understanding of the ways in which power can be abused. As always, Black-ish handles complex and controversial subject matter with intelligence and sensitivity, balancing humor and pathos to create a thought-provoking and entertaining episode.