This season of Black-ish has been a mixed bag. It featured excellent episodes like “Lemons” and “Being Bow-racial,” while also giving us muddled episodes like “Richard Youngsta.” Naturally, this season was going to be more political given the state of the world right now, but it’s fair to say that season three of Black-ish tried to do too much. When you really think about everything the show had to balance this season, it’s commendable: Bow’s pregnancy, Zoey’s spin-off, maturing Jack, Diane and Junior in Zoey’s absence, guest appearances and navigating topical political moments. Issues like colorism and black rage were handled beautifully, but the show was less successful when it came to addressing black women in the workplace or representations of black people in the media. Combine that with Bow’s never-ending pregnancy and the random disappearances and reappearances from Pops and Ruby and you get a season that, overall, feels oddly paced.
“Sprinkles” is a finale that shares a lot of these problems, but it does remind us of what Black-ish was trying to accomplish this year. It’s a finale that makes me excited for next season, but mostly because it feels like the narrative that was set up all season is just getting started. For an episode that features Bow going into emergency labor and the introduction of the new Johnson son, it actually lacks any real urgency. The first half of the episode is dedicated to Dre planning a co-ed baby shower. Perhaps, co-ed baby showers are a big deal right now––I have no idea. But, the show sets up this premise with the same educational Dre monologue it typically uses to introduce important historical themes or cultural issues. Yet, as far as anyone can tell, the importance of co-ed baby showers is just Dre’s desire to drink beer and eat tacos at them.
That would be perfectly fine if the episode didn’t spend so much time on the topic. The show teased Bow’s birth. It was unlikely that they would end the season without her giving birth, so it just feels unnecessary to prolong the inevitable for something so superficial. Black-ish can definitely pull off heartbreaking moments––this season’s “God”, where the family anxiously waits to hear the baby’s heartbeat is one of the show’s best moments. “Sprinkles” doesn’t quite get there. Anthony Anderson’s performance is among his best as he realizes the gravity of the situation, but the entire thing just feels rushed. The episode goes from asking if Bow has a DNR signed to her emergency C-section. The Johnson kids mostly sit things out as they plan gift ideas for the baby and spend most of their time in the emergency room.