The second season of Black-ish aired from September 23, 2015 to May 18, 2016, on ABC in the United States. It is produced by Khalabo Ink Society, Cinema Gypsy Productions, Principato-Young Entertainment and ABC Studios, with creator Kenya Barris, who also served as executive producer alongside Anthony Anderson, Brian Dobbins, Jonathon Groff and Helen Sugland.
The series revolves around Dre, portrayed by Anthony Anderson, a family man who struggles with finding his cultural identity while raising his kids in a white neighborhood. He lives with his wife, Bow (Tracee Ellis Ross).
On March 3, 2016, ABC renewed the series for a third season.[1]
After Jack, performing Kanye West's "Gold Digger" at his school talent show, raps the N-word (from the line "Now I ain't saying she's a gold digger / but she ain't messing with no broke niggas"), he is threatened with expulsion from the school.
After a neighbor's house is broken into, Dre considers getting a gun, and Bow tries to convince him not to buy one. Zoey asks Pops to teach her karate, but she ends up doing his chores, a la The Karate Kid.
Pops reveals he has not been to the doctor since 1985, which leads to him not knowing that he has a clogged artery. The kids wonder what would happen to Pops' stuff if he were to die.
After realizing the kids like Bow more than him, Dre decides to create a new holiday, "Daddy's Day." Dre decides to teach Zoey's friend, Rasheida (Zendaya) how to drive with disastrous results.
Determined to say "yes" to more invitations, Dre accidentally commits a reluctant Johnson family to church on Sunday. When Rainbow and Dre attempt to back out (for "cultural" reasons), things backfire horribly. Meanwhile, Ruby discovers that the twins were never baptized and seeks to remedy to the situation, much to Jack's relief and Diane's dislike.
It is halloween at the Johnson's house, so Andre's cousin, June Bug (Michael Strahan), comes to continue the family tradition of beating up on Dre and his side of the family. The kids decide to fight back against Andre's nieces and nephews, learning a lesson in the process.
In an effort to get Zoe interested in her alma mater, Rainbow flies her and a flight phobic Dre to Rhode Island. In the meantime, a phone call from a semi-sedated Dre accidentally leaves Charlie in charge of the remaining Johnson kids.
A disastrous haircut leaves Dre questioning his life-long loyalty to his barber. Meanwhile, Ruby attempts to take over Rainbow's management of the Johnson family Christmas card.
Daphne Lido (Wanda Sykes), ex-wife of founding partner Phillip Lido, announces she got her husband's share of Stevens & Lido in the divorce. Upon assessing the staff, she deems Charlie to be dead weight and orders Dre to fire him. Meanwhile, Rainbow questions Dre's loyalty to his childhood friend Sha, who she says is taking advantage of his generosity.
Note: On Hulu, there is also an extended version of the episode titled "Man at Work: Extended Cut", which contains an additional 9 minutes.
Pops hints that the Johnson kids are spoiled and tells a story about him and his siblings getting only one present at Christmas. Dre shrugs it off until he hears his kids' ridiculous demands, so he announces they will all get one present only. The kids then resolve to be extra nice and helpful to get Dad to change his mind.
Dre's strange relationship with his best friend from childhood, pop star Gigi (Tyra Banks), has Rainbow feeling left out until she tries to spend a few days of her own as Dre's best friend. Meanwhile, inspired by "Aunt" Gigi, the kids try to make a music video.
Dre is less than pleased when Ruby decides to get back in the dating game with a man half her age. Meanwhile Zoe, Dianne and Jack try to convince Junior that he is being catfished.
When an unwelcome credit card bill leaves Dre and Bow realizing that it is time to cut expenses, Junior and Jack decide to try a get-rich-quick scheme, using a reluctant Zoe as inspiration.
Dre thinks his neighbors are being racist by not inviting the Johnsons to their pool parties, even though he cannot swim. Meanwhile, both Bow and Ruby have some lessons for the kids.
Diane is tired of being Jack's twin, so she tries to get rid of him. After discovering how much she likes him, she changes her mind. Dre buys Zoey a car, but then reconsiders after speaking to his colleagues.
After watching breaking news coverage regarding the indictment of a police officer, Andre and Rainbow teach Jack and Diane the history of discriminatory brutality. Junior tries to sneak down to the protests, but Zoey convinces him to change his mind.
Jack is a star in recreational basketball, but when Dre and Bow learn about travel ball, a much more serious league where all the pros start out, they find a way to get Jack in. The kids are much more talented than Jack is used to, and to Dre and Bow's dismay, he becomes a bench warmer. Meanwhile, Junior becomes a referee and takes his new responsibilities a little too far, while Zoey meets a new love interest on the court.
Dre and Bow start to slip on the chores and kids' activities around the house, so Bow persuades Dre to hire a nanny. After several bad interviews, they meet Vivian (Regina Hall), who impresses them with her desire to take care of the whole family including Dre and Bow. Dre struggles with the idea of hiring a black nanny, but decides to give her a try. Meanwhile, Diane decides to run for class president against the smart and bubbly Susie Kwest becomes her competition, so Zoey helps Diane create a smear campaign to win her sister the vote.
Dre's sister's upcoming wedding leads to a conversation on tradition, especially after Dre learns that Rainbow never formally took his last name after their marriage. Elsewhere, Jack and Diane are afraid that they are too old to be the ring bearer and flower girl, while Junior and Zoey prep Ruby on how to embrace her daughter's lesbian relationship.
Dre is fearful of losing his job and tarnishing his family's reputation when Stevens & Lido announces company layoffs; Bow wants to show she can do it all on her own when she's put in charge of a school auction.
All four kids have flu, including Bow and Ruby, and Dre has to take care of all of them. Though it turns out that Bow never had the flu, she is actually pregnant.
