‘Black-ish’ Finale: Why the Johnsons Made a Life-Altering Decision, and the Storyline That Was Cut for Time

variety.com:

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large“Black-ish” ended its eight season run on Tuesday night by going back to the beginning.

Literally. The opening to the ABC comedy’s series finale began much in the same way the pilot did in 2014, with Andre Johnson (Anthony Anderson) waking up to his iPhone alarm clock and narrating a bit about his state of mind.Even the opening strains of Kanye West’s “Jesus Walks” opened the finale, just as it did the series premiere all those years ago. “OK, so I’m just your standard, regular, incredibly handsome, unbelievably charismatic Black dude who’s found a way to actually go from broke to the Oaks without a jump shot, number one hit or being Tyler Perry,” Anderson, as Dre, opened the episode. “Against the odds, I made a home for myself with my beautiful and intelligent wife, where we raised five great kids and looked after my parents.

I may have grown up just a kid from Compton, but now I’m living the American dream.” (Compare that to the pilot’s opening narration: “Okay, so I’m just your standard, regular, old incredibly handsome, unbelievably charismatic Black dude.

This drooling pigment-challenge mixed-race woman is my wife, Rainbow. And despite what she looks like right now, she’s a doctor.