Stars: 5/5
“Grown-ish” has to be one of the best college-related sitcoms I have ever seen, and it is absolutely mind blowing to see a show that actually portrays the life of a college student to the fullest extent. The writers and directors of “Grown-ish” did not cut corners – they did not beat around the bush about what college students really see and go through. They sold the audience the truth and nothing but the truth.
The “Grown-ish” cast a wonderful group of young adults who show the viewers the mayhem, lifestyle, background and raw emotions of day-to-day college students.
The new Freeform series is a spin-off of one of the characters from “Black-ish,” an ABC sitcom about a black family embracing black culture through different societal situations. The daughter Zoey (Yara Shahidi) has now gone off to college and tells the story of her journey through her new friends and the trials she faces.
Everything in the sitcom is something all college kids can relate to on any level. Zoey has found herself on the first day of class in a midnight course about drones. She and the rest of her diverse friend group of misfits all find themselves in this class because they missed registration. Each character has their own background and reason for joining this ridiculous class they do not want to take.
Zoey becomes close friends with a girl she initially turned her back on at a college party. Zoey betrays Ana (Francia Raisa) after she vomits in front of everyone at the party. In the second episode, Ana is transferred into Zoey’s dorm room. The situation between the two becomes awkward and Zoey works continuously to try to get along with Ana, but it’s difficult since Ana is still hurt.
Zoey also has a moment of realization when she decides to take Adderall to focus on her paper. She claims this will not be her “thing,” but she uses the drug multiple times to get through her school work.
Zoey’s friend group includes her crush Aaron, who is a lovable guy and black activist who works too hard to bring awareness about black culture. Characters also include a Jewish bisexual woman named Nomi, the marijuana-smoking chill guy named Luca, a set twins who are having an identity crisis, and lastly, the straight-A valedictorian who sells every drug to college students known to man.
“Grown-ish” shows audiences an array of emotions and situations in every episode. It will make you laugh, cry and applaud at any given moment. It’s a show written in an unapologetic format about the reality we all struggle to face.