Joining the movement:’the Neighborhood’ tackles racism head-on
The Season 3 premiere of the hit show “The Neighborhood” is airing Monday, Nov. 16, on CBS. And, if you haven’t seen it yet, the premise is simple but hilarious.
A wholesome, outgoing, white, midwestern family moves from their friendly part of the country to settle in a rougharound-the-edges, historically Black neighborhood in Los Angeles. Hearing that his new neighbors, the Johnsons, have just moved in, Calvin Butler (Cedric the Entertainer, “The Soul Man”) resolves to welcome the family. What he wasn’t expecting, however, was to meet an overly friendly white man on the other side of the door. While the color of their skin didn’t initially strike the Johnsons as a problem, they quickly learn that not everyone in their new neighborhood has the same experiences and perceptions of the world as they do. As the two families work together to find a common ground, a series of misunderstandings, suspicions and a healthy dose of perspective await them.
New to L.A., Dave Johnson (Max Greenfield, “New Girl”) and his wife, Gemma (Beth Behrs, “2 Broke Girls”), may be far friendlier than what their new neighbors are comfortable with, but Dave, given his line of work as a professional mediator, simply doesn’t see the racial differences as a problem. Resolved to navigate his way through any problems that come up, Dave quickly learns through an immersive experience that life isn’t quite as simple for others as it has proven to be for him.
Fans of the show will be excited to know that all “The Neighborhood‘s’” main characters are expected to return for the upcoming new season. Not only are they all coming back, but Calvin and his wife, Tina (Tichina Arnold, “Everybody Hates
Chris”), have somehow found themselves closer than ever to the Johnsons. Finally starting to see each other’s side on many issues, the warm and fuzzy Johnson family has snuggled its way into the lives of the Butlers — though between stuck-in-hisways Calvin and the realistic and focused Tina, the relationship still isn’t without a bit of pushback.