They say all is fair in love and war but on last night’s black-ish Valentine’s Day special, love is war.
Andre has been working on making Valentine’s Day special for his wife Rainbow since the very beginning but he always ends up offending her (shoutout to vintage Dre and Bow on their first Valentine’s Day).
I love the flashbacks! Mostly because of the ever changing hairstyles. #blackishABC pic.twitter.com/5mjckWgul1
— Black-ish on tvtag (@tvtagBlackish) February 12, 2015
This is year is no different. Their Valentine’s Day is off to a bad start before they even leave the house when Dre asks Bow if she’s going to change out of her army green jump suit for their date. Bow, of course, wonders what in the world is wrong with what she’s already wearing.
Enter Stage 1 of the love war: The Isolated Incident that sets Bow off and gets them in the wrong mood for V Day festivities. An argument in the car on the way to the restaurant brings them to Stage 2: Escalation, where tempers rise and Valentine’s Day plans start to go down the tube.
Meanwhile, back at home, little Diane is unpleasantly surprised to find out that her twin brother Jack has gotten more Valentine’s cards than she did. Zoey points out that Diane isn’t getting any love because she’s mean or, as Diane puts it, brutally honest (I mean, Diane has a point. Junior’s head is kind of long). The kids take it upon themselves to teach Diane the art of the sincere compliment. This can only turn out hilarious.
The struggle to teach Diane (@cailamarsai) social etiquette is real #ItsReal #blackishABC
— Yara shahidi (@RealYaraShahidi) February 12, 2015
Dre is still desperately trying to fix date night bringing him to Stage 3: Evasive Maneuvers to save the day that involve changing the restaurant destination and bribing the maitre’d for a reservation to turn Bow’s frown upside down.
At home, the kids find teaching Diane to give a compliment isn’t going to be easy but big sister Zoey has some sage wisdom that Diane uses to cure her meanness. “The secret to pretending to be a nice person is to stop talking before the hurtful thing you’re thinking comes out,” she advises.
Back at the restaurant, Bow is convinced that this is one of many terrible dates Dre has forced her to go on. She dubs Dre a “Ruiner. You take special moments and you kill them dead!” Bow then drops Stage 4: The Dirty Bomb, by reminding him of all the times Dre has dropped the ball on a special occasion, including the birth of their first child.
Dre finds solace and support in the bathroom where he meets a group of fellow men who consistently ruin their wive’s Valentine’s Day. The bathroom attendant convinces Dre that ruining Valentine’s Day is inevitable. “Birthdays, anniversaries, New Years Eve, the bigger the night, the bigger the fight.” But this wise old attendant convinces Dre to use this fight to his advantage and convince Bow to apologize to him so he can have get some make-up sex. *facepalm*
Band of Brothers who just can’t seem to get it right on Valentine’s Day. #blackishABC pic.twitter.com/UEpbEinter
— Black-ish on tvtag (@tvtagBlackish) February 12, 2015
When Dre returns to the table, they quickly cross into Stage 4: The Bridge of Doom, otherwise known as a pointless, heated argument. All hell breaks lose in as Bow and Dre tear each other down. It gets pretty dirty (like, alleged sex tape and disappearing thumb drive dirty).
Bow and Dre arrive home only to find the house and kids in total disarray. Junior, Jack and Zoey are arguing over pizza while Diane, who is now unable to say anything my kind words, is mechanically complimenting her stuffed animals leading Dre to cry, “You broke my baby girl!”
Bow and Dre are officially over Stage 7: The Cold War, and they both agree to stop their petty fighting and imagine starting the night all over again. Turns out Bow was going to change her clothes anyway and Dre actually loves her “bubble butt” in the green romper.
Typical Black-ish style, Bow and Dre realize that their crazy arguments help make them the perfectly normal couple that they are. They decide Valentine’s Day is the best day for fighting and making up. And sometimes making it work is about making compromises. Which can only mean it’s time for Stage 8: Naked Peace Talks.
What did you think of this week’s Black-ish? Share your thoughts in the comments below.