There are few television shows that can provoke genuine (i.e. laugh out loud) laughter or anger. Black.White consistently manages to do the latter with its impoverished discussions of race.

Apparently, I’m not the only one exasperated by the show. The show has lost more than 2.5 million viewers since its record tying debut last month.

A few of my issues from last night’s episode:

• Bruno’s dismissal of reparations by saying “Get a job!” I can accept a thoughtful, critical rejection of a pro-reparations position –even if i find it ultimately unpersuasive– but Bruno acts as if Black people are expecting a stack of unmarked bills and a fresh pair of Nikes in the mail with a note saying “Let’s put this whole slavery thing behind us.”
• Bruno’s refusal to to acknowledge that his discomfort with being in a room full of Black men was more than his “not being of that element.” I found it curious that he said he didn’t want to be in a room filled with smoke and alcohol, when he’s visited several bars over the past few episodes.
• Renee’s absurd search for a “white friend.” Why would she think that going to a Bible study with 85 year old women or a quilting session with 55 year old women would produce a normal friendship?
• Everyone’s refusal to acknowledge that Renee doesn’t look White. Maybe no one was surprised that she was Black because she looks like Tisha Campbell!
• Despite Rose’s remarkable development throughout the show, last night’s episode ended with her concluding that “people are just people.” While her determination was informed by a complex understanding of race and difference, such complexity is obscured by the show’s attempt for a feel-good ending.