Entertainment Extra

2 ENTERTAINMENT EXTRA By Rachel Jones TV Media T he 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 rough-around-the- edges, historically Black neigh- borhood 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, how- ever, 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 percep- tions of the world as they do. As the two families work together to find a common ground, a series of misunderstandings, sus- picions 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, sim- ply doesn't see the racial differ- ences as a problem. Resolved to navigate his way through any problems that come up, Dave quickly learns through an immer- sive experience that life isn't quite as simple for others as it has proven to be for him. Fans of the show will be excit- ed to know that all "The Neighborhood's'" main charac- ters 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 snug- gled its way into the lives of the Butlers — though between stuck-in-his-ways Calvin and the realistic and focused Tina, the relationship still isn't without a bit of pushback. Other regular characters in the show include Calvin and Tina's sons, Malcolm (Sheaun McKinney, "Vice Principals") and Marty (Marcel Spears, "The Mayor"), and Dave and Gemma's son, Grover (Hank Greenspan, "13 Reasons Why"), which helps to add a tone of generational complexity as we see how age, upbringing and life experience really can make a dif- ference on a person's perspec- tive. Tackling many tough themes — first and foremost being rac- ism and reverse racism — the show examines exactly what it means to "belong." "The Neighborhood" takes the sensi- tive topics and approaches them with an often other-the-top sense of humor, which is far more challenging than it sounds. The result of these efforts is a show that presents a lot of food for thought about the ways in which we relate to each other and our often-overlooked and under-considered biases. But make no mistake, this series is definitely a comedy. In the Season 3 premiere, the Butlers and the Johnsons unite stronger than ever when a mem- ber of their community is the vic- tim of racial injustice. The show's creator and showrunner, Jim Reynolds ("The Big Bang Theory"), was recently quoted as saying, "We really have a responsibility to use our platform to say something — both to vali- date and honor the experiences of some of our audience, while also trying to give insight to and enlighten other parts of our audi- ence." And so far, the sitcom has done just that. Last season wrapped up with Dave running for city council. Having tried desperately to get Calvin's support for his cam- paign (Calvin happens to be a well-respected member of the local community), his efforts fell short as Calvin refused to believe that Dave had any real chance of beating the current incumbent, Isaiah Evans (Wayne Brady, "Whose Line Is It Anyway"). Completely in tune with his character, Dave was determined to prove Calvin wrong, but when a compromis- ing photograph involving Dave's "Dukes of Hazzard"-themed 10th birthday party and a Confederate flag birthday cake mysteriously comes to light, it threatened to derail Dave's cam- paign completely. Naturally, by the end of Season 2, the photo of the cake had not been well received by the local voters, and Dave's run for office stood seriously under threat. Is it possible that Isaiah had a hand in the photograph's mysterious and timely appear- ance? Regardless of who leaked it, Calvin — knowing that Dave is absolutely not a racist — winds up defending his neighbor to the outraged community, going on to give Dave his all- important endorsement. YMCA 2 x 2" Pear Tree Gallery 3 x 2" On the Cover Max Greenfield stars in "The Neighborhood" 'The Neighborhood' tackles racism head-on Chase Center 3 x 2" American Legion Post 60 2 x 3" Thrifty Muffler 2 x 2.5" 230 Burlington Avenue Logansport 574-992-8038 Tired of Shopping Around for THE Right Mechanic? BRAKE SPECIAL $89.95 PER AXLE. FOR MOST CARS AND TRUCKS Give us an opportunity to earn your business! "We do it Better for Less!"

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