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The Wonder Years is finally back on ABC, and I still don’t know why ABC held it for so long. It is a much better sitcom than the ones they have, and I watch them all but Home Economics.
Tonight’s episode at 9p is full of heart as the Williams family head back to school. Little Dean (Elisha “EJ” Williams) is excited because he is going to be on the football team. What could go wrong?
Broderick (Chinua Baraka Payne) is still sad that Kiesa (Milan Ray) broke up with him. And because of that, his football game has gone to crap. However, when he finds out that she cheated on him, he promises to kill the guy she cheated on him with. So when Dean, who is that guy, finds out that Broderick thinks it is Norman (Caleb Black), he is willing to sacrifice his friend. But will he have a change of heart and come clean that he was the one kissing Broderick’s girl?
Then there is his big sister Kim (Laura Kariuki). Since she took all the math she needs to graduate high school, she takes the morning off from her classes. Her mom (Saycon Sengbloh) is not going to let that happen. Therefore, she tells her to take a math class at her father’s (Dulé Hill) college.
Big Dean also has the morning off, but now he has to drive his daughter to his school. Neither one of them are happy about Lillian’s plan. But she is the boss in the Williams household.
However, Dean is the boss at his college, and Kim sees how well-liked her father is. And she likes one of his students who also likes her. What happens when he shows up that night to take Kim on a date? Will Dean “be cool” about it?
There are some sweet daddy/daughter scenes between the two actors. And that is enough reason for you to tune in. But there are so many others. Like how sexy Hill’s accent is on this show. OK, that just might be my thing. Seriously though, there are so many reasons to watch. The chemistry between the actors is like a real family. The writing is so well executed it feels like you are watching home videos of a family in 1969.
A family that you become invested in because you have a caring, standoffish dad, a loving but stern mother who wants the best for her kids, a daughter who is rebelling against the past and excited for the future, and a nerdy son who has a bright future ahead of him. It is a slice of Americana told through the Williams’ eyes. So much was happening outside of their household, but inside, one thing was remaining the same. They will always have each other to lean on, no matter what is happening outside.
In a way, The Wonder Years is a history sitcom where you learn about the past through one family’s eyes. So it is about the experiences as compared to what you read in a history book that is all about the facts. And let’s be honest, the late ’60s would’ve been a groovy time to live.
That is why this show won a Peabody. And that is why you should be watching. So check it tonight on ABC or tomorrow on Hulu.
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