Black-ish's "Election Special" felt more like a sketch show telling viewers that their vote matters

The A.V. Club

"In order to really appreciate Black-ish’s two-part 'Election Special,' understand it’s really a standalone sketch show that just so happens to involve the cast of Black-ish and an animated Black-ish episode smashed together," says Ashley Ray-Harris of Sunday's hour-long special. "As a series of sketches and bits designed to educate the American public on voting, the first half, directed by Oscar winner Matthew Cherry, works. Laurence Fishburne’s storybook telling of voter disenfranchisement is up there with the best of what School House Rock has to offer. At a time when there are so many Dr. Umar-clones spreading misinformation about voting, Black-ish’s 'Election Special' is full of family-friendly moments you can send to frustrated and/or frustrating relatives prior to Election Day. As an episode of Black-ish though? Longtime viewers of Black-ish (and most Black people) won’t find much new ground covered in part one. It’s great to see the Black-ish cast back together, but the premise is so out of line with the characters we know, it feels as though any sitcom could’ve taken on the story. Junior is a goofy Type-A personality who goes from being completely ignorant of how to even Google 'voter registration' to being Dre’s campaign manager in part two." ALSO: Inside the making "Election Special": Showrunner Courtney Lilly calls it "a miracle of our post-production team."