“Watch out world, I’m grown now ...” the intro to the new catchy theme song by Chloe x Halle for the new series Grown-ish. A preface that is so perfect for the series.

Grown-ish is a spin-off of the hit sitcom series on ABC, Black-ish. Grown-ish follows eldest daughter Zoey Johnson as she heads off to start her freshman year of college at Cal U (California University of Liberal Arts) and begin her journey into adulthood. Zoey soon finds that everything she thought she knew could not prepare her for the grown-up world. Spoiler ALERTS ahead.

Emily Arlook, Luka Sabbat, Jordan Buhat, Trevor Jacson, Yara Shahidi, Chloe x Halle Bailey - "The Breakfast Club" by FreeForm

The series starts off with a 2-part hour long premiere on ABC’s sister network Freefrom (formerly ABC Family). In the first half, we find Zoey speaking to her — eh let’s say distraught father, Andre Johnson, as he misses his baby girl and wants her to come home for the weekend (though it’s only been 3 days since she’s been college) to watch their favorite movie, The Breakfast Club (my favorite movie of all time actually). Later in a night class, that Zoey was forced to take because she missed registration — we find out the importance of the reference to The Breakfast Club. In the class Zoey meets her support system, the friends that will get her through this new uncharted world of adulting. Each have completely nothing in common, but they each have a reason for being in the class that led them to miss registration — well except one, sophomore Aaron Jackson (played by Trevor Jackson). Aaron is the typical social activist guy that is all about being “woke”, and is Zoey’s crush. This is a very funny and quirky part of the shows dynamic to watch.

The rest of the crew is very relatable as well. Jazlyn & Skyler Foster, aka Jazz & Sky (played by Chloe & Halle Bailey), are twin sisters who are athletes from the “ghetto” and have had to be the best their entire lives so that they can have a better life and not let the people back home down. Vivek Shah (played by Jordan Buhat), an engineering student who is also a drug dealer — he doesn’t want to end up like his father, a “bum”, that worked his butt off but never wanted better for himself. Nomi Segal (played by Emily Arlook), not your average stereotypical Jewish girl who — well also happens to like girls occasionally (she is pretty cool). Luca Hall (played by Luka Sabbat), is the fashion guy who does not care, he does what he wants and looks good while doing. But despite their differences they become friends, (The Breakfast Club reference). This is something I feel the show did right, as being in college I have made friends with people I thought I never would because on the surface we have nothing in common.

The second part of the premiere hits home even more as it focuses on how everyone in college has their own “thing” to cope with it all. Some party, get wasted from drinking, smoke the green, pop molly, caffeinate, or pop a little blue pill (Adderall). Having a thing is pretty real and relevant in college, when you start out you are faking it acting like you have it all figured out — till you find out you’re as lost as everyone else. Then you start to find your thing that makes it all work and make sense to you. My thing was/is caffeine and energy drinks at least 6 of each — surprisingly I haven’t had a stroke or heart attack yet. Woah, it got pretty dark for a second there but that’s how college and starting adulthood is, and Grown-ish is keeping it real. This show has the opportunity to be big for this new generation, that doesn’t really know or can appreciate series such as The Different World. This is why I’m deeming Grown-ish the first must see TV show of 2018. Catch Grown-ish on FreeForm Wednesdays at 8/7c.

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