Episode 4: Buckingham
In this episode, Tre’s acceptance into the prestigious Buckingham school for the gifted becomes the basis for emotional and tense beats between Poppa and his family. The highlight of the episode is Wendy Raquel Robinson’s guest role as Poppa.'s ex-wife, a dynamic that adds and extra layer that helps us understand Poppa a little more. I would like to see more of her in future episodes.
Poppa’s reluctance to support a private school education for his grandson creates conflict, with his view that such schools breed entitlement. Ivy, an alumna of Buckingham, is happy that Tre is accepted into the school. She boasts that she is an alumni and tells about all of the benefits that an education at Buckingham can provide. She writes glowing recommendation for Tre. The entire family visits the school in hopes that if Poppa can see how the school operates then he may be more inclined to fund Tre's education. It leads for a tense, chaotic day—though not the funny kind of chaos.
The episode hits an emotional beat when Poppa realizes that he doesn’t want his grandson to turn out soft like his father, Junior. Junior overhears Poppa expressing this to his ex-wife. Tension mounts between father and son and deepens as Junior is hurt by Poppa’s dismissive comments, leading to an unexpectedly touching heart-to-heart. Poppa admits that while he wishes Junior were tougher, he secretly respects his son for being a better father and husband than he ever was.
Tre's clever design of a T-shirt promoting Poppa’s podcast sparks a bidding war, ultimately solving the dilemma of paying for Tre’s education—but at the expense of Nina’s father. While the storyline has its emotional beats, the humor is a bit flat. The bloopers, however, offer more laughs than the actual episode. A solid 5/10, though the comedy could have been sharper.
Episode 5: Old Versus New School
Episode 5 continues the theme of differing views between Junior and Poppa. This episode deals with parenting styles, specifically how parents discipline their children. Junior believes in a more relaxed approach, where children should not fear their parents. Poppa, on the other hand, holds firm to a belief in stern discipline. Junior’s softer approach is evident in the way Tre speaks to him, calling him by his first name and getting away with it. Ivy, the voice of reason, suggests that while children need structure, they also need a safe space where they feel secure.
The episode takes a slightly uncomfortable turn when Poppa believes Ivy may have a crush on him, adding some awkward humor to the mix. Meanwhile, Tre’s school troubles continue, and Poppa warns Junior that without some tougher parenting, Tre could end up on the wrong path. Out of frustration, Junior humorously asks Poppa to "teach him how to daddy"—a line that lands flat. Poppa’s response is to take a play from The Nanny's Playbook and secretly record Junior’s parenting to review the footage later, leading to more tension and humor, though the comedy feels forced.
As Poppa tries to teach Junior to be tougher, Junior adopts an alter ego, Tony, which ends up feeling more "Westside Story" than "Goodfellas." The underlying theme of old-school versus new-school parenting is well-executed, but the episode still lacks the strong laughs that one might expect from these comedy veterans. The character dynamics are strong, but the humor doesn’t quite deliver. Another 5/10, though fans of the cast will still find enjoyment in the character-driven moments.
Final Thoughts
Both episodes of Poppa's House explore deep themes of family dynamics, personal growth, and parenting, but the humor often feels lacking. Damon Jr. and Sr. bring their usual charisma and have led famously funny shows before this. Fans of theirs will expect the same in Poppa’s House but it doesn’t deliver. The bloopers offer more laughs than the episodes themselves, which is a bit of a letdown. The show still offers emotional depth and some memorable moments, but it’s clear that it could benefit from a sharper comedic focus.
What did you think?
Loved it
Hated it
So/So
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