Poppa’s House: Season 1 Episode 5 “Disciplinarian” – Recap and Review

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Originally Aired	November 25, 2024
Network	CBS
Director(s)	Phill Lewis
Writer(s)	Erica Montolfo
Character	ACTOR’S NAME
Trey	Caleb Johnson
Maya	River Blossom
Poppa Damon	Damon Wayans
Damon Jr.	Damon Wayans Jr.
Nina	Tetona Jackson
Ivy	Essence Atkins

Storyline Recap

You, Gotta, Raise Your Kid Right – Trey, Poppa Damon, Nina, Damon Jr.

Trey is heading towards being a tween, and while Poppa Damon isn’t fond of the kid calling his father by his first name, what really is an issue is how he talks to his parents. It isn’t just a simple generational thing, but Trey is talking like he runs things, and Nina is getting tired of it as much as Poppa Damon.

Now, why is Damon Jr. hesitant to do anything? Mainly because of what Poppa Damon’s authoritarian style did to their relationship. Yes, things are good now, but there are still scars on Damon Jr.’s psyche, and he doesn’t want to taint his relationship with Trey.

However, as it becomes clear that it is either his marriage or his relationship with his son, Damon Jr. chooses his wife, making it so there is one less topic of conversation in couples therapy.

This Isn’t Your Time To Shine – Nina, Maya

At one time, Nina was going to go to the Olympics for figure skating, but then she got injured and seemingly settled ever since. Now, to what degree beyond her job is not dove into, but you can see Nina did desire to live vicariously through Maya to relive her glory days. Unfortunately for Nina, Maya isn’t about living up to her mother’s dream and is vocal about how Nina was taking the fun out of dancing. So, Nina backs down when it is time for Maya to perform and has her baby girl get all the spotlight.

Am I Misreading The Signals – Poppa Damon, Ivy

It isn’t clear what Poppa Damon’s dating life has been like since his divorce, but one thing is for sure: Ivy is the type of woman who touches people when she talks, likely to show or maintain engagement, which raises an eyebrow for Poppa. Add in things she says and looks, which he doesn’t know how to interpret. The question becomes, does she like him, or is she doing things he likes, and he is beginning to like her?

New Character Descriptions

Maya

Maya is Nina and Damon Jr.’s daughter, the youngest of their two, who is more a mix of Poppa Damon and Nina than Nina and Damon Jr.

Review

Highlights

Jr. and Nina’s Relationship

With their kiss words and dynamic, they have quickly become one of our favorite couples. They are silly together and don’t have that weird dynamic of yore, which made it seem they are co-habiting more for money reasons than love. Now, yes, their talking about being or formerly being in therapy does raise an eyebrow. But what they learned is working.

I would be lying; however, if I didn’t say that, I would like to know what initially led them to therapy.

On The Fence

Dr. Reed and Poppa

My main issue with a Dr. Reed and Poppa relationship is that this is a comedy, and both still have baggage from their last marriage. With that in play, the usual “this is an issue I have, but it’s all good” by the end of the episode won’t cut it. There would need to be an arc that veers more towards the serious side for both parties and considering Ivy is a doctor, and they make the worst patients, especially in their own field? I get this is a comedy, but they will have to do more than dip their toe in drama but have a couple of scenes spread across the season to make the potential of this relationship seem worth it.

The Kids

I’m very torn about the kids on this show. Right now, they are tools, which is fine. They have shown the cracks in Poppa Damon and Jr.’s relationship, and Maya has helped with Nina’s development, so they haven’t become liabilities on the show. But there is the question of what they will contribute in the future beyond developing the adults in the room.

Now, “Poppa’s House” isn’t a drama, so kids could be kids, and they don’t need to pull out tears, traumas, and all that like they would in a drama. However, that doesn’t discount that Nina and Jr. could work just as well as a childless couple as they do with a boy and a girl, so whether they benefit the show in the long term is worth questioning since, honestly, they could have existed off-screen, as they did early on, and the show would have been fine.

Overall

While “Poppa’s House” seems to create a solid foundation for Nina and Damon Jr., the question remains of what the show will do with the other characters who have yet to find their footing.

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