Poppa’s House: Season 1 Episode 10 – Recap and Review | Two Reunions Happen As Tommy Davidson and Lamorne Morris Guest Star

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Episode 10 “Elevator Friend” Details

Originally Aired: February 3, 2025
Network: CBS
Director(s): Kelly Park
Writer(s): Michael Wayans

Recap

Leon’s death still looms over “Poppa’s House” as Poppa gets the opportunity to go to a Mets game. But with Junior wanting to spend time with his friend Todd, aka Preston Valentine, Poppa finds himself searching for someone to go with, and he considers Jarnold, a man he used to joke around with when he saw him on the elevator.

Now, at first, they seemed like a decent match, but the weirder Jarnold made himself seem, the more Poppa realized they might get along, but he may not want to hang out with him to the level he would Leon. So, while initially against the idea of men and women being friends, because he believes men get the short end of the stick, he invites Dr. Ivy, who is happy to go.

Note, she isn’t googly-eyed over the invite, for she too thinks men and women can’t be friends, but she has a good time and avoids creating a moment when she and Poppa end up on Kiss Cam. But, while Poppa and Dr. Ivy are at a Mets game, Junior realizes he may have to draw some boundaries with Preston.

You see, at one time Preston, when he was Todd, and Junior were supposed to start a film company, Two Jabronis, and be in Hollywood together. But then Junior met Nina, who Preston calls Yoko, and Junior put more effort into that relationship than what could have been, professionally, with Todd. Arguably, Preston still has some ill will over losing Junior, and with getting rejected again because Junior has family responsibilities, Preston makes Nina out to be baggage.

This leads Junior to not end his friendship with Preston but definitely create a boundary. Bad enough Preston was picking with Nina earlier in the night, but now he outright shows some disdain for Nina, which is taking it a bit far. So, while Poppa thinks it would be better to end the friendship than mend its terms, it doesn’t seem Junior is there yet.

New Character Descriptions

Jarnold (Tommy Davidson)

Jarnold works on the 10^th floor at Poppa’s old job and because the two had good rapport as they took the elevator together, Poppa decides to pursue a friendship with Jarnold. But, with Jarnold being notably eccentric, Poppa isn’t sure if their chemistry extends beyond the elevator.

Todd, aka Preston Valentine (Lamorne Morris)

Todd, who now goes by Preston Valentine, is a friend of Junior’s from film school who is starting to make moves that could lead to his career blowing up. He just finished a film called “A Loud Place,” a parody of “A Quiet Place,” and with a promise to bring Junior along for the ride if something happened, he is trying to fulfill that promise.

Review

Highlights

• Junior Stepping Up A Bit When It Comes To His Wife and Family [82/100]
• The Push That Poppa and Nina May Have Chemistry, But There Isn’t A Need To Ask When Or If They Get Together [83/100]

On The Fence

• Why Is There Never A Pop When There Are Guest Stars? [73/100]

Trajectory

Trajectory (79/100): Plateau

One of the things we’re finding weird about “Poppa’s House” is that when people like Tommy Davidson, Wendy Raquel Robinson, and others appear, it seems to not bring the kind of pop you’d expect. If you go by the 1iota Facebook page, “Poppa’s House” doesn’t just look but is in fact before a live audience. Shouldn’t any classic person from the 80s/90s popping up be a big deal? Is the problem that maybe the audience recruited lack melanin?

In my mind, “Poppa’s House” is likely to feature more alumni from the Wayans’ various shows and films, with Marlon Wayans already set to guest star. But if this is the reaction, I feel bad for when David Alan Grier shows up, Tisha Campbell, or maybe even Jim Carrey.

Setting aside the lackluster atmosphere, the storyline of this episode was kind of meh. I appreciate the loss of Leon still having an effect on Poppa, but seeing him seek friendship with Jarnold fell flat to me. While Tommy Davidson, in what I’ve seen him, like The Ms. Pat Show, has generally leaned towards weird, above all else, I felt like this was one of his weakest appearances. I’d rather they have dived deeper into feelings of loss and being lonely for Poppa, if not had him around more to see how Todd was, to be reminded of what a good friend is.

To me, that could have been a better setup for pushing the idea Ivy would have been seen as a good person, in Leon’s mind, than having Davidson scat for a good portion of the episode and make it seem his comedy is firmly stuck in the past. For while it does increasingly feel Ivy got pushed back and maybe “Poppa’s House” has less of a desire to push a “Will they or won’t they?” vibe, Essence Atkins is still there and still seems to be playing a character they don’t know what to do with.

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