Raven’s Home: Season 2/ Episode 3 “Because” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

With Booker craving popularity and more friends, he decides using being psychic may help – but it attracts only the wrong kind of attention.

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Network
Disney Channel
Director(s)		Lynn McCracken
Writer(s)		Norm Gunzenhauser
Air Date		6/27/2018
Actors Introduced
Jared	Kaiden Chapman
Sienna	Jenna Davis

4 Star Driver: Raven, Chelsea

It isn’t clear if Raven has touched any of that $10,000 yet, but what is clear is she’ll eventually have to. Chelsea still doesn’t have a job, you know Scut isn’t paying much, and Raven already noted, last season, rent is expensive. What doesn’t help though is Chelsea seemingly has access to Raven’s credit card and may have fun with it every now and then.

Commentary

I honestly do wonder how long is Raven, lifelong friends or not, going to be able to handle Chelsea not having a job. Granted, she does do a lot of homemaker tasks, including watching the kids, which help. However, while that prevents some new bills, the old ones must be growing. So, between Chelsea having a bright idea to become rich again or Raven finding time to design, something needs to be done because money is going to end up running out.

Crush: Tess, Nia, Jared

Poor Nia. She has this crush on a football player, Jared, who only ends up talking to her when Booker reveals he is psychic. Luckily though, Tess keeps it straight with Nia and helps compensate for how protected Raven, maybe even Booker, have her. Mostly by presenting a printing press of reality checks.

Commentary

As noted in season 1, you have to admire the transaction here when it comes to Tess and Nia’s friendship. Tess gets normalcy from Nia by getting to be a Baxter vicariously. In return, Tess helps Nia see the world for what it is and also what it could be considered her personality and abilities.

But what you also have to appreciate is, with Tess having gone through her own crush, she can recognize Nia and Jared aren’t a good match. They have nothing in common and while he is cute, that doesn’t mean things would work. And while I’ll admit I was very iffy on Tess because she sort of got that Star, from Star persona of being the down white girl, who you know is a statement of some kind, she has grown on me.

Which is why I so badly want to see her parents and how she lives. If Booker can be so open about being psychic, we deserve to see how Tess really lives. Especially if maybe she is exaggerating or lying about her living conditions or if they are as bad, if not worse, than she says.

Because…: Booker, Raven

While Booker has friends, he is growing up in a generation where having friends, or followers, virtually can be as important as how many people are truly your friends. So, being psychic seems like the best way to make new friends. Problem is, Raven and Booker aren’t crystal ball or tarot card psychics. Their abilities are random and don’t appear to be something which could become refined with time or practice. Though, taking note of how Booker worked under pressure, for the Coach Spitz prediction, maybe some effort could lead to control? Who knows?

What is fact though is Booker exposing being psychic makes things crazy for him and makes it where people thinking it was fake is a blessing. But, after that he has to face Raven who presents a very interesting take on the whole thing. How so? Well, when Booker asks why he can’t tell everyone, before revealing it to the school, Raven says, “Because.” Yet, after all is said and done, she gives a real answer. One in which she says to tell who he trusts and that’s it.

Commentary

I really want to hone in on Raven wanting to break that cycle in parenting where you don’t explain anything to your kids. Primarily because, that is such a Black parent thing, maybe other cultures as well, and through the episode we saw how that answer doesn’t work anymore. Maybe because kids feel more safer, are more rebellious, or some mix of the two. Either way, her recognizing that saying “Because” is a terrible answer and giving Booker the type of answer he needs presents a precedent.

And I know, this is primarily aimed at kids, hence why this whole week the premiere time is 9:30 AM vs. sometime in the evening, but that doesn’t mean adults are ignored. What Raven’s Home does, or often tries to do, is both entertain those who grew up with That’s So Raven and take on a whole new audience through Raven’s Home. Something which doesn’t always work and often time leans towards the new audience than the old one. However, there are the occasional gems or truffles that can be dug up, like Raven’s “Because” moment that directly speaks to that 20, 30, or maybe even 40-year-old viewer too.

Highlights

1. Raven taking note of how saying, “Because” never really works and her trying to change a pattern in her family.
2. Tess and Nia’s relationship.
3. Addressing the pressure to be popular on social media for children. Also, not sharing everything in the pursuit of notoriety because it can get twisted, manipulated, and used against you.

Low Points

1. I need Chelsea to have another “A-ha!” moment and start acting like an adult with some sense.

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Previous Episode’s Recap

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