When Jerrod decides to move in with his girlfriend, Maxine, he is incredibly hesitant to tell his opinionated parents, Cynthia and Joe. While Maxine feels they both need to be open and honest, Jerrod and his brother Bobby are well aware that this is a recipe for disaster…
A protest breaks out in the community, causing divisions in the family over social activism and complicating Jerrod's birthday celebration.
Jerrod encourages his parents to lead healthier lifestyles, but his efforts backfire and cause a family debate about health, aging and death.
Jerrod mentors a teen, who reveals a secret about his sexuality, leading to a family discussion about gender roles. Meanwhile, Bobby is served with divorce papers.
The family's reverend comes over for dinner, igniting passionate family discourse about religion and spirituality. In addition, Jerrod and Maxine must face deeper aspects of their relationship.
Maxine finds a gun that belongs to Jerrod, triggering a family debate about gun control and power dynamics in relationships.
Cynthia catches her Reverend cheating on his wife and becomes a discussion with the family which leads Maxine revealing her past affairs.
When Maxine rejects Jerrod’s invitation to a Bill Cosby concert, Jerrod offers the tickets to his parents as an anniversary gift, and the family is divided on whether or not you can appreciate entertainment free from scandal surrounding the entertainer.
When Joe’s father passes away, the family debates the most appropriate way to handle his funeral. Because Joe had a complicated relationship with his father, who was anything but a role model, the Carmichaels weigh the pros and cons of traditional funeral pageantry versus a more accurate reflection of his life that may bring Joe some closure.
A pregnancy scare hits Maxine and Jerrod, who rush out to purchase a morning-after pill. Complications ensue when a menacing storm approaches and the couple are forced to seek shelter at Joe and Cynthia’s residence.
With sudden rent hikes threatening to drive Nekeisha out of her neighborhood, the family is forced to consider the effects of gentrification and the fact that Jerrod and Bobby are on opposite sides of the issue.
Jerrod and Maxine clash over his parents' behavior after a Muslim couple moves in next door. The problem intensifies when his parents see their new neighbors receive a mysterious package and they become determined to investigate.
The prison system is discussed by the family when Jerrod's childhood friend is released from jail after 10 years. Also, Jerrod must face how much his life has changed, and an idealistic viewpoint clashes with realist attitudes.
Maxine discovers Cynthia crying in the kitchen and fears she may be in need of counseling due to depression.
Joe joins Facebook, but Cynthia is upset when he receives a friend request from his high-school girlfriend. All this leads the family to explore social media and its impact on relationships.
Maxine challenges Jerrod's attitude about gender roles, leading the Carmichael men to prove their masculinity by fixing the roof. Meanwhile, Maxine sets out to show that a woman can change a tire without a man's help.
Maxine's dad is in town for her graduation. When he offers her a lucrative job she doesn't want to take, her and Jerrod's integrity is put to the test.
Cynthia is shocked her family watches porn. Are they heathens or just sexually healthy?
Joe and Maxine clash over politics and elections are debated when Joe chooses to vote for Donald Trump, to Maxine's chagrin, and some important news gets overshadowed. Also: Jerrod sets out to hear all sides of the election debate.
When Maxine's friend posts about her sexual assault on social media, Jerrod and Maxine end up on opposite sides of the issue. This opens the family up to a debate about consent that sends Bobby into a spiral.
When Jerrod gets into a fight with a soldier in front of Joe and Bobby, Joe's desire to make it up to the soldier causes problems that test the limits of what it means to truly support the troops.
Joe and his sons take a boys trip to visit Joe's mother that takes a serious turn when she presents them with an impossible dilemma.
When Maxine offers to set Bobby up with a friend who the family deems unattractive, a debate about beauty and superficiality ensues that spurs Maxine to try to prove that the world is not that shallow.
Cynthia reacts negatively to a birthday gift she receives from Jerrod and Maxine. As a result, Jerrod sets out to force his family members to broaden their horizons as he addresses what is and isn't acceptable when it comes to race.
When Jerrod survives a tragedy, he fights against being coddled by his family and being labeled a victim, but things are made harder when he's forced to tell a police officer exactly what he saw.
When Bobby shares news with Jerrod about a mysterious Facebook message he received, a decades old family secret is revealed.
A fight between Bobby and Nekeisha about how much she's been drinking lately spurs the family to throw an intervention that turns into a debate about how to best handle life stress.
When Cynthia discovers her parents are having marriage problems, it forces her to confront problems in her own marriage.
When Maxine brings her sister to meet the Carmichaels, Bobby reveals that they've previously met under unexpected circumstances forcing an exploration on judgment, hypocrisy and what it means to be family.
When Bobby suffers an on-the-job injury that spurs him to want to go to college, Maxine defends his decision to the disapproving Carmichaels but struggles herself once he declares what career he'd like to pursue.
When the family discovers the unique way in which Jerrod and Maxine celebrated their dating anniversary, their disapproval forces Jerrod and Maxine to explore their potential inabilities to meet each other's expectations.
When Bobby brings home his new girlfriend, a debate about the effects of money ensues that uncovers something about Maxine’s financial situation that Jerrod never knew and doesn’t know if he can handle.
