Where to begin with All About The Washingtons on Netflix? It is an American comedy that premiered on August 10, 2018 on Netflix. It stars Joseph “Rev Run” Simmons and Justine Simmons and is the fictional adaption of the reality show Run's House. The show follows Joey and Justine Washington as they raise their family. It begins after Joey decides to retire from a long career as a legendary hip-hop artist. His wife Justine then takes advantage of the opportunity to pursue a career of her own. That leaves Joey free to focus on raising the four kids and keeping the house in order.
So far so good and it would be if it was actually funny. The user reviews on IMBD have panned it with an overall score of just 3.9/10 with many giving it just one star. And that's for good reason – it's just not good. The plot is fine but the script that accompanies it is awful. The acting is terrible and the lines are forced and/or over acted. The canned laughter is so repetitive it nearly gave me a headache and was reminiscent of sitcoms from the 70's and 80's. I know pilots can be a bit stifled as characters get developed I watched multiple episodes. Unfortunately for me, that's time I am never getting back!
Are there some bright spots – yes. The kids are funny and some of the stories about Joey being out of touch with them and the times are relatable. And for all of the reasons I didn't like it, there are plenty of viewers who will. Still, they could really have taken this plot and elevated it. Instead we have a dad who permanently lives in the same black tracksuit and four siblings who have almost no interaction with each other. And instead of empowering Justine as she gets her chance to flex her entrepreneurial muscles, the creators decide that the best she can do is sell bejewelled lids for ladies to use on drinks at the club (insert groaning emoji here!).
There is so much good family comedy on Netflix and Amazon that you could watch instead of All About The Washingtons. Think along the lines of Fuller House, Kim's Convenience or Blackish which are all so much better!
