The Boondocks (2005–2014) User Reviews

A biting, Leftist commentary on society

[Agent10 · 10/10 · 9 July 2006]

Aaron McGruder is an admitted militant liberal, and his comic strip has provided quite an insight into his world view on politics and the lack of political tactfulness. But the television show has effectively upped up the ante, making even starker commentary on society and the racist ills that have fallen on it.

Some may attack McGruder for attacking African American culture by using the profane language and in his depiction of Riley, but what he has effectively provided is a sensible argument toward the ills of all cultural settings. He's effectively illustrating what people EXPECT from black culture.

McGruder has always been very critical of the "hip-hop" culture, calling it feminine and useless. In my opinion, McGruder's commentary is almost as powerful as Spike Lee's "Bamboozled," where he basically states hip-hop culture is just another form of black-face to entertain suburban white people. While the television seems to border more along the lines of cultural inequities and absurdities as opposed to the full-on political commentary of the strip, he still hammers home a lot of good points. Years from now, people will look at this show as a daring look at junk cultural paradigms and laugh at the absurdity of it all.

Not for all viewers

[cchamber · 9/10 · 15 May 2006]

This show is "black" comedy in multiple senses of the term. Here is a memorable example. Grandad opens a restaurant featuring a menu high in fat, pork, sugar, and serving sizes. Huey comments that the food is "destructive" to those that eat it. Grandad asks him, "What's wrong with you boy, this is your culture." To which Huey responds, "well then the culture's destructive!" Now that's a point worthy of consideration coming out of the mouth of a small child in a cartoon. Personally, I think its worth watching several hours of this show just for the reward of being challenged to think about that one line, but others will not agree. My wife hates the show because, in her opinion "its simply not funny." I must agree, that the writing is bit uneven. Uncle Ruckus's trip to "white heaven" and King's speech at his political rally are absolutely priceless, while the entire episode "Let's Nab Ophrah" was a complete waste of time when Samuel L. Jackson's character wasn't talking. I strongly expect the reviews of this show to be highly polarized - you either love it or hate it. Watch a few episodes and make up your own mind.

The best show for society

[kenny5637 · 10/10 · 9 May 2006]

This is Adult Swim's most socially conscious and possibly most clever show. It's loaded with parallels to real world events. (A convenience store robbery works as a perfect metaphor for the early stages of Iraqi Freedom.) There are also heavy doses of Eastern influences, with references to Japanese cinema (Zatoichi, specifically) and action scenes comparable to what you'd normally only see in anime. The heavy dosage of quality hip hop is also refreshing. Aaron McGruder is man with good tastes, and they help to make his material so brilliant.

And yes, it is damn funny. John Witherspoon is incredible, and Regina King's voice grows on you after an episode. Also, frequent appearances by Samuel L. Jackson and Charlie Murphy as a couple of rich white boy gangstas lend an unequaled comic value to the show.

Now, onto the controversy factor.

Not to sound like a broken record, but this show is not racist. It does not lampoon black people, nor does it lampoon white people. This show specifically makes fun of just plain ignorant folks. Regardless of race. If you are a viewer who gets offended by the show, or thinks it's just an excuse for Adult Swim to prominently feature the "n-word," then you are exactly who this show is making fun of. (That's not to say that you have to like the show. If you are not offended but still do not like the show, that's your own prerogative.) I always thought that any show that always has to include a moral message must be a crappy family sitcom or kid's show. Not so in the case of Boondocks. Not to sound to preachy, but racial tensions still exist, even if the most common result is a white person being awkward and overly friendly when meeting a black person, saying things like "So, you hear the new Jay-Z?See the new Spike Lee?" This show is just what society needs. ***** out of *****

Afrocentric satire par none

[HyperPup · 5 December 2005]

Having read and watched both the print and televised versions of the Boondocks I can honestly say, to me it was a diamond in the rough...until now. The antics and sometime semantics of the lead characters Huey, Riley and Grandpa are enough to keep ones funny bone in stitches while at the same time sending a message to the viewer loud and clear. The message is that no matter what color, no matter what creed or race....everyone is F'ed UP! I know the brothas and sistas will be jammin on how Huey is sticking it to the white man and so on, but that is only one side of the equation for the story often shows the illogic and humor of how African Americans view life. A stinging indictment on how the gov't seeks to obstruct and keep down the black man gives way to portrayals of black men stereotyping one another with colorful and racial epithets. The mocking vision of white males acting like black gansta rappers melts into the savage humor of hoes and pimps and black men and gun play. Its the long stretch and cleansing breath of the soul the racial landscape of America has needed for a long time. No one is perfect and this show is unafraid to show that no matter what color or ideology , that you have a bullseye on your back when Huey and Riley come around!

The Last African-American Cartoon Classic

[bmoore07 · 8/10 · 3 February 2015]

The title of this show is an interesting one because the show's setting isn't exactly in 'the boondocks' of American society. The Boondocks is about two children named Huey and Riley Freeman who move from the ghettos of Chicago to the fictional, peaceful (and very white) neighborhood of Woodcrest, where they embark on hilarious misadventures with their grandfather Robert Freeman as they adjust to their new environment.

Huey Freeman is The Boondocks' main character and narrator (as well as the person I chose as my profile picture), an Afro-wielding martial arts master, a gun-toting terrorist with a Che Guevara poster on his wall, a supremely intelligent prodigy of few words (and one of my all-time favorite characters). Riley Freeman is Huey's younger brother and someone I was never fond of, a cornrowed hip-hop enthusiast famed for his expletive-filled rants and someone I find mostly one- dimensional, extremely egocentric, and unbelievably selfish. Robert Freeman is similar to Riley but is equipped with depth to his character (and a bizarre habit of dating psychotic women). The Boondocks offers a variety of richly detailed supporting characters like the politician Tom DuBois who looks exactly like young Barack Obama (and has a peculiar phobia), the infamous Uncle Ruckus, a racist who passionately despises his own kind (and someone whose voice I can imitate very well), Jazmine DuBois, who is Tom's innocent daughter, and Ed Wuncler III, a red- headed delinquent who looks a lot like Eminem. The Boondocks offers one of the best cast of characters I've ever seen.

There are more than a few notable Boondocks episodes like "The Story of catcher Freeman", an attempt to analyze Huey and Riley's slavery- era ancestor who is profiled in three ways (Robert's version of Catcher is a beloved and brave hero who freed black people from slavery, Uncle Ruckus' version is a primal and vicious slavecatcher preventing black people from escaping the plantations, and Huey's version is an intelligent playwright who accidentally kills his white father). There's the episode "Smoking with Cigarettes", where Riley befriends Lamilton Taeshawn, a juvenile felon who punched his grandma and hijacked a car for a joyride (the detective chasing Lamilton sounds and looks similar to Obi-Wan Kenobi). There's also the episode "The Color Ruckus", an extremely emotional journey into Ruckus' past, and the episode "The Fundraiser", where Riley's attempt to make money from selling chocolates becomes out-of-control (highlighted by an unforgettable speech by Riley). "The Fundraiser" and "The Color Ruckus" are two of my three favorite Boondocks episodes.

After the third season concluded, The Boondocks fell into a dry spell, only airing re-runs as America furiously pushed for Season 4. Four years after Season 3, The Boondocks returned. Season 4 was the show's first attempt at a running plot and it unfortunately aired for a pitiful 10 episodes. In those 10 episodes, The Boondocks mostly tried to recycle ideas from episodes of previous seasons (lowlighted by a return of the notorious Colonel Stinkmeaner as a mechanically modified clone to once again fight Grandpa Freeman), but there were a few shining moments in Season 4. The episode "Early Bird Special" was an interesting one but it didn't hold a candle to the classic "I Dream of Siri" (my third favorite Boondocks episode), where Robert's malfunctioned phone came dangerously close to destroying his life. The 10th (and final) episode of Season 4, "The New Black", was about Riley being targeted for calling a kid 'gay' and 'retarded', and the episode ended with Riley getting pummeled by a gigantic group of mentally disabled children as the show played Lethal Interjection Crew's "Stomp 'Em In the Nuts", a homage to the earlier seasons. It was a classic ending to a sub-par episode in a disappointing season.

Sadly, when Season 4 concluded, Aaron McGruder (the creator of The Boondocks) quit his involvement in the beloved animated series for Black Jesus, a hilarious comedy that is nowhere close to The Boondocks, which was the last African-American classic, a show with supremely solid characters, first-class comedy, and occasional martial arts scenes, a show that casually ventured into polarizing social topics (race, snitching, homosexuality, etc.) and incited controversy along the way (The Boondocks labeled BET as "Black Evil Television", a sinister enterprise corrupting America, and the show suggested the famous playwright Tyler Perry is gay). With its memorable main theme, and historical and pop culture references, The Boondocks is a show that doesn't deserve to be ignored.

I need Season 5

[victormayi · 10/10 · 7 October 2018]

I heard y'all were banned. But this show is widely loved. Please bring it back in Season 5.

Thank you.

How exactly did they get away with this?

[corazontvc · 8/10 · 17 July 2015]

That's the question I keep asking myself. My favorite character is Uncle Ruckus. How in the hell did this get onto relatively mainstream television is completely beyond me. Today, this would have howls of twitter protests and nervous nancies screaming at the top of their lungs. Thank God there was a time when artists were allowed to take risks.

This is a show that anyone with a brain should be able to relate to, you don't need to be black, I'm not. It is brilliant. It is up there with the Simpsons in animated comedy, not quite as good, but close. Highly recommended. Except if you're easily offended, then do everyone a favor and stay away. I'm someone that doesn't care much for vulgarity, unless it serves a purpose. It does here.

The Boondocks might be the best Adult Cartoon on Air

[gigadragon12 · 10/10 · 20 April 2010]

I give the Boondocks a 10 out of 10.

This show is awesome. To set up, the show follows the exploits of Huey, a cynical down to earth minded character that serves as the proper moral spinal cord, who most of the time has to clean up after his brother, Riley, what you could call the representative of gangsta wannabe kids, and Grandpa, a wild and destructively optimistic and under minding parent figure, in Huey and Riley's lives, as they get into wacky and more often than not, social and political situations that challenge the thinking of the subject.

Its sort of like Family Guy when it was good, mixed with the Wayan Brothers, mixed with action fantasy anime. The animation in this is top of the line, while most of the time it will be spent in the Adult Comedy section of things were most of the morals and questions will be raised, Huey is a master of the Katana, and more than one character seems to be trained in Martial Arts, which results in some of the most BAD ASS fights seen in mainstream action movies or TV shows today. So more like Family Guy mixed with Wayan Brothers mixed with Afro Ninja.

This show is by and far the greatest adult animation on TV today, and if you've missed out on any of the wacky and challenging situations that these characters get into, then you've missed some of the most awesome action scenes, incredibly thoughtful and funny plotting and storyline, and great stabs at what has become culturally acceptable.

Watch it! 10/10

Excellent series

[Rectangular_businessman · 9/10 · 2 August 2012]

In my opinion, "The Boondocks"( along with "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and "The Legend of Korra") is one of the best anime-influenced cartoon, which is able to take the best elements of Japanese and American animation in order to create something different and well made. Instead of only using the most characteristic anime elements big water drops in a shallow way, this series uses the anime aesthetic in a original and different way, with very interesting and stylish results. There is huge improvement in the animation quality in the second season, but it is the surprisingly good writing what makes this series to be so great.

At first, I thought that this series was going to be only bashing of white people, but too my surprise, "The Boondocks" did a great job doing an excellent criticism of racism from both sides, and that criticism is done in a very harsh, unapologetic way, so I could understand perfectly well the fact that not everyone would like this series.

However, "The Boondocks" isn't offensive just for the sake of it (Like other cartoons that include controversial and shocking content) but the shocking elements included in this series have a very well thought satirical purpose, resulting in a high quality series that certainly deserves more appreciation and recognition.

9/10

great series until the tacked-on fourth season

[cherold · 9/10 · 14 July 2021]

The Boondocks was a brilliant, wildly funny show I saw years ago. Then one day it was just gone. And then, weirdly, years later it came back.

Unfortunately it came back without its creator/show runner, and based on the first two episodes, that's a very bad thing. The first episode of season 4 was sometimes funny but seemed to embrace rather than subvert stereotypes, and was thus neither smart nor true to the original vision. The second show, Good Times, was abysmal, and the third, a parody of Breaking Bad, was the last straw. The forth season has been compared to the third season of Community, which also lost its show runner, but that was just not as good a season as the others. Season 4 of The Boondocks is kind of gross, politically oblivious and somehow racist, even though I would hope it's still being produced by black people.

But once upon a time it was great. And it's a shame my review is all about this last, inexcusable season, but it's been years and I can't say much about the original run after all this time.

RIP Boondocks: 2005-2010 (sort of)

[thebrshaw · 7/10 · 29 May 2014]

This show should have ended immediately after Aaron MacGruder left. The first season was easily deserving of a 10, the second season a fairly strong follow-up, the third season watchable. But this last season? MacGruder's name is absent from the credits, and the void shows big time.

It would be tough to analyze the vicissitudes of the first two seasons and the last two on an episode-by-episode basis, but just take a look at an episode guide to see how the show has changed. Most of the first season was comprised of sly satire. The second season, though not as potent as its predecessor, still delivered its fair share of laughs with The Story of Thugnificent (who could forget Eff Granddad?) and the return of misanthropic handicapped senior Col. Stinkmeaner. The third season, which shifted the focus from satire to parody, still managed to crank out some entertaining episodes like A Date with the Booty Warrior and the 9/11 parable in It's Going Down. The most recent episode of the fourth season is about the Kardashians.

Had the show premiered in the shape that its fourth season did, it would not have made it to a second running. It's vacuous trash. Periphery characters like Uncle Ruckus once served as outlandish yet deep distractions from the main action; he was a self-hating black racist, yet he had a heart and a personality--remember his consolation of Jazmine during the Christmas episode? Now, he barely even qualifies as a character; he's just a floating hive of virulence and racism who sporadically appears for a cheap laugh.

The animation--and even the premier dates--have been altered to reflect this change in format. Seasons one and two made their debuts in the fall and winter; seasons three and four aired their episodes in the summertime. The animation, which was a smooth western emulation of anime, is now the visual definition of TMI: any character exhibiting a modicum of emotion is drawn turns into a gnarled, demented silent-era movie villain. Just take a look at Granddad's "monkey face" in the season four intro; he barely looks human.

One of my favorite episodes, season one's A Date with the Health Inspector, concludes with Gin Rummy, Ed Wuncler III, Huey, and Riley taking a detour from the location of a free killer (for whose crime Tom was arrested) and stopping at a convenience store. Gin and Ed pull pistols on the Middle Eastern clerk, telling him to drop a gun (which he doesn't have, wink wink), turning the store into a warzone. The duo, having demolished the store, walk out to a volley of applause from a gathered crowd. Soft music plays as newspapers announce that the "war heroes thwart(ed) terror cell" and the screen fades to black.

You just know that, had the episode been made during season four's production, it would have ended with Granddad driving off a cliff.

Boondocks long overdue

[ismaildavis · 10/10 · 30 May 2006]

i love the boondocks series, and many thanks to MR. Mcgruder and his creative genius for capturing the black perspective and experience so well on his show. i don't know how many viewers watch this program just for pure entertainment, I'm afraid that there are many, but Mcgruder is so on point its like a personal burden off my shoulder. I was surprised that a program of this substance could still get on mainstream television. once Mr. Johnson sold BET to Viacom, and the whole format of that station went to a one dimensional chaotic perspective, i felt all is lost for those of us who really give a f--k. When the Boondocks was set for release i didn't know what to expect, but soon as i saw it, and then did a little research on its creator.I said there is still hope and yes there is a young black man who truly knows history, and the social systematic setting that we have been dealing with for so so long.To sum it all up the boondocks is a revolutionary format in a time when bling and "idiocrocy" rule supreme. he entertains, and educates, or as KRS ONE puts it enductainment.lets Mcgruders in your face honesty and brilliant insight are so sorely needed, lets hope it works. long live the Boondocks. "hotep(peace)is already out" p.s. MANY PROPS TO HUEY MY FAVORITE ON THE SHOW !!!

First two seasons great, third allright and fourth not

[vmania-21786 · 7/10 · 6 November 2022]

First two seasons great.

Third still felt like Boondocks despite it seemingly losing focus. There just wasn't a uniting element present anymore, but the characters are stuill there.

The fourth season, though, does not feel like Boondocks at all. It feels hollow, like a mannequin show trying to use characters as dolls. A lot of characters are no longer present often if at all and none of the characters feel like ones from the prevoius seasons, more like a misunderstood attempt at their recreation. Everything's just so off.

So, in conclusion, if interested, watch season 2 and maybe 3, but not 4.

The strip was brilliant, the show a disappointment

[staceyshearrion · 5/10 · 29 November 2007]

The comic strip was brilliant, and I think many early reviews of the show were based on the greatness of the strip...the show though doesn't live up to it's promise. I'm used to the book being so much better than the movie, because of course there's not as much room for character development and all, but I don't see how so much was lost in translation here. A comic strip really doesn't leave that much more room for character development, or deep analysis of societal problems...but somehow the strip did that in a smart and funny way, whereas the animated show seems to be just devolving into the kind of BET garbage that McGruder infamously flamed in his strip. I guess maybe you just have to trade in some of your edge for commercial success (wouldn't that be selling out?) I hope I'm wrong and McGruder will turn this around, because I loved "The Boondocks", I loved Huey Freeman, he was my hero and it would be great to see him comeback.

This is good, though many have already missed the point, which isn't surprising

[dee.reid · 5 December 2005]

With his basketball-sized afro and genius I.Q., you'd never guess that 10-year-old Huey Freeman is WAY beyond his years. His 8-year-old brother Riley isn't of equal intelligence but what he lacks in that area he makes up for in attitude. Both young boys, the revolutionary-in-training Huey and the hip-hop-loving, hustler-in-training Riley, are moved from the big city to the 'burbs to live with their grandfather, and chaos ensues.

This is "The Boondocks" - "remote location; far from civilization" (IMDb trivia). There's also a fine cast that includes Regina King, Gary Anthony Williams, and John Witherspoon voicing the main characters.

Created by Aaron Mcgruder in 1997 while a student majoring in political science at the University of Maryland, his comic strip "The Boondocks" is revolutionary on all fronts and takes no prisoners. It's already stirred up a sh*tstorm for its fiery political rhetoric, pervasive language, sexual content, and frequent and unrepentant use of the N-word... and I love it! I'm absolutely, positively hooked!

This is what I've been waiting for as far as animation with an urban twist. It's way over the top in terms of animation, which is pseudo-Anime'-style, and doesn't forsake entertainment or message for political-correctness. No wonder it only comes on late at night. (Arrggh) I haven't been able to find too many black-themed comic strips or books that take a hard look at life in the black community without resorting to stereotypes without irony. Its two main characters Huey and Riley are presented in a way reminiscent of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," the ghetto youths taken out of their world and placed in land foreign to them and have to adjust. "The Boondocks" is all of that.

I really can't see how anyone can't like "The Boondocks." I'm 20, a young black male, and my mother saw two minutes of it the other night and her jaw hit the floor. It was yanked from circulation due to its attacks against the Iraq war, George W. Bush and his administration, and McGruder has been completely unapologetic. I know, and viewers should know a reaction like that shows you're watching something special. I won't dissect McGruder's views, which he funnels through his characters, but they are inflammatory and make me want to watch more, just to see what he's really trying to say.

I won't comment on the controversy, other than I'll say that many have already missed the point, and "The Boondocks" has only been on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim for a month. People are afraid of stuff like this for reasons completely unknown to me. They take one look at it and decry what they see, making big scenes in magazines, newspapers, and television. What they're missing is a brilliant expose of the problems of the black community. Yeah, it's over the top; that's because it's satire! It is supposed to be ridiculous because black people use the N-word frequently, glorify guns, violence and the gangsta life, condone the degradation of women, smoke weed a lot, listen to blaring rap music, and experience genuine "N***a moments."

It's funny in the same way we've laughed at comedians like Dave Chappelle, Richard Pryor, Eddie Griffin, Eddie Murphy, and Chris Rock in the past. Wake up! Maybe our community can take a cue from "The Boondocks" and take steps to improve our culture in the eyes of the rest of the world. Welcome to "The Boondocks."

Boondocks is a hit!

[designermx2003 · 10/10 · 6 August 2006]

The Boondocks offers a hearty helping of ethnic reality with a manga flare. This is the best TV I have watched in quite a while. It presents a lot of things that you see on a daily basis and compiles it in a way that is both humorous and humbling. Watching the show made me feel like there was some hope to politically directed cartoon making. Finally someone listened to the masses and presented some quality artwork and script writing. Instead of mindlessly throwing out stereotypical facts and one-liners, the crew from the Boondocks actually used their heads and packaged reality in a way that was entertaining. Keep up the good work crew!

Culturally significant show with promise. Pray for a third season.

[garydiamond · 8/10 · 5 September 2008]

One white man's review.

I was originally put off watching 'The Boondocks' when it was denounced as racist and condescending by a couple of mutual friends who were greater TV addicts than I was at the time. You know the kind: always wanting to be in on the next great thing before everyone else so they can have the smug pleasure of recommending it to you. Upon closer inspection, however, not only is their assessment incorrect, they missed out a whole lot of good points the show has.

No, the show is not racist at all. Creator and writer Aaron McGruder treats all races with an even hand, showing up their flaws while contrasting their humanities and take on life. He shows us there are white men who hate black men, there are black men that love white men, there are white men that love black culture so much they assimilate it, there are black men who fit gangland stereotypes (Riley) and there are black men trying to find a balance between the cultures (Huey, the voice of the creator). The word 'nigga' turns up a lot in the show but that doesn't mean there's an insult or slur implied - it's just conversational, like calling someone mate or blood or bro - although it is exactly the kind of weapon that overly-conservative types have used without having taken the time to watch properly. Shame on them.

What's good about the show? Quite a lot, actually. Production values are very, very high. Animation, while not overly technical, uses vibrant colours, scenic settings and is very smooth, having a likable Manga inflection for the two kid hero leads and the action sequences. Voice talent is in abundance. A couple of voice actors from my favourite show, Futurama, appear here - John DiMaggio and Billy West - as well as the legendary Samuel L, who I personally never tire of. All the performances are excellent and add depth to even the most basic of lines.

The plots don't quite match the glossy production but they are within striking distance, and often leave the viewer dumbstruck. Very powerful stuff, all told. And did I mention the music? Not only does 'The Boondocks' have one of the best theme songs I've heard (Asheru's line "I am the stone that the builder refused / I am the visual, the inspiration that makes ladies sing the blues" is one hell of a way to open a television program), McGruder tends to pepper the episodes with choice bits of hip-hop and incidental score which seamlessly mix in. I'd recommend picking up 'Hip-Hop Docktrine' parts I and II if you like what you hear.

What's bad about the show? Mostly, that it does what a lot of great art should do - pushes boundaries and forces viewers to reconsider their core values. Through the ages this kind of behaviour makes people uncomfortable. I think that's a good thing so why would I list it as a bad thing? Simply put, shows of this type tend to ruffle so many feathers that funding dries up way before the show peaks. I see 'The Boondocks' as getting ever-closer to combining all the intentions and styles into a cohesive unit, but with Cartoon Network failing to broadcast the last two episodes of the second season it doesn't look so good. It may not get picked up for another season and to lose it now would be a damn shame. I feel although the show is damn good, it has started hinting it could be so much more. The potential is there.

If you want something that entertains and challenges in equal measure and don't mind seeing every race under the sun satirised for comic relief, you might just love this. All thirty episodes are worthy of any viewer who has an open mind willing for more than the trite, non-challenging tripe we're wading through right now. As something of a liberal, that works for me.

More vulgar than the comic strip, but still worth watching.

[Tresix · 9/10 · 8 November 2005]

I had been a fan of Aaron McGruder's comic strip "The Boondocks" since its debut. The strip drew controversy because of the way it deals with current events such as the Bush Administration, the war in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, to name a few. It also takes great jabs at racial stereotyping of many cultures. Some newspapers put the strip in the editorial section instead of the comics due to its subject matter. "The Boondocks" now makes the leap from the funny pages to television via the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim line-up. After viewing the first episode, it's safe to say there are quite a few changes that have been made from the strip. It is a little more on the vulgar side than its print counterpart. The strip and show deal with the same cast of characters: Huey Freeman (voiced by Regina King) and his younger brother Riley (also voiced by King) are two young boys from the South Side of Chicago who go to live with their grandfather Richard (the always hilarious John Witherspoon) in the suburbs. Being thrown into an environment of mixed races doesn't exactly set well with the boys: Huey is a militant-type who wants to shake up the Establishment while Riley is a gangsta-wannabe. Both drive Grandpa up the wall with their antics. The show's first episode, entitled "Garden Party", allows each character to jell into their roles. As the show starts, Huey tells the audience about a dream he has where he tells whites at a garden party that "Jesus was black, Ronald Reagan was the Devil and the government is lying about 9-11. Thank you." These comments send "Whitey" into a panic. However, when he makes the same comments in at a real garden party, he's only commended for being an articulate speaker, much to Huey's chagrin. Riley, meanwhile, meets an Iraq War veteran and is only interested in shooting one of his guns.

Also at the party is a black valet car parker who is intent on keeping the Freemans out because "there ain't no room for no mo' n-----!" This scene made me feel a little uncomfortable. Maybe that was the effect that McGruder was going for, maybe not. I just felt that this bit of vulgarity wasn't necessary. The show could have made its point in the same manner that the comic strip does without crossing that shock value line. Still, I think that the show will strike nerves with viewers. Both good and bad. I think I'm a fan of the show, as long as it doesn't push the envelope so hard that it rips.

My review

[thsewaiseh · 8/10 · 3 March 2021]

This show had the strongest first and second season I've ever seen. The third season was not too bad, and I enjoyed but not as much as the first two. Then the fourth season was meh and I wish it had a more satisfactory ending

The Boondocks

[Atomic_Peace · 10/10 · 2 May 2013]

Young Huey, and Riley Freeman move from the Boondocks of Chicago, to the suburban city of Woodcrest, with Robert "Granddad" Freeman. As they attempt to assimilate with the new life, their life behind them often is reflected, shown in the repression of Huey, the oldest, and for Riley, the youngest, it is another adventure! From saving a gangster from a mob hit squad, to getting into a shoot out at a local mini-mart, they are still strangers in this new, slow world, and they have only their friends, their granddad, and the timely brother to brother understanding to survive.

I am in love with this show! Each episode has me laughing my head off! I mostly connect with Huey, as he reflects someone who doesn't fit in, likes his lonesome and inquiry in the news, like me!

The writing is top notch, and the voice acting is just fantastic!

I give the show a 10/10 film rolls!

This show is funny and deep

[leena_maaretta · 9/10 · 28 April 2006]

First, I must say the animation is superb! "The Boondocks" is kind of like "The Simpsons" for black people. The very first scene in the first episode is a to-be-classic. The Protagonist, Huey, is one of the most likable characters I've seen on TV for a long time. Like Lisa from "The Simpsons", He's the one who makes most sense in the show. His little Brother, Riley, is a crack up. The show concentrates mostly on black culture. It's critical of how afro-Americans treat each other and are extremely critical of gangster rap culture. It talks about how black people are threaded in courtrooms. Some episodes have a sad feeling to them, but the show still has "satirical humour" written all over it. Even if the shows is really talking to black people and not the white, I do think every one can enjoy it just the same.

From Brilliance to BS in under 56 episodes

[Quiestar · 7/10 · 18 September 2023]

My first viewing of Boondocks, so many years ago, left me wonderfully uncomfortable. It was dark humor; I accept that it's a double entendre. Who was I to root for? Who was the protagonist? By the end of Season One: Episode One of most episodic television shows we would discover who we were to consider the protagonist, be they the hero, or anti-hero. I thought it was Huey Freeman. I was wrong. But why?

As the show progressed,, I soon understood that Huey had no character arc. He was, and remained, the voice of reason and conscience in a reality in which both attributes allowed him to say, "See, I told you!" Huey was the hook and the heart that drew people in. He was the constant. So, who was the protagonist? Easy. Robert "Granddad" Freeman.

Robert believed he stood beside the progressive progenitors of social change that were embodied in his character. He believed that he survived to represent what which Rosa Parks and Martin Lither King, Jr., hoped to achieve. Still yet, he was anchored in a past that led him to "whoop" his kids as, sadly, that was considered a sure fire method of imposing one's will on another. Had he been the father he imagined he was, be wouldn't have had to assume the responsibility for children to that his own flesh and blood could not. This strength v. Subservience is reflected in his wards, Huey, the strong and righteous side, and Riley, the rebellious and pragmatic gangsta'.

We watched as Granddad made choices with the best of intentions that ultimately put him in difficult circumstances. I knew this character, just as most, who are honest with themselves, know this character. My grandfather, an incredible human being, would frequent remind us, "Your background always catches up to you." I truly believed I understood as much, recognizing that my grandparents and my parents were "good people." They were.

That good people can be mistreated and screwed over? That took time to understand. Without going down the intellectual rabbit hole, I learned to comprehend that Granddad's character was well represented by the extremes that separated Huey from Riley.

Then the series throws as two slippery curveballs. Uncle Ruckus, the hard working black man working menial jobs based on his race and disabilities, imagines himself a white man and sees the world from an oddly self-destructive point of view. Next we have Tom, the well paid DA, who might be construed by some, to be an "Uncle Ruckus" with an education and dignity. I considered Uncle Ruckus and Tom the Attorney to be two distinct sides of the same coin. Ruckus was aggressive in his denial, every bit as much as Tom was in denial.

I dare not try to condense all of these complex characters in a few paragraphs. Even the show's title, "The Boondocks," seems antithetical. What became four seasons in syndication, did incredibly well in portraying characters as real human beings, albeit in situations which were created to demonstrate character extremes. It wasn't always an easy watch, but what would become the first three seasons proved to be equally as complicated as are most societal interpersonal and cultural relationships.

That all good things come to an end was demonstrated in the lackluster fourth season. Everything that this incredible show brought to the table was discarded. Why? I suppose the powers that be no longer chose to provoke thought. It was as if the underlying messages of South Park suddenly were discarded in favor of the slapstick vaudevillian simple comedy of, "Family Guy."

Damned Shame: i would rate the bulk of the first three seasons a well-earned nine stars, a remarkably rare rating given my peculiar standards. Season 4 dropped my interest and care to such a degree, that I feel I am being generous in giving the entirety of all seasons seven stars.

The leaders in the movement, whom he believed he assisted in setting the stage for a better future.

The Boondocks

[king_gangsta50 · 10/10 · 13 July 2006]

The Booondocks R great it's intelligently funny and i hope to see more of it like a lot more i may be young but I'm smart for my age so i understand a lot of the content in the cartoon is inappropriate for my age but all and all it's a good show the Creator knows what he's doing I mean how many people can stand up and create something that some people might call racist and ignorant and others may just love it to death this guy went way over south park and created something with purpose not just two kids cussing and inappropriate jokes and animation doesn't come better than what he has done some much real life qualities and so funny I could bust a gut i mean the things they say are outrageous in a good way well that's all i've got to say for now and I really want to see more Boondocks OK bye bye

Funny, Satirical, a Bit Too Racially Conscious

[ben-798-604758 · 7/10 · 6 May 2014]

I've gotten plenty of laughs out of the boondocks and they have a insightful perspective for sure, but there's also been a bunch of times where i've shook my head thinking, yeesh, black people exist, get over it. The boondocks is one of those shows who pokes at the ignorance of social standards by playing them out, and like any show, there are things it takes too far.

Basically the only sensible, open minded person in the entire series is Huey Freeman, the main character who often predicts the wild, ridiculous fallout of the exploits of his grandad Jebediah Freeman and brother Riley Freeman, to no avail. Being the only reasonable character in a world full of bigots and disillusioned saps, Huey and his sage advice is constantly ignored in the favor of selfish, harebrained or otherwise ridiculous plots, often ending in gunfire, samurai sword battles or someone getting swindled. So you can expect a show that puts an emphasis on nigga culture as the driving force behind much of the shows plot to basically showcase one giant melting pot of ignorance, which is actually brilliantly captured.

This is, so far, the only show that can reimagine what it would be like if martin luther king came back from the dead in our time, or highlight the ridiculousness of the r kelly trial without seeming pretentious. It has a great way of taking a step back from all the ego and social stigma and make light of it in a way that really just makes you shake your head at the world and all we've grown used to. But on occasion it crosses the threshold from exposing ignorance to personifying and even glorifying it, and you just have to thank god Huey at least has a clear head on the matter. For one, i don't know if all the "Nigga Moment" episodes are helping anyone redefine their reality and it seems hypocritical next to their own criticisms of BET for perpetuating the same stereotypes. Buuuut i do agree that BET is the single worst proponent of social segregation in the modern world.

Preachy and Dull

[kev3d-1 · 1/10 · 5 June 2006]

Boondocks tries to entertain while making the white audience feel guilty. At least that is what I can conclude after viewing a few episodes. Faux Anime Overly-wise children point out the Racist nature of police, adults, criminal justice system etc. while pointing out the difference between Blacks and Whites. The "All conservatives, "Uncle Toms" and most whites are racist" gets old very fast and the jokes like "Anal Rape" and "Nigga Moments" pander to the lowest possible denominator. I was excited for this show to come to fruition, since I knew some of the folks behind it. Sadly I was very disappointed. I was upset with Adult Swim until they started Minoriteam, racial humor that is actually funny.