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Freeform’s Grown-ish is all grown up. The sixth and final season of ABC’s Black-ish spin-off sitcom will premiere today, Wednesday, June 28. Starring Yara Shahidi as Zoey Johnson, Grown-ish follows the young woman as she embarks on her college career at California University. Between all five (soon to be six) seasons, the show covers everything from booty calls and breakups to authentic discussions of racial injustice and abortion opinions. The show also graces fans with sporadic cameos from beloved Black-ish characters, such as parents Dre (Anthony Anderson) and Bow (Tracee Ellis Ross).
At the end of Season 4, Zoey and her tight-knit group of friends graduated college and dispersed across the globe to embark on a variety of impressive post-graduate plans. As hard as it was to say goodbye to a crew we fell in love with back in Season 1, Grown-ish kept our attention by shifting the focus onto Junior Johnson (Marcus Scribner), Zoey’s younger brother. Through a new lens, we watched Zoey and Junior bond over their Cal U experiences and help each other grow.
Witnessing Zoey, her friends, and her brother evolve into accomplished young adults provided so many heartwarming moments about the messy challenges, real-life stressors, and powerful relationships that come with the college experience. Before the final season, let’s take a stroll down memory lane and reminisce on some of our favorite episodes from the past five seasons of Grown-ish.
Zoey Finds Her “Family”
In the pilot episode, we watch Zoey, Nomi, Sky, Jazz, Luca, Aaron, and Vivek turn from classmates to family. The crew shares both laughs and tears after trying to answer the question “Why are you taking this class?” They have an intimate moment in which Nomi reveals her sexuality, Vivek discusses his relationship with his deceased father and Zoey cries over making a poor decision in her very first week of college. Eventually, Zoey realizes that this group of strangers has one thing in common: fear of the new chapter they’ve just begun.
Ana and Zoey Become Besties
In the previous episode, Zoey completely abandons her roommate Ana, who got too drunk at her first college party and filled a kiddie pool with vomit. Ana is furious and the two don’t speak the next day. By episode 2, Zoey learns she was wrong and apologizes for being so selfish. What starts as a brief apology transforms into a deep conversation about where the two come from and how they ended up at Cal U. Eventually, the roomies are sharing pints of ice cream and dancing around their dorm room in pajamas.
A Post-Breakup Black-Out
When Cash dumps Zoey, she’s stuck wallowing in her room covered in Dorito dust for days (and the entirety of Episode 7). Ana, Nomi, Sky, and Jazz attend a party but make the adorable decision to leave and comfort their friend. A school-wide power outage then ensues, which not only matches Zoey’s dark and depressing mood, but it forces her to face these feelings head-on with no distractions. The four girls, Aaron and Vivek spend their night in spilling tea, cheering Zoey up, and helping her move on.
Luca Says “I Love You” For the First Time
At the start of Season 2, Zoey and Luca are in a happy long-distance relationship. But when he returns from Paris in Episode 2 and the two communicate live and in person, things feel off. Without the funny filters and flirty acronyms, their relationship just seems dull. After a few, more serious Snapchat messages, Luca surprises Zoey at her front door and tells her he loves her. Zoey, of course, says the same and the two share a loving kiss.
Zuca Designs a Dress
When Luca gets artist’s block trying to finish curating his impressive fashion collection in Episode 6, Zoey steps in with a sentimental pep-talk on Luca’s inspiring ability to design. Together, “Zuca” creates, or at least starts to create, an incredible dress to add to the collection. We catch a glimpse of their shared passion for fashion and incredible teamwork.
A Zucchini Bread of Brotherhood
When the university threatens to shut down Hawkins Hall, a dorm that acts as a safe space for many Black students, Aaron feels personally affected and becomes an activist against this plan. Luca spends two days baking zucchini bread and delivers it to a frustrated Aaron, along with some great advice on how to get through dark times. Aaron repays Luca with information of his own that changes Luca’s perspective of the Hawkins incident.
Aaron and Zoey’s Airport Exchange
In the season 2 finale, Aaron drives Zoey to the airport. Meanwhile, Luca arrives too late to say goodbye. After a chat in the car, Zoey realizes that Aaron continues to be her number one supporter, and the two share a passionate kiss to close the season.
Nomi is Pregnant!
Season 3 is all fun and games until Nomi shows up to Junior year pregnant. Though confused and shocked, Nomi gains the full support of the whole crew. From deciding to keep her baby and attending her first ultrasound, to suffering through a full-blown custody battle in the middle of college, Nomi has all her girls and best bros by her side throughout the entire process.
Zoey Becomes the Muse of “Anti Muse”
After many breakups and makeups, Zoey and Luca decide they are creative soulmates in Season 4 through working on Luca’s fashion line “Anti Muse” all semester. However, when the collection is complete and a big investor makes an offer, Luca completely checks out and loses motivation. After a long argument and a surprise sleepover on the roof, Luca insists Zoey take over the brand and explains that all the best pieces came from her ideas.
Vivek Celebrates Graduation
Zoey’s Cal U crew finally graduates in the Season 4 finale. Well, except for Vivek, who was expelled for dealing drugs to students. After feeling left out, the group throws a graduation party on the roof of their building to ensure Vivek is included in the celebration. While everyone is preparing for their post-grad plans, Vivek gets excited to finish his degree at a new school with the support of his old-school friends.
Dre and Zoey’s Father-Daughter Bond
Despite Dre’s struggle to let go of his daughter, Dre encourages Zoey to move to New York by herself. He gives Zoey the confidence, motivation, and support she needs to accept Luca’s offer to run “Anti Muse” in NYC on her own.
Junior and Zoey Share a Heart-to-Heart
At the start of Season 5 and a huge transition for the series, Junior enters the limelight. He’s a scared freshman just as Zoey once was, but Zoey shows him how incredible the college experience can be when you put yourself out there. In return, Junior pushes Zoey to stop missing her meal plan and follow her dreams in NYC. He assures her that she may never feel ready, “but that’s life,” and she needs to take that next step forward and move on from her college years.
Zaara Opens Up to Junior
We see sparks fly between Junior and his first love interest, Zaara, in episode 3. She opens up to Junior about why she’s been so hard on him for who his friends are. Junior first tries to understand on his own and acknowledges the lack of diverse friendships he has. Zaara then apologizes for the harsh way she’s treated Junior and details the immense pressure she puts on herself to succeed at becoming a doctor. After clearing the air, the two walk home together sharing one set of air pods — how romantic?!
Doug Gets a Surprise
In Episode 9 of the latest season, Junior helps Nomi, Ana, Vivek, and Aaron successfully surprise Doug as he preps for Vibe Fest. The five college friends share a happy reunion full of group hugs and Vibe Fest fun.
Proud Johnson Siblings Share Their Feelings
17 episodes later, the Johnson siblings share a heart-to-heart moment similar to that of the first episode. Their conversation works to show off their growth both throughout the season and throughout their lives. Zoey tells Junior that it’s “so easy to say I’m proud of you,” and Junior shares he’s just as proud of his big sis. They laugh at how weird it is that they’re both grown up. Or at least, grown-ish.
