Set in Los Angeles, The New Normal has been a fairly cute show about a gay couple [Bryan, a television producer, and David, a doctor] who bond with their surrogate [Goldie] during the whole birth process. Goldie's precocious tween daughter [Shania], her Archie Bunker with Callista Gingrich hair grandmother [Nana], and Bryan's sassy African American assistant [Rocky] round out the cast.
The episode starts when Goldie, originally from Ohio, receives her absentee ballot in the mail. David and Bryan urge her to vote for President Obama. [We know from an earlier episode that the couple has a photo with POTUS next to their bed.]
Shania says that she's thinking of voting for Obama in the mock presidential election at her school in a few days. The couple lectures her about the virtues of the Democratic way and tells Goldie that she must vote for Obama because she is carrying their "Democratic baby."
In the next scene, Nana barges into their home and chastises the couple for teaching her granddaughter to vote for Obama. She calls the couple "left-wing Nancy boys" and notes that her family has voted for Republicans since Abraham Lincoln.
After a bit more banter between the two parties about the candidates, David and Bryan accuse Nana [whom we shall henceforth refer to as Bigot Grannie] of being racist. Bryan accuses her of refusing to vote for Obama simply because he's a Black man. Bigot Grannie gets defensive and calls it more racist to vote for someone because he's Black then the other way around. She wonders aloud whether the couple even has any Black friends, saying "Like every other liberal, you talk the talk but don't walk the walk." Informing Bigot Grannie that the group will be having a party over the weekend, Bryan invites her to meet all of their Black friends on Saturday. BG accepts, saying that she will see the "homies" then.Realizing that they don't actually have any Black friends, David and Bryan decide whether they can pass off their doctor friend, Amir, as Black but then decide that would not work because he is Indian American. After a brief discussion about why they lack Black friends, Bryan exclaims, "Is it our fault that none of them stick?" They defend themselves by saying that they meet a lot of Black people but the Blacks don't stay around. Bryan asks if they could just get a television cast from an unpopular show to act as their friends for the evening. Without any other ideas, Bryan invites Rocky to the party and tells her to bring as many of her friends as she likes to it. She questions as to why he is inviting her to a social event without a task to do but she agrees. Bryan ends the scene by asking her about which slang words are outdated.
Flash forward to the party. As expected, no people of color grace the room. Except for Amir. David and Bryan are still discussing if Bigot Grannie could possibly perceive Amir as Black. No, they conclude "He's not even dark enough to count." Again, they explain their lack of Black friends away by saying that they are not perfect but have ideals, even though they don't always live up to those ideals. So that's okay.
Rocky arrives and Bryan immediately asks why she didn't bring her friends. Rocky points to three white women and questions why he would assume all of her friends are Black. She says she also invited her brother to the party but he'll be late because, you know, that's how Black people are.
Still refusing to give up on their ploy so quickly, Bryan rushes up to the only other Black person at the event: a waiter. Using his status as a well-known television producer, he asks the waiter if he is an actor. The actor swoons at the potential opportunity to network with someone so influential. Bryan asks the waiter if he wants to audition right then and play his Black friend at the party. The waiter happily agrees and dons the name Charles Worthington III for the evening.
When Bigot Grannie arrives, she points out to the happy couple that Rocky doesn't count as a friend because she is an employee. BG seems not to be fully convinced by Charles, telling him that she bets he is "not first in line at the Tyler Perry movies." He rebuffs her and continues the act as part of what he thinks is a once in a lifetime audition opportunity.
Rocky's brother eventually shows up and he and Goldie immediately hit it off much to the dismay of Grannie. She encourages David and Bryan to announce the pregnancy to the partygoers, which, of course, ruins the budding interracial relationship. Goldie storms off but not before Grannie can offend all of the guests with her opinions.
As the party is winding down, after being held an hour over his shift, 'Charles' throws down his head shot in a huff and reveals that he is an actor. Bigot Grannie, David, and Bryan are caught in an awkward gotcha moment. They explain it away by saying that at least he was a Black actor, a "Black-tor," says Bryan.
The next day, at the mock election, Shania tells Bryan and David that she was leaning toward voting for Romney but voted for Obama because "he believes gay people should be treated as human beings." After the touching moment when David looks longingly at the multiculti children in the room, the couple acknowledges more diversity in their lives would be better, if not for them but for their baby.
"You know, it's never too late," Goldie says. Goldie introduces David and Bryan to an interracial couple in the hallway to help them in meeting their new goal. The Asian American mother and Black father have an interracial son and are expecting another in a few months. The mother invites Bryan and David to dinner and it looks as if a good-natured friendship is beginning. But no, as the interracial couple walks away, their new friends say, "This is perfect, we were just saying we need some gay friends." Fin.
What was the lesson learned?
Was the lesson that interracial friendships are only necessary to the extent that individuals need to prove a point to racist elderly people? Is it that it is not problematic for a minority group to discriminate against having acquaintances from another minority group? Is it that there is no problem with hiring Black friends? Is it that if someone votes for a Black person for President they don't possibly have any problem inviting a Black person into their home? Is it that it's problematic to try to make your Indian American friend to pass for other races? Is it that interracial friendships only form because both parties do not want to be perceived as racist?
Whatever lesson there was to be learned - it was pretty unclear from the dialogue. The characters appeared to be happy and feel accomplished by gaining two new acquaintances of color. And even at the end of the episode, they didn't seem too opposed to hiring Black friends in the future. Let's hope this was a one time thing and the writers give these characters a quick dose of enlightenment. Or a swift kick. [Kick to the air, SBW doesn't support violence.]
