‘Grown-ish’: Will Junior Make it Through College & More Questions We Need Answered By Series Finale
Grown-ish has given loyal Black-ish fans a chance to get six more seasons of the Johnson family, specifically the older siblings, Zoey (Yara Shahidi) and Andre “Junior” (Marcus Scribner) Johnson. The final season centers more around Junior, after Zoey graduates, and his ability to navigate college without his older sister leading the way. He acknowledges that he’s been in Zoey’s shadow his whole life and wants to change that.
Junior makes a group of friends, joins a fraternity, dates around, and takes lots of risks. He is definitely a new man. He picked a major, went after his dream girl, is seeking help for his panic attacks, and is finally being there for his friends. What could go wrong?
Unfortunately, the show has to end. There are still various unanswered questions, and this season could take a turn at any point. Let’s examine the possibilities and discuss what might happen to our beloved Junior Johnson and the rest of the crew.
Grown-ish, Wednesdays, 10/9c, Freeform
Are Junior and Annika endgame?
Starting as two friends in relationships, Junior and Annika (Justine Skye) slowly but surely started to have feelings for each other, most likely having them from the start. At the end of season 5, Junior boldly kisses Annika at the last chance dance, and she is incredibly upset, and her boyfriend at the time, Kwame (Ellis E. Fowler), punches him in the face. However, right before they move out for the summer, it becomes clear that the feelings are mutual. They successfully advance their relationship and make it through summer doing long distance while she is on Influencer Island. The first few episodes have shown us that though incredibly happy, there may be some trouble in paradise.
Junior’s best friend, Zaara (Tara Raani), advises Junior that things may not be going so well in the bedroom because of how much build-up there was and how nervous he is, and he takes her advice and speaks to Annika about it. All seems well until episode 4; Junior is nervous when a new episode of Influencer Island premieres, and Annika seems very close to another cast member, Drea (Wilder Yari). Junior and his friends attend the reunion taping, and he gets even more nervous about their possible relationship. After Junior makes a fool out of himself at the taping, Annika explicitly tells him nothing is happening, and they both apologize. Their relationship seems okay for now, but who knows what else could happen.
Will Zoey save Anti-Muse?
After Anti-Muse’s biggest investor pulled out this season, Zoey is determined to save the company. She and Luca (Luka Sabbat) dedicated so much of their time to this brand, and she believes it is an empire. Zoey attempted to pitch her idea to new investors, and they weren’t prepared to invest. However, in episode 3, she gets an exciting message from Instagram Fashion and is on her way to New York City for Fashion Week in hopes of saving the company.
The question is, will she be able to do it by herself? Is this the perfect transition for Zoey to leave the season earlier than expected and let Junior truly find his way around Cal U alone? Anti-Muse means the world to Zoey, and though it may mean less screen time for her, fans hope Zoey Johnson achieves her dream.
Will Luca make an appearance this season?
Though Luca may not be Zoey’s soulmate, he has made his mark on the series. In season 3, Zoey is stuck in a love triangle and ultimately chooses Luca over Aaron (Trevor Jackson), and they share a passionate, creative relationship. Though they had some troubles and ultimately decided they weren’t meant to be together that way, it may not stop Luca from returning to Zoey’s life.
After all, Luca founded Anti-Muse after their breakup and launched Zoey’s career by letting her take over. He also helped Nomi (Emily Arlook), one of Zoey’s best friends, raise her baby over the summer, showing the audience another side of him. Luca’s sister Kiela (Daniella Perkins) also still attends Cal U and is one of Junior’s best friends, which gives another reason to return. Even though he isn’t Zoey’s perfect match, the new Aaron breakup might signal a reunion for these two.
Will Zaara and Drea get together?
After the misunderstanding of Drea and Annika possibly having a thing, episode 4 showed fans that Zaara may have developed a crush on Annika’s co-star. At the end of the episode, Drea follows Zaara on Instagram, and she is elated.
Zaara has been through a lot this season, with her parent’s potential divorce and her friend’s not hearing her out as much as she is there for them. As one of the series’s most loyal and genuine characters, it would be nice to see Zaara in a healthy relationship. Hopefully, a happy ending is in store for Zaara, along with resolving her family’s tribulations.
Will Bar None succeed?
After Doug (Diggy Simmons) has made this bar his baby, he is dedicated to turning it into his lifelong career and using famous artists and speak-easy-like vibes to attract the students of Cal U. Doug has also hired Kiela to help him make Bar None more known and successful after she quit her RA job.
In episode 2, Doug lands Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals to perform. Unfortunately, a student throws up, and the concert is ruined. Doug doesn’t give up and is determined to keep improving and advancing the bar. In episode 4, he renovates the basement, and it seems very hopeful that he will succeed. Not only the bar, but Doug has a lot of questions left unanswered. After helping Aaron navigate the dating apps, he tells him about the new wine rep for the bar, Sloane, who he emphasizes might turn into a relationship in the future. Also, now that he is working with Kiela, some old feelings may arise since they were together. Doug is maturing in many ways, and it will be very interesting to see how else Doug’s character develops by the end of the series.
Will Junior make it through all four years?
Ever since the early years of Black-ish, Junior has been slightly different from his family and peers. Some may label him as a “nerd,” but Junior always remained his true self and embraced his unique passions. After attending Howard University for a very short amount of time and dropping out, it is clear that Junior sometimes freaks out in serious situations.
Though he has been having a strong year so far, and now going by Andre, it is still up in the air if he will make it to graduation. Though an incredibly intelligent young adult, Andre has a pattern of not following through. Since it is the last season, we have no clue what twists and turns could be sent his way that may cause him to leave school. Hopefully, Andre’s nerves don’t get in the way, and he can survive college.
Will Zoey and Aaron get back together?
The most pressing question of the series is, will they end up together after all? Season 6 has hit fans with a devasting breakup of Zoey and Aaron. They have been on and off since freshmen year and are loved by all fans. Aaron was Zoey’s first love, and he is such an important person to her. They have successfully done long distance before and gone through scandals with Luca, but Zoey’s passion for her work ultimately got in the way.
It became clear in episode 2 that it is too much; Zoey is set on being in New York and saving Anti-Muse, whereas Aaron is still figuring out his teaching and life path. Though fans know this is probably the right decision for both of them, deep down, we all want them to end up together, and there’s still a chance of that dream coming true.
Will there be a final goodbye with the original cast?
Though the new cast in season 5 delivered some favorites, there are still some questions that a reunion with the original cast could answer. Zoey’s friend group was the origin of this show, and though we love Junior’s friends too, they are very missed.
It would be incredibly thrilling to see what Ana (Francia Raisa), Jazz (Chloe Bailey), Sky (Halle Bailey), Nomi, and Vivek (Jordan Buhat) are up to now and get a proper goodbye of the series with them included.
