The Neighborhoodhas been running on CBS for seven going on eight seasons. The sitcom stars Cedric the Entertainer as Calvin Butler and Max Greenfield as Dave Johnson, withthe two playing unexpected neighbors. The series begins with the Johnson family moving to a predominantly Black neighborhood in Pasadena, California, with the Butlers as their neighbors. The show has charmed audiences for years, and the upcoming season has been announced as its final one.
The Neighborhood
In Season 7, a lot happened to move the storylines forward as the show primed itself for a few spinoffs. However, after some of those plans changed, it will be interesting to see how the showrunners and writers wrap things up with many of the characters. Here are 7storylines that need to be addressedbeforeThe Neighborhoodcomes to a close.
7How the Butlers Are Managing Without the Kids at Home
In Season 7, Marty (Marcel Spears) and Malcolm (Sheaun McKinney) Butler move out of their parents' house and into a place in Venice Beach.A major storylineof Season 8 has to be how Calvin and his wife Tina (Tichina Arnold) are adjusting to life without their kids. Watching parents transition into an empty nest will always be an interesting story for shows, as it is a natural part of life, but one that many people struggle with.
It makes sense to feature this prominently in the first few episodes, as it is one of the main plot points of the previous season. Calvin and Tina will likely find themselves with more free time than they’ve had throughout the show, giving the writers the ability to explore what the couple will do with that freedom. Part of that will likely be taken up by Dave pestering them with his charm and friendliness.
6Setting Up the Spinoff ‘Crutch’
Following the end ofThe Neighborhood, the show will spin off with the Tracy Morgan-ledCrutch. The show has beenordered to series by Paramount+and features Francois Crutchfield, affectionately known as Crutch. Morgan will play Crutch, a recently widowed man who lives in Harlem, and the show will focus on what it’s like for parents when their kids and grandkids move into their house. Not only is it looking at family dynamics, but it’s examining multiple generations under one roof.
Crutch is Calvin Butler’s cousin, which means that Cedric the Entertainer will appear in the series and also serve as an executive producer. It should be noted that Crutch is not the same character that Morgan portrayed in Season 4 when he played Calvin’s brother, Curtis.
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5Walking Back the Spinoff That Didn’t Happen About Malcolm and Marty Being Out of the House
Another spinoff that was supposed to happen was one following Malcolm and Marty in Venice Beach. That spinoff was not picked up by CBS, meaning that there are likely some storylines that were going to be in the spinoff that will show up in Season 8. McKinney and Spears are both listed as returning series regulars.
With the two in Venice Beach, there will no doubt be scenes in their apartment. Marty and Calvin still work together at Fuse Box, so the audience will still see plenty of him. Finding ways to incorporate Malcolm into the story will be interesting to watch.Justin Longwas shownto be their new neighbor in the finale of Season 7, meaning he could show up in The Neighborhood again in Season 8.
4A Satisfying End to Courtney’s New Family Arc
In Season 6, Courtney (Skye Townsend) was introduced as someone who comes to work at Fuse Box. While working together, Marty and Courtney have a one-night stand. A large storyline in Season 6 was the revelationthat Courtney became pregnantfrom said one-night stand. The two remain friends while preparing to become parents. Their daughter, Daphne, is born in the Season 6 finale.
Season 7 dove into them as new parents, and Season 8 will likely continue that. Juggling their personal lives and sharing a child gives plenty of opportunity to inject young parental humor back into the show. The Johnsons had a young son early on in the series, but that has since changed.
3Grover’s Life as a Teenager
Dave moves with his wife Gemma (Beth Behrs) and his son Grover (Hank Greenspan) to Pasadena at the beginning of the series. Gemma gets a job at Walcott Academy as the principal, which is why the family moves from the Midwest in the first place. Grover attends the school and gradually grows up throughout the seasons. His turning into a teenager in the series should be a storyline to focus on.
Dave relies on Calvinfor advice almost daily. Having been through raising two kids, Calvin frequently but begrudgingly has the answers Dave is looking for. Expect Dave to lean on Calvin for more advice, as Grover will likely cause some mischief now that he’s a teenager.
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2More Cultural Clashes
The show works partly because the Johnsons are so endearing and nice, and the Butlers are just trying to figure out why that is. The classic “fish out of water” trope rings true in this show, as the Johnsons seem to be out of their depth in a neighborhood where nobody really looks like them. But, Dave, being a professional conflict mediator and a military veteran, has a lot of personal experience in dealing with tough situations.
Greenfield and Cedric the Entertainer give great ebb and flow throughout the series, as Calvin warms to Dave. But, that doesn’t stop them from having awkward exchanges and Dave from seeming out of line more often than not. But the show works and has worked for years based on cultural misunderstandings, so fans can expect more of that in the final season.
1Hopefully It Will Avoid Introducing Too Many New Characters
Fans have gotten to know and love the Butlers and the Johnsons for 135 episodes so far. It only makes sense toprovide satisfying endingsto many of their storylines. The Butlers will likely have more open-ended stories as a part of this season, simply because some could be addressed inCrutch. But that doesn’t mean that many big and major plotlines will not be addressed.
Que and the barbershop will likely be seen again at least once more. Lamar, Dave’s father, played by Kevin Pollak, will almost definitely show up again. Don’t expect too many new characters to be brought into the fold, especially later in the season. It’s important for the show’s balance that each main character sees their story wrapped up nicely.
