Awesome / The Boondocks

Comics

• Huey calling the Department of Homeland Security to inform them of key Bush Administration members' involvement with funding and training Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
• Aaron McGruder's response to the criticism people started giving him for addressing 9/11 only weeks after it happened. To get a pre-emptive strike on the Executive Meddling he was sure would come he replaced The Boondocks with "The Adventures Of Flagee and Ribbon", which according to the editors note provided was replacing The Boondocks as "a hilariously new patriotic offering". Let's just say hewasn't pulling any punches.
• One of the few times in either comic or show that Huey is rendered totally without response in an argument. The comic isn't shy on moments where he's called out for being abrasive, but rarely does he actually listen: and that it's Jazmine of all people who does it just adds to the moment - everyone has their limits.

Season 1

The Garden Party

• The opening scene with Huey inciting a riot, even if it was only a dream.

The Trial of R. Kelly

• Huey calling out the jury for still thinking R. Kelly is a victim (even after the mountain of evidence that proves he peed on an underage girl).
  What the hell is wrong with you people? Every famous nigga that gets arrested is not Nelson Mandela! Yes, the government conspires to put a lot of innocent black men in jail on fallacious charges. But R. Kelly is not one of those men! We all know the nigga can sing! But, what happened to standards? What happen to bare minimums? You a fan of R. Kelly? You want to help R. Kelly? Then get some counseling for R. Kelly, introduce him to some older women, hide his camcorder! But, don't pretend like the man is a hero!

  And stop the damn dancing, act like you got some goddamn sense people! Damn! Through playin' around here!

Guess Hoe's Coming To Dinner

• Robert protecting Cristal by stopping Slickback's hand with his belt. Who'd have thought Robert would have a Big Damn Heroes moment?
  Granddad: You ain't gonna hit no woman in my house!
  Slickback: What woman, sir? This here's a hoe!
  Granddad: Not in this house, she's not.

Granddad's Fight

• Huey's dream in which he has a swordfight with a Blind Nigga Samurai (who sounds like Stinkmeaner).
• Robert's second fight with Stinkmeaner, though it's more darkly funny than cool.

A Date with the Health Inspector

• The shootout between Ed and Rummy versus the convenience store owners, which is both awesome and ridiculous at the same time.

A Huey Freeman Christmas

• Huey's teacher Mr. Uberwitz putting on Huey's play, exactly as he had written it. He gets fired, of course... but then he gets a new job at the University of Maryland. So even though he's a typical "clueless well-intentioned white idiot", he gets some good karma for doing the right thing.

Return of the King

• THE ENTIRE THING! Especially Martin Luther King Jr's speech, decrying the ignorance of modern African-American society:
  Will you ignorant niggas pleeeease shut the hell up?!

  Is this it? This is what I got all those ass-whoopings for? I had a dream once. It was a dream that little black boys and little black girls would drink from the river of prosperity, freed from the thirst of oppression. But lo and behold, some four decades later, what have I found but a bunch of trifling, shiftless, good-for-nothing niggas. And I know some of you don't wanna hear me say that word. It's the ugliest word in the English language. But that's what I see now: niggas.

  And you don't wanna be a nigga. Because niggas are living contradictions. Niggas are full of unfulfilled ambitions. Niggas wax and wane. Niggas love to complain. Niggas love to hear themselves talk but hate to explain! Niggas love being another man's judge and jury. Niggas procrastinate until it's time to worry. Niggas love to be late. Niggas hate to hurry! [...]

  Black Entertainment Television... is the worst thing I've ever seen in my life! [...] Usher, Michael Jackson is NOT a genre of music! [...] And now I'd like to talk about Soul Plane. [...] I've seen what's around the corner. I've seen what's over the horizon and I promise you, you niggas have nothing to celebrate! And no, I won't get there with you. I'm going to Canada.

• During an interview, a conservative talk show host starts getting on King's case for his pacifist stance in response to 9/11 and King's refusal to say "I love America". As soon as they cut to commercial, Huey starts beating the guy up.

Let's Nab Oprah

• Huey fighting with Riley and kicking his ass for trying to hang out with Ed and Rummy again, as he has been helping them commit crimes.
• Huey creating the "Black Power Fist" shock glove, and his fight with Bushido Brown. Huey gets defeated anyways, but he still put in a good effort at fighting.
• Bill Cosby prevents their own kidnapping by...being Bill Cosby.
• Riley salvaging Ed and Rummy's Missing Steps Plan by pitting Huey and Oprah's guards against each other. They still failed due to the latter two's incomitance but it was quick thinking on Riley's part.

Riley Wuz Here

• Riley and his Art Teacher's antics. They form a friendship, Riley learns how to paint great works of art — and then a sudden police chase ensues.
• Riley's final mural, which depicts the wedding of his (grand)parents, which makes Granddad feel proud of him. Also a Heartwarming Moment.

The Block Is Hot

• Huey's attempts to protect Jazmine from Ed Wuncler's scam. Also quite Heartwarming.
• Jazmine, who ordinarily is very docile; is not at all having Riley's crap and asserting that lemonade is indeed, a dollar.

The Passion of Reverend Ruckus

• Huey, who had been portrayed as an atheist the entire episode, finally breaks down upon the realization that he's only a kid who can't do everything. With nowhere else to turn, he breaks down and prays:
  Huey: I've never prayed before. I don't even know who I'm praying to. I may be too young to know what the world is supposed to be, but it's not supposed to be this. It can't be this. So please...
• Ruckus giving a passionate racist speech during a lightning storm.
  Uncle Ruckus: Now let us pray. Lord, I have spent my whole life hating you for making me black. And now I see I must hate myself and all those like me, and cause them misery just like your savior Ronald Reagan did. And if any of my words don't come directly from the almighty God himself, then may I be struck by lightning right this very instant! Halleluj— (gets struck by lightning) —AAAAAAH!
• Shabazz's execution is happening while Ruckus is making that speech. It turns into a double CMoA when the same lightning bolt that strikes Ruckus shuts down the power to the electric chair long enough for the governor's call to come through.
  Shabazz: Would someone like to get that? ... I think it's for me.

Season 2

...Or Die Trying

• Huey's and Ruckus' fight inside the theater:
  Ruckus: What, what? You though you was the only one who mastered the ancient and deadly art of the nunchaku? (shows off his skills with the weapon)
• The awesome freeze frame of Huey and Uncle Ruckus at the ending.

Tom, Sarah and Usher

• Tom of all people gets one. Sarah meets Usher, falls in love, then kicks Tom out of the house, who then stays with Huey's family. They call in A Pimp Named Slickback to help him. Tom goes to the place where Sarah is meeting Usher, and he then calls her a bitch, tells her to get her ass in the car, and, instead of pimp-smacking her like Slickback had been telling him to, he bitch-slaps Usher. But this moment is short-lived because it turns out that Sarah wasn't having an affair, while Usher and his bodyguards retaliate by beating Tom in front of his wife and daughter.

Stinkmeaner Strikes Back

• The opening scene with Stinkmeaner in Hell. Stinkmeaner has taken a level in badass, uses his new kung fu skills to beat up a whole army of demonic mooks, and even has the gall to insult the Devil himself. Satan is so impressed that he allows Stinkmeaner to leave Hell, so that he can have his revenge on Granddad.
  Stinkmeaner: HELL AIN'T SHIT! I'M GONNA GET YOU, FREEMAN!
• When Stinkmeaner first possesses Tom, his first action is to jump up and kick an annoying man in the chest.
  Stinkmeaner: OH YEAH, LOOK AT YOU! You was poppin' all that gooood shit a second ago, then you got KICKED IN YO CHEST! YOU eat a dick, nigga! YOU eat a dick!
• The three-on-one fight involving Robert, Huey, and Riley versus the Stinkmeaner-possessed Tom.
  • It begins with the Freemans getting into battle stances, and Huey throws Robert his belt, all the while the series' theme song starts playing, which turns into fight music.
  • The Freeman family try their best to fight back against Stinkmeaner-Tom. However he's more than a match for them in melee combat, and he counters most of their moves and repeatedly beats them down.
    • Points for Huey though. He was the only one who could hit Stinkmeaner.
  • It eventually takes Riley breaking a lamp, a vase and a geisha over a distracted Stinkmeaner-Tom's head to knock him out.
    • It's especially awesome knowing that Riley is often easily beaten in fights. Here, he gets to be the one finishing off Stinkmeaner.
• Huey tricking Stinkmeaner into exorcising himself out of Tom.

Shinin'

• Riley standing atop a speeding car in order to earn his chain. Abruptly cut short when he ends up falling off, but still.
• Riley gets his Lethal Interjection chain stolen by local bully Butch Magnus Milosevic. Butch is far bigger and stronger than Riley, has a crew of his own, and is implied to be known for doing what he wants since no one can beat him in a fight. Riley not only IMMEDIATELY confronts Butch and challenges him to a fight for stealing his chain, but he INITIATES the fight by calling him "Bitch Magnus". He then shows an impressive ability to dodge Butch's punches, although Butch's size and strength advantage eventually catches up to Riley. He may have lost (and handily at that), but anyone who says Riley didn't go down like a G is lying; he didn't stop until he literally couldn't get up (at one point spitting blood out of his mouth and rushing back in to get more), and finished the fight calling Butch a bitch (again), even as he was getting his ass handed to him.
  • Butch beat the crap out of a full grown infantry drill instructor (the ones usually hired to haul bad kids off to boot camp on daytime talk show episodes about parents who can't control their delinquent children) and broke the leg of one of the other members of Lethal Interjection - a kid his own age wouldn't stand a chance no matter how badass he was. Riley standing up to this ogre is nothing short of balls the size of Jupiter.
    • At best, the only Boondocks character around his age who could hope to take him on 1-on-1 and win is Huey. (if only because the latter is capable of surviving^note surviving, not winning an encounter with the likes of Bushido Brown) And since Riley is definitely not Huey, he gets a ton of courage points for going up against Butch on his own.

Ballin'

• After initially just being an untalented show-off, Riley eventually trains and improves his basketball skills.
• But in the end he's still no match for the autistic boy Billy Matthews, who easily aces at basketball.

Home Alone

• Huey and Riley chasing Ruckus out of the house with BB guns.
• Huey getting a running start and jump-kicking the shit out of Riley as soon as he tries to leave the house.
  Huey: "You're grounded."
  • Pretty much all of Huey's precautions against Riley escaping the house qualify.
• Huey's and Riley's epic BB gun fight is one of the most memorable moments of the show.

The Story Of Catcher Freeman

• According to Robert, Catcher Freeman was a badass One-Man Army Action Hero who fought for slave liberation with his awesome fighting skills (with guns, swords, and unarmed).
• According to Ruckus, Catch-A-Freeman could recapture runaway slaves by swinging across trees like Tarzan, tracking their scents like a dog, and ambushing them from the water like Jason Voorhees.
• According to Huey, Thelma (the real hero of the story) was one of the leaders of the slave revolt against Colonel Lynchwater, whom she had a sword duel with.

Season 3

The Red Ball

• Huey does not like getting laughed at. Also, he can speak Mandarin.
• The final confrontation between Huey and Ming is a deliberate homage to the-over-the top school of anime combat.

Stinkmeaner 3: The Hateocracy

• The Freeman family's fights with the Hateocracy, even though the Freemans didn't fare so well, and they barely made it out alive.
  • Points for Robert Freeman though. While Huey and especially Riley were getting curb-stomped, Robert not only proved to be a match for Rufus Crabmiser, but he managed to actually win by incapacitating him before swimming away to safety.
• Bushido Brown's fight with the Hateocracy. He shows his skills at kicking their asses. At least until Rufus Crabmiser decapitates Bushido Brown with his Flying Guillotine.

Smokin' with Cigarettes

• Riley's fight against Lamilton. The only fight he actually wins.
  • How the fight start desrves a mention: After fleeing in terror of Lamilton and throwing the gun Lamilton was after off the roof, Riley gets sucker punched. After an entire episode of being understandably afraid of the kid, and knowing full and well he might not make it out of their fight alive, what does Riley do? Raise his fists and prepare to fight back.
  • The second half of the fight also deserves it's own mention: After being beaten as usual in the first half, albeit getting a few good blows in and holding his own well enough, Lamilton starts choking Riley to death. Riley proceeds to HEADBUTT him, give him a few solid punches and dominate the fight from then on, not taking a single hit after that. Took a Level in Badass at it's finest.
  • Finally after Lamilton is hanging at the edge of the building, what does the generally selfish and cowardly Riley do? Grab his former friend's hand and try to pull him up.
• Dr. Doomis gets one himself by leaping off the roof of the school, and body slamming Lamilton after the fight.
  • Both Lamilton and Doomis are still alive at the end, with the former getting chased by the latter as they both limp towards his house.

The Fundraiser

• Not only is Cindy not intimidated by the World's Ultimate Chocolate gangsters, she also kicks one of them in the nuts. Also a very Funny Moment.
• Riley's "Fuck your X" rant, also doubling as a Funny Moments.
  Riley: Fuck you. Fuck the plane you flew in on. Fuck them shoes. Fuck those socks with the belt on it. Fuck your gay ass fairy faggot accent. Fuck them cheap ass cigars. Fuck your yuckmouth teeth. Fuck your hairpiece. Fuck your chocolate. Fuck Guy Ritchie. Fuck Prince William. Fuck the Queen. This is America, my president is black and my Lambo is blue, nigga. Now get the fuck out of my hotel room, and if I see you on the street, I'm slapping the shit out of you!
• The shootout between the WUC gang, The Mafia, and the FBI.
• The episode as a whole is a CMOA showcase for Riley as it shows that he is incredibly capable and resourceful when he really puts his mind to something.

A Date with the Booty Warrior

• Tom coming back for the kids twice and standing up to the Booty Warrior, especially after many years of fear of getting prison-raped.
  Tom: THE BOOTY IS MINE! IT BELONGS TO ME! YOU CANNOT TAKE MY BOOTY!

The Fried Chicken Flu

• The Freemans, Tom, Thugnificent, and Leonard throwing tear gas canisters at Betty von Heusen's neighborhood militia.
• During the climatic road chase scene, Thugnificent and Leonard show up to ram their UPS van into Betty's militia bus, thus saving the Freeman and Dubois families. Quite remarkable, as earlier Robert had kicked Thugnificent out of the house for trying to sleep with Robert's girlfriend Tina. Also doubles as a Heartwarming Moment.
  Thugnificent: WOO! Ride on, old man! I love you, Robert! I'm sorry old nigga!

The Color Ruckus

• Uncle Ruckus gets one for his speech calling out his father during the funeral of his horrible grandmother, combined with a Heartwarming Moment for finding out that he loves and is proud of his black mother and brothers.
  Uncle Ruckus: No no, that's okay. Keep talking. Keep talking, Daddy. That's the eulogy this woman deserved. She did this to you, and now you're doing it to me. You've been doing it our whole lives, and it's getting old! It's gettin' real old, old man! So get it out yo' system, then sit down AND SHUT THE FUCK UP!!

It's Goin' Down

• Huey hijacking Ruckus' school bus, and the ensuing chase by government and military forces.
• Ruckus suplexing the annoying security guard Dan Stucky, and then interrogating him with a dozen or so Groin Attacks. Doubles as a Funny Moments.
• Jack Flowers' gunfight with Ed III and Gin Rummy.
• Frustrated that he couldn't arrest Ed I, Jack decides to take Ed III as a prisoner instead.

Season 4

Pretty Boy Flizzy

• Tom of all people gets a bunch of awesome moments in this episode.
  • Calling out Granddad twice, the first time for refusing to house him when his wife throws him out yet again by shouting "YOU'RE A SELFISH BASTARD ROBERT FREEMAN!" at him as he drives past, and the second time chewing him out for expecting an invite to the Flizzy dinner after refusing to feed Tom.
  • Walking out on a drunken Sarah after she makes a spectacle of herself at dinner and refuses to go upstairs and lie down. Even Granddad is impressed.
  Sarah: What are you gonna do, Tom? Hit me?
  Tom: No, I'm gonna leave you!
  • Beating the hell out of Flizzy, after Flizzy insults him and threatens to steal Sarah and Jazmine from him. Even if Flizzy was egging him on on purpose to make Tom look good in front of Sarah.
  • The ending is more triumphant this time; instead of getting a beating from an R&B singer, Tom reconciles with his wife and plans to have victory sex with her.

Freedom Ride or Die

• During the Birmingham riot, Robert (despite his cowardly demeanor for most of the episode), rejects the pacifist mantra and fights back against an angry mob of white supremacists.
  Robert: Not so fast you cracker!
  • Followed by Robert beating down several thugs with fist-fighting and his trademark belt-whipping. Until a Giant Mook gives him trouble though.
  • During the same scene, Sturdy earns his name by simply walking though the mob, and he casually disarms his attackers without hurting them.
• Robert calling Sturdy out on wanting to make a martyr of himself, not caring about the other riders' safety.

Freedomland

• The bit at the beginning, where Uncle Ruckus shows that he'll resort to handcuffing Granddad to make him see Ed Wuncler II. Cut to Granddad throwing Ruckus' handcuffed ass out of the house.
• Huey's undying defiance against Ed II throughout the episode.
• The slave rebellion during the climax and ending.
  • Huey kicking Wuncler in the face to begin the rebellion.
  • Hell the entire revolt was awesome, with Granddad freeing Huey, Huey's fight with the security guards, Riley blowing up the park, the slaves chasing away all the guests and brawling with the guards, etc.
  • The last exchange might Win Back the Crowd for those finding themselves disappointed with the season thus far.
    Ruckus: "What could be better than Freedomland?"
    Huey: "Freedom."

Stinkmeaner: Begun The Clone War Has

• Granddad thoroughly kicking the Stinkmeaner clone's ass in the boxing ring.
• The most awesome part of this episode wasn't the fight itself, but what came after it. Granddad finally finds the strength to spare Stinkmeaner's life, and thus end his Nigga Moment once and for all.

---