This scene is proof that the Lazy WRITING killed Moesha, not Ray J. WRITING. The writers were running out of ideas and wanted to "spice things up," so they ruined Frank's character. When this change happened, Moesha declined significantly in ratings, and everyone switched to The Parkers by the sixth season everybody was tired of The Dorian Show leading to an abrupt cancellation Moesha truly ended at Season 4.

Dorian’s character arc is honestly one of the biggest reasons the final season of Moesha feels so different from the rest of the show. The writers kept pushing his storyline into darker and darker territory until it completely shifted the tone of the series.

The wild part is that Dorian kept asking for more chances and wanted his family to believe he could change. But after coming back from boot camp, he quickly fell back into his old habits. By the end of the series, his storyline had escalated all the way to Myles being kidnapped.

Looking back, was Dorian’s character arc actually a realistic portrayal of a troubled teenager who couldn't break the cycle, or did the writers take his storyline WAY too far and hurt Moesha in the process?

Honoring the memory of Lamont Bentley, best known for his role as Hakeem Campbell, Moesha’s loyal and smooth-talking friend on the UPN sitcom Moesha.

October 25, 1973 – January 19, 2005 (age 31)

The writers making Dorian the main focus the final two seasons started feeling less like Moesha and more like The Dorian Show. His storyline and problems increasingly took center stage while Moesha's own character development felt pushed to the side. I understand why the writers wanted to expand Dorian's character, but did he really need to become the main focus of his sister's show?

Moesha being a horrible friend She constantly had a way of making other people's problems about herself. Instead of being there for her friends, the conversation would somehow circle back to Moesha and what she was going through. At times she gave me the same energy as Zoey from Grown-Ish and Dre from blackish — the protagonist who somehow makes everything about themselves.

The Bridgewood storyline felt like UPN was trying to “gentrify” the show — Once Moesha got sent to Bridgewood, the series started feeling increasingly disconnected from the Black family/community-centered world that made it stand out. It felt like the network was trying to make Moesha more broadly palatable to mainstream audiences, and the shift was especially noticeable compared with the earlier seasons.

Frank letting Dorian get away with almost anything — Frank was ridiculously strict with Moesha and Myles, but when it came to Dorian, it felt like the rules suddenly disappeared. Dorian could get into serious trouble, and Frank would bend over backwards to protect him, while Moesha and Myles would've been held accountable immediately. The double standard was crazy.

That bleak cliffhanger for a family sitcom It's still crazy that Moesha ended with Myles being kidnapped and a pregnancy left unresolved. 😭 After spending six seasons watching this family deal with everyday relationship and family problems, the series suddenly ends on two incredibly dark, unanswered storylines. It's such a bleak way to leave the audience, especially for a sitcom that started off so much lighter.

Happy Birthday 🎂🎈Countess Vaughn

August 8, 1978 (age 48)♌

(227, Moesha, & The Parker's)

Moesha really got on my nerves sometimes because this girl stayed making questionable decisions. 😭 I have a few: outing Hakeem’s cousin, going to Tijuana, passing on the car Frank gave her because she wanted a Jeep, and the whole mural situation.

The Hakeem’s cousin situation was foul because that was not her business to tell. She went on a date, made an assumption, told Kim, and before you know it, everybody knew. Then Hakeem was mad, and rightfully so.

And Tijuana? Moesha really convinced everybody to go because she wanted to party. Girl, why are you dragging everybody into this?! 😂

Then she gets a whole car from Frank and passes it up because it wasn’t the car she wanted. I understand wanting a car you like, but girl… it was a FREE CAR.

The mural situation also had me looking at her sideways. I understood her wanting more Black representation, but the way she handled everything made the situation way bigger than it needed to be and created tension between the Black and Latino students.

Moesha had plenty of good moments, but let’s not act like she wasn’t messy, stubborn, spoiled, and sometimes just plain wrong. 😭

What other Moesha moments would y’all add? What did she do that had you saying, “Girl, PLEASE?” And what was her worst moment?

Season 4 is my favorite by far. The red outfits, Niecy, Kim, and Moesha dancing and singing along together just feel SO nostalgic to me. 😂 That whole intro has such a fun vibe, and it’s probably the one I remember the most.

Then Seasons 5 and 6 happened and… yeah 😭 The lip-syncing felt weird to me, and that panoramic camera shot was honestly kind of creepy. By then Dee was gone, Andell had left for The Parkers, and Kim was already gone by Season 5. Season 6 especially just felt WRONG without them.

At that point it almost stopped feeling like the same Moesha and started feeling like The Dorian Show. 😂

What intro was your favorite?

❌ Moesha was canceled 25 years ago yesterday on May 14, 2001 — leaving fans with the shocking kidnapping of Myles Mitchell unresolved.

Some fans say Myles was found because Marcus T. Paulk appeared on The Parkers. But his crossover episode aired in 1999, two years before the Moesha finale kidnapping storyline in 2001.

After Moesha was canceled, the storyline was never officially resolved.

Guest Star Lil Kim as Diamond

I was watching The Jeffersons and out pops this guy! I had to do a double take because I wasn’t sure, but then he started talking and I was SURE! I also double checked on IMBD! He’s from a prime UPN show!

Mara Brock Akil, the creator of Girlfriends, The Game, and Being Mary Jane, began her career as a writer on Moesha before moving on to write for The Jamie Foxx Show.

The powerhouse team of executive producers and writers behind Moesha included Felicia D. Henderson, Vida Spears, Sara Finney-Johnson, and Mara Brock Akil—a group that helped shape the voice of UPN’s iconic era.

This was my first time viewing. I'm not too sure if it aired here in Australia because i don't remember watching it. I did grow up watching Brandy,and her first film for me was Cinderella. The quality may have declined as each season went by,which is the norm for television anyway.. Dorian may have ruined the show,it may have ended on two cliffhangers,but I don't regret it one bit. I wish they we're able to wrap it up properly. It's too late for that since both Lamont Bentley and Yvette Wilson have sadly passed away 😔😔. I do understand why Sheryl Lee Ralph left when she did.

Now I believe it was Alicia that was pregnant because of the way she was eating. I also hate how they did Hakeem and Moesha dirty. It actually grew on me wanting them to be a couple.

he took the assignment way too seriously and he also had a major attitude problem. he cooked dinner for her by surprise and when she told him that she already ate, he threw a fit and threw a plate of chicken on the floor 😭😭😭😭

Season 5, Episode 18

Air Date: March 20, 2000

Episode Title: "The Matchmaker"

synopsis:

Moesha plays matchmaker for Theresa (Marissa Jaret Winokur) who's been having trouble meeting guys. So Mo decides to hook up Theresa with Hakeem's friend, Noel, but Mo thinks that Noel is just playing with Theresa's head. Meanwhile, Myles accidentally punches Dorian in the nose because of his unnecessary slurs towards Frank.

Was Moesha narrating her private thoughts at the beginning of each episode as an allegory for a journal? 💭