Admit it- we all know the "vision face". You know the one-the one Raven makes when she sees into the future. That face she makes when we know something is about to go down. "That's So Raven" was such a huge part of our lives growing up, and here are 5 episodes that prove why.
5. Royal Treatment (Season 3, Episode 12)
Raven and her friends see a new foreign exchange student being bullied for the cultural outfit he is wearing. Raven stands up for him, and the two become friends. The student offers Raven lavish gifts, which she accepts, not realizing that he is proposing to her. It turns out the foreign exchange student is an African prince and wants Raven to be his bride. This episode tackles the issue of cultural oppression, which is a rare topic in most television shows. The episode begins with the lesson that we shouldn't judge people based on their culture, as the topic of cultural acceptance is brought up throughout the episode.
4. Five Finger Discount (Season 3, Episode 5)
Cory's has a new group of friends, but these guys aren't the most friendly bunch. They teach Cory about the "Five Figure Discount," meaning shoplifting, and convince Cory to shoplift from a toy store at the mall. Raven finds out about this, and disguises herself as a security guard to try and prevent Cory from shoplifting in the future. This episode shows the audience a lot about peer pressure, and about doing the right thing. The episode is proof that the show can teach viewers lessons without being sappy. Although there's a lesson to be learned, comedy is the main element in this episode, and the moral of the story follows.
3. Food For Thought (Season 3, Episode 29)
A personal favorite of mine, this episode is all about the importance of eating healthy. Raven's school cafeteria begins serving only junk food and most of the students are thrilled, except Chelsea who can see the damage that unhealthy food is doing to everyone. Raven realizes this too, and the two girl set out to get rid of the school's unhealthy food. Raven and Chelsea educate the students about what junk food has in it (like fat, salt and sugar), and what it is doing to them (slowing them down, making them gain weight, cutting down their energy). This episode was a fun way to teach young viewers about eating healthy. Or at the very least, cutting down on junk food. My favorite thing about this episode was how relatable it was (since every young person loves junk food), but also how it showed factual information in a way that young kids could understand and learn from.
2. That's So NOT Raven (Season 2, Episode 8)
This is THE episode about being comfortable in your own skin. Raven is excited to learn that she will be featured in a magazine modeling a dress she designed. But after the magazine is released, she realizes that her body has been digitally altered. When she approaches the head of the agency about it, she is told that all models have to be thin, and skinny is the only acceptable look for models. After wrestling with what she's heard, Raven decides to model her own dress on the runway, saying, "People come in all shapes and sizes and their all beautiful."
1. True Colors (Season 3, Episode 10)
In perhaps the most memorable episode of the series, Raven and Chelsea both apply for a job. But when Raven isn't hired, she gets a vision of the manager saying she doesn't hire black people. So Raven and her friends set out to expose the manager for being discriminatory. There is also a great B-story where Cory is learning about Black History Month in school, and while he isn't interested at first, he has a dream where he's visited by some influential names in black history. This episode was one of the only times a kid's show discussed racism openly in an honest, but not too intimidating matter. Episodes like this are proof of how children's shows can educate kids about important life issues, and "That's So Raven" did it in a way that only a show with Raven at the helm could have done it.
