Ep 5. Welcome to the Jungle

In the second season of The Bernie Mac Show, episode 5 titled "Welcome to the Jungle," Bernie and his wife Wanda take in her sister's three children after she falls into legal trouble. This episode follows Bernie as he tries to adjust to having three more children in his home, on top of his own two children Jordan and Bryana.

The episode opens with Bernie and Wanda discussing the prospect of taking in the children, Vanessa, Jordan, and Bryana's cousin, and whether or not they have the room and resources to care for them. Eventually, the couple decides to take them in, despite their reservations.

As soon as the children arrive, it's chaos. Vanessa, the oldest of the three, is a typical rebellious teenager who doesn't want to be there. She attempts to run away numerous times, but Bernie catches her each time. Bernie's strategy for handling Vanessa is to scare her into behaving, which sometimes works, but often only intensifies her rebellious behavior.

Jordan and Bryana are excited to have their cousins stay with them, but they soon realize that it's not all fun and games. Bryana is tasked with sharing her toys and room with Vanessa, causing some tension between the two girls. Jordan, on the other hand, sees Vanessa as an obstacle to his dream of becoming an NBA player.

The tension between Vanessa and Jordan comes to a head when she steals his sneakers and tries to sell them to buy a bus ticket out of town. This leads to a confrontation between Bernie, Jordan, and Vanessa where Bernie delivers a touching speech about the importance of family and sticking together.

As the episode progresses, Bernie and Wanda try to get Vanessa on the right track by enrolling her in school and finding her a job. Vanessa's behavior slowly improves, but not before she accidentally burns down the garage while smoking in secret.

In the end, Vanessa learns a valuable lesson about responsibility and the importance of family. The episode closes with Bernie admitting that he never realized how much he enjoyed having the kids around until they were gone.

Overall, "Welcome to the Jungle" is a heartwarming and humorous episode that explores the challenges of adjusting to new family dynamics. The episode also provides some insight into Bernie's parenting style and his philosophies on what it takes to be a responsible adult.