A spinoff of Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married? films, the TBS dramedy For Better or Worse centers around the ups and downs of three relationships.
First, there’s Angela (Tasha Smith) and Marcus (Michael Jai White). The two have been married for thirteen years. Angela owns a beauty salon and Michael produces a highly rated sports television show ‘C-Sports Now’. They also have a son (Bobb’e J. Thompson).
For couple number two, Richard (Kent Faulcon), who also works at C-Sports Now is currently dating Keisha (Kiki Haynes) who is Michael’s ex. Michael and Keisha have a daughter, Dominique, (Tekan Brandon), who stirs up drama when Dominique disrespects Michael’s wife Angela by calling her a ho.
The plot thickens when Keisha throws herself on Michael and proclaims her lingering love for him, which makes us wonder will Michael go back to his ex and even if he doesn’t, will Angela trust him around her?
The third couple is Leslie (Crystle Stewart, former Miss USA) and Joseph (Jason Olive), who works with Richard and Michael. Leslie and Joseph have been together for three years. They live together and are prospering financially but ride different wavelengths in the relationship. Leslie is living the trophy wife’s dream. The condo and the bank account are in her name. She got a Bentley for her birthday. What more could she want?
That’s where the complication emerges. Joseph doesn’t want a wedding or children and Leslie seems to have other thoughts on what would be her portrait of an ideal relationship.
[T]he initial episodes raise a few questions about family and relationships:
*How should we handle parenting children who have not only two parents but also a third or fourth parent-figure in their lives due to separation or divorce?
*Is a family like Leslie and Joseph’s complete without the desire to add children to the picture?
*How long can a couple survive with an ex living in the same zip code?
[T]here are also some of the usual questions:
*Will the show transgress a superficial understanding of family life and explore the depths of authentic relationships between parents and children, wives and husbands?
* Can black shows get beyond simple baby mama drama?
* Is being a well-to-do black person just about living in a big house, drinking wine, driving a nice car, eating catered food, and wearing high heels, long weaves, and formal dress?
This last question is not to criticize the good life, but in a television show or film, if nothing substantial happens in the characters’ lives in order for them to evolve, then they all fall back on “drama” – cheap fights, he-said-she-said gossip, insults, or bragging about past accomplishments – which provides some conflicts and laughs here and there but doesn’t really advance the show in any meaningful way.
These first episodes are entertaining enough to watch again (Fridays at 10pm ET) and see where For Better Or Worse is headed. Hopefully for better. If the show gets good ratings for the first five weeks – 2 episodes per week – TBS will pick up another 90 episodes, so the show’s standing is pretty much up to you, the audience.
Do you want to see more For Better Or Worse?
Watch the trailer.
Would I watch it again? Hell yeah!
Hell, no!
Oh, Tyler, this show is well-meaning but it lacks the intellect to take it there. It’s like the old saying:
“The Soul is willing but the body is weak”
In Tyler Perry’s case:
“The heart is willing, but the mind is weak”
I don’t know but your are funny! Maybe your mind is weak and you can’t comprehend Tyler Perry’s art!
Great episodes! Only I thought Tasha Smith was not believable as a mother. She needs to spend some real time around kids to understand how to gel with ’em.
Michael Jai White was awesome! I love the casting. And it’s nice to see Donnie Leapheart’s character Osiris, doing good in another role. Man, we have talents.
You have all this money, resources and influence, but you still can’t put up a good tv show. WTF is going on?
Why are all these men retired athletes anyway? Is Tyler Perry for real? Is this moronic or what? Talkn abt ‘I make shows abt real black people’!
Very bad show. I was so expecting it, Tyler Perry is disappointing!