I finally got a chance to see the premiere for myself (thanks to the technology fairies for the creation of the DVR) and let me just say this, like many loyal fans I was so excited about the show’s return. I mean excited like it was Christmas and my parents were getting me everything I wanted, needed and than some. So excited I sent a text to my TV (reality & scripted) partner in crime that said, “I’m so excited, I’m about to jump out of my skin”. I re-watched all of the shows every day they came on over the last two weeks to ensure that I didn’t miss anything and that I was completely caught up for last nights premiere. Now I know some people will agree with and others will look at this post like the person writing it must have two heads, but hey these are my feelings and those are the only ones I am responsible for.
Now that I have gotten all of that out of the way on to the show…
I was completely and utterly confused about where this was going, there was no back story or fill-in if I may, on how we got to where the characters are in their lives right now. If you recall the last episode of the show while on the CW network ended with a baby, a wedding, a divorce and a blossoming relationship, but we didn’t see any of that last night. It’s almost like the writers themselves never watched an episode of the show or had forgotten what was going with each character. I know they wanted to bring the “drama” but I think they tried to cram too much into one hour, it was really all over the damn place.
All of the characters have completely changed and aren’t very relatable to say the least. Let’s start with Malik, we have always known him to be a narcissistic, arrogant, self-center asshole but he was never that way to Tee Tee (we’ll come back to him), but at this point in his life and career, not only is he banging the new owner’s (played by Michael Beach) wife (played by Megan Good) but he also feels that the “rules don’t apply” to him. He’s become a complete douche and has no regard for other people. Oh, did I mention he got it in with Tee Tee’s girl when she took him home because he was too drunk to drive? As for Tee Tee, the writers have managed to turn him into a complete punk. He now owns a wing truck and no longer works for Malik, but since the 40 million dollar man gave him the seed money for said truck, he feels as if he’s owed something and is sure to remind anyone who's around especially Tee Tee of that fact.
Hey, can someone let Tee Tee know his balls called?
Hey, can someone let Tee Tee know his balls called?
Ms.Tasha Mack was the person who actually “opened” the show but I felt like I walked in on the middle of a conversation the way her lines began. Her character still seems quite bitter and even juvenile. She has a new relationship with a younger man by the name of Dante. She refuses to be seen with him in public, persuades him to attend parties with other women and he has yet to meet her son, but she thought she was “special”. Why he couldn’t just be himself “Terrence J” is beyond me, the relationship would have made more sense and would have made it quite interesting.
Making him a completely new character with no “introduction”, probably left a lot of people dumbfounded, I know I was. I also didn’y understand how she went from telling Melanie “You’re winning and Janay just wants what you have” to “You just latched on to Derwin in college because you saw potential”. Really Tasha? Really? We all know that is NOT the Melanie Barnett we grew to love and was rooting for. By the way, when did she become afraid of Kelly?
Jason and Kelly Pitts…the relationship between the two has gone from slight dislike and heartache to full blown hatred and disdain. Jason is pretty much the same but Kelly has gone completely left, the hair, the clothes, the reality show, it’s just too much. Her characters story or the lack there of makes no sense at all and what was her point for being on the broadcast interrupting Jason? It was just stupid and not well thought out. Brit Brat is now 30 and literally a brat, where is the love that she had for her dad? Has her mom turned her against him? Jason’s girlfriend Camille (Stacey Dash) has disappeared and we have no idea why.
We need more Mara, we need more and bring Erica Gluck back.
The Davis’
Where should I begin with these two? They’re married and living in a house, DJ is now two years old but there is a question about his paternity. The messiness that is Tasha Mack planted the seed but didn’t have Melanie’s back when she told her she did the test. It turned out in the beginning that the baby was not his but Melanie received a phone call saying that there was a mistake. Now you tell me in this day and age who really makes a mistake on a paternity test? I’m not saying that it could not happen but damn can we have one successful relationship on this show? Can they just give us something so those two can get back to being in love and back to the Ding Dong and Med School that they used to be. Melanie is still “fighting” for Derwin’s love even though it has been two years, just let her be over it and lets keep it pushing.
I felt like I was watching a damn reality show where we expect so many unanswered questions but hell even they give us some type of back story and it seems more like they never stopped filming.
Now I’m no writer but let me tell you how I pictured it all going down. There will still be drama but not as much mess, I know BET could have given us a two hour premiere, hour one from 9-10 could have been the back story and 10-11 could have been the official start of season 4. “Let’s Stay Together” could have been shown tonight and moved to its regular night and time next week, hell they not showing us anything else.
The show would have picked up exactly where it left off but I’ve added a few changes after watching last night to accommodate the newbies.
Derwin and Melanie would have been married but in a modest condo, DJ would not be his but Janay would still be around. I was hoping that Terrence J would be the father but after with crew being so tight lipped about his role, I had a feeling he was going to be involved with Tasha, remember the photos of Megan and Hosea were all over the net so we knew that they were going to be involved.
So why would Janay be a part of the picture if Derwin’s not the dad you ask? Well, it’s because we would find out that the real father is Malik. I mean she had dated a few other people including Ochocinco and Hill Harper in the past, so Malik wouldn’t be so far fetched. They slept together during superbowl in Miami and that’s why she called Derwin crying talking about she was in love, it was the guilt kicking in. Derwin and Melanie would be forced to see her all the time and relive the hell she put them through, Tasha would be beyond upset and would not be able to understand why her son would go there. Malik would be in normal Malik fashion and would tell Derwin, “you never wanted her you always wanted Girl Melanie and Janay was in Miami doing her thing so why not?” Derwin would feel betrayed and here comes the discord amongst the crew. Melanie and Tasha would be at odds because of the conflict, Tasha being her “friend”, representing Derwin and now she DJ’s grandmother. Where does her loyalty really lie? Malik is her son. Ta Da, bring on the drama. Melanie would also be working at a hospital but will discover that she is pregnant and that’s when she stops because Derwin doesn’t want his baby being all stressed out and working all kinds of crazy shifts. They’ve come too far for any more unnecessary stress.
Tasha would still be dating Dante, but Dante would be “Terrence J”, it would make more sense that they know each other and she wouldn’t be hiding. They would talk about the first time they met and she would she would talk about the fact that she was fresh off the breakup from Rick and was only looking to have fun, but over the last six months she has really grown to like him, but because she feels that she has to salvage her son’s image she doesn’t have time for him. She stuck between wanting find her happiness again and taking care of her “baby”.
Kelly would have a clear focus and not be all over the place. We would see her calling Irv and asking him to take her under his wing because she wants to become a manager as well. Not only would she piss off Jason but it would drive Tasha crazy, she would think that the entire time Kelly worked for her she was plotting to take her position. Jason would tell Kelly that she’s out of her mind and she does not know what she’s doing, but the idea is a hit and that’s how she also gets the reality show. From head of household to the top of the firm, with the camera’s documenting the entire process. Yes, she is fed up with the relationship but she still believes in what they had and wants to prove to Jason that she can make her own money. Camille would have been mention by Kelly during the Brit Brat exchange and Jason would’ve informed her that they were no longer together even though it was none of her business. Since Jason feels that Kelly is doing every thing in spite of him she would eventually move on and start to date other people.
As for the Sabers, the new owner moved them to Atlanta (you know that happens sometimes) and that’s part of the reason Jason is holding out but of course he won’t say that outright. Not only does he feel that he isn’t appreciated but he also feels that the move was unnecessary but he doesn’t want to go to another team as suggested by Chris Webber, he wants to retire a Sabre.
Throughout the season all of the story-lines will continue to develop, Trey Wiggs or another star athlete will come into the picture because Jason is still being Jason so someone else takes the starting position.
I know they wanted to bring the drama but did we need the stereotypical foolishness. We see enough of that on the reality shows but when people actually sit down and write shit like that, it really leaves me feeling some type of way.
So that’s my story and I’m sticking to it…
What are your thoughts?
