Review Gleefully Decimates “The Haves and Have Nots”
I loved Los Angeles Times TV critic Mary McCarthy’s brutal review today of Tyler Perry’s new series The Have and Have Nots. Her very funny comments brought back fond memories of the reviews written by famed Times critic Howard Rosenberg’s during his glory days in the early 1980s. Here are some choice snippets from her review:
Well, it’s official: The nine most frightening words to cross a television screen are: “Executive Produced, Created, Written and Directed By Tyler Perry.”
Whatever hopes Perry had for this overwrought, derivative story line are dashed almost immediately by acting that can only be described as uniformly terrible and an unrelenting background score the likes of which has not been heard since talkies were invented.
Characters utter meaningless sentences into the air in front of the camera and then just stare at each other while maddening mood music insists that we feel something.
The show may be crap, but it scored record high ratings for Oprah’s struggling network. It will be interesting to see if those same viewers who sampled the show return for episode two…
OUCH.
“Jim and Katheryn do have a very nice bedroom, however.”
When the reviewer notices set dressing–and I’ve done that at particularly bad movies–it’s time to hand out the pink slips.
Maddening mood music is right. I feel like I am being beaten over the head with a synthesiser while waiting for some acting to happen. And Veronica is horrendously ugly.
LMFAOOOOOOOO!!!
What started out with a hint of entertaining TV has turned out to be totally insulting CRAP! Horribly juvenile acting and scripts, a total obsession with gay situations — almost to the exclusion of “conventional” relationships (and I am certainly not homophobic, but like anything else, there’s such a thing as overdoing it!), unrealistic interaction between characters, absolutely no attention to details (how does a woman come into her ex-husband’s home and trash it right in front of him while he and his lover stand and watch “helplessly???” No vandalism charges are even entertained! Instead, the “abused” couple laughs it off and prances away, apparently to the bedroom! REALLY??), and just a total air of unprofessional production. I am SO disappointed in Tyler Perry. His other TV series (If Loving You Is Wrong) is headed down this same pitiful path!! I’m done with both!!
So right on
Tonight I stopped watching The have and the have nots. This is a sick sick show. I will not watch this show again. What kind of show is this? I had no idea Tyler Perry’s mind was so sick.
Tyler, please look at Queen Sugar and Greenleaf to see what quality acting and writing looks like. Your characters are truly unbelievable.A high school drama student could do better writing and acting.
Oprah, save your network’s reputation and take this show off!
Man I’m rewatching HAHN this week cuz I’m bored and man has this mess been pissing me off(still watching tho ♀️)…. All the broken writing, unrealistic interactions and inconsistent storylines… immediately after the finale of greenleaf I posted a FB status like” damn you Ava; Tyler Perry could neva ♀️♀️
Exactly!!! I’m just in shock at how awful the writing or ablibbing is. If that’s a word. Do they read scripted lines? Or WHAT!! Something is really off with all of this show. I can watch the same actors and actresses in other stuff and they bring it. HORRIBLE FULL STOP
Thought I’d give it a try? Omg! The worst acting I’ve ever seen! Expressionless actors are not believable at all. And, what’s with that sappy music in all the scenes? This show is more comical than dramatic! Just awful!
The story line is fair. Not much else on Tuesday nights.
The acting has gotten a little better over time but the writing!!! Its so bad! They keep repeating the same line. It’s like Tyler couldn’t write enough dialogue to fill the hour. I have to go. Please stay. I have to go. Please, stay with me. I really need to go. Are your sure you can’t stay.
IT’S SO SAD! It’s a train wreck!
Exactly!! exactly!!! thank you for saying what I’ve notice the entire series. Not enough to fill the hour. Pitiful!!!
Exactly. They repeat the same lines over and over and drag out everything. I will honestly admit that I can see the potential (barely) but I cannot stomach some of the repeating the same lines over and over. The story moves so sluggishly that it begins to get comical after a while. Like seriously get on with it already!
I agree. This is the most poor acting and script writing I have ever entertained. I hate how Wyat is so boring and only sticks to the script. None of the characters really interpreted the personalities in this script. Sorry, I thought they would do better.
And the commercials playing Bizet’s Carmen as background music are an insult to this beautiful opera.
Too many far-fetched glibs. After all this time, David may not be Jeffrey’s father? Come on! The pres/elect trying to drag a whore into the White House? It’s past time for Justin to exit. He’s a boring menace. Holy Hanna curses like a sailor. Mama’s boy Bennie acts age 12. Wyatt was on a quest to kill parents weeks ago, but keeps postponing it. Veronica has too much power. She and Candace have escaped the law far too long. RJ, poor thing, at least provides some comic relief.
The acting is BEYOND horrible, I had to google “The Haves and Have Nots bad acting”. Every single actor on this series is horrible, yet I still watch in disappointment. I guess it’s helping to pass the time at work. Couldn’t dare watch this garbage at home. LOL
i wish everyone would stop saying the acing is bad crystal fox who plays Hanna is amazing and most of the actors do a more than fair job with a appalling script.
She’s the worst one. I hate her & how she thinks.
I agree about Crystal Fox.
OMG….! That’s so funny, I feel the same way. This show is so horrible it’s like a car wreck, u have to look as u go by. This show is so unbelievably bad that I have to watch it all the while commenting on how awful it is.
Just having to endure the non stop commercials for this show while trying to watch 8 year old dr phil reruns is agonizing. The music with the ridiculous flames behind the actors makes me reach for the remote OWN network has awful content
I absolutely agree with the actors/ acting. Not acting at all. Not convincing all. Totally unable to take on the personality of the character they’re portraying. Veronica is the best actor/actress on the entire show.
Great old fashioned soap opera influenced show. I love the plot and story line. The actors are great but the dialogue sucks. Too much suspense attempting to be intrigue. It’s overly suspenseful and and repetitive “are you sure?” Yes dammit, I’m sure! The cast is great though. New faces, wonderful actors. They just need better dialogue for them to shine. Leave out the relentless, repetitive and protracted dialogue. “Are you sure?” Yes, I’m sure “are you sure?” Yes I’m sure, “but are you sure” lol (that’s an example of the dialogue”
That’s what I said. How many times you gotta ask? Improv is horrible with good actors if they had a good script. The gay parts are over the top. I don’t like sex scenes either way but my gosh.
Im literally watching these episodes in bulk from season season one here in the uk after seeing Crystal fox in ‘falling from Grace’ I wanted to see where Tyler sourced this talented actress from. lots of comments here are very unfair , Crystal is excellent , the actress who plays Veronica is exceptional , Tika sumpter who plays Candace is also very good and lets not forget the male actors Tyler Lepley who plays Benny defintly has a long career a head of him. In the uk we have vertually nothing in terms of people of colour running a whole soap… we have only just had a black family move into Britains longest running soap opera ‘cornation street’ so to see ‘The have and Have Nots’ is a sheer delight. BUT the year is 2020 and it does begger belief that Tyler Perry can get away with extraneous scripts and dialogue.. I once worked with a director like Tyler who directed produced, choreographed, wrote the script and acted in his own show much to the detriment of his work. Please Tyler Perry listen to some body your good but you could be a genius if you let people give you constructive criticism. Any way i need to get back to season four you have the Have’s and Have nots all using the same hospital for some reason … see Tyler im suspending belief yet again.
I think you did a wonderful job Tyler Perry… Cant wait to see the next season…
Omg this mess is horrible, and I only wanted to watch because of Hanna(Crystal Fox) from when she played in “In the heat of the night”. And I really liked her in that show, but she sucks in this. Actually I cant take any of them. From throwing around I’m a Judge and I’m a lawyer to wtf!!Its really tiresome. And from all the idiotic mistakes that are being made in this series, there is so much a person can take. I tried and lawd help me since he produced, wrote,directed and whatever the crap ever…I can not!!
This is the worst show I’ve ever seen Tyler Perry what are you thinking, one seen can go on for 5 minutes it’s clear that your writers have ran out of ideas I have never wanted to throw anything at my tv until now .
That’s turely funny. Great job so they live in a world where murders walk around free.
Does anyone know if the pastor in the series is related to oprah or Tyler? Worst actor of all that I’m still laughing about his ” she died” scene . Just have to know if he’s an uncle or something in order to play a role. Lol
Sorry prob a nice guy but it was funny!
Horrible. Really bad writing. Unrealistic, repetitive nonsense & ridiculous! It’s trashy content is even boring. None of the storylines make sense and TP thinks we are too stupid to realize. Take some pointers from other shows that have teams of writers & not someone who wears all the hats bc none of them fit!
Right on point!! “Characters utter meaningless sentences into the air in front of the camera and then just stare at each other while maddening mood music insists that we feel something” this is by far one of the WORST shows I’ve ever seen! Script =BAD, timing =Worse..SO BAD ITS FUNNY! Its funny bad!!
The dialog is so boring. Too much repetition. The acting could improve by the entire cast.
I’m trying to watch this now. I’m hoping episode by episode the acting gets better. Why is every sentence so dramatic? Why is there an awkward pause before every sentence? It’s very similar to a Mexican soap opera. The music is super cheesy as well. I hate it too. I love Tyler Perry. I want this to be my newest binge.
If I have to hear “I’m sorry” one more time. I hear that phrase at least 100 times in one episode. The useless repetitive dialogue. A villian is only as good as its equal polar opposite as Veronica has gone uncontested and unchecked for what seems to be an eternity. Candace as crafty as she is has been bested a few times. Invest in a writing team, and lose the suspense drama music from the background of every damn scene. Every time I watch this show I ask myself is it the writing or the acting? The consensus seems to be both. Oh, before I leave can we please move away from the overtones of every damn black stereotype. Please and thank you
Also “handle it” is repeated over and over by all the players.
Well.. the writing was good the scenes a little too drawn out, but, if we didn’t have villains like Veronica-candance-Jim-vinny would we really still be watching? Even tho we may not like them at times, no one likes a drama with no-drama!!!!
This has got to be the WORST show I ever seen. The acting is absolutely HORRIBLE! The writing is juvenile. Tyler, take some writing lessons. Peter Parros acts like he’s got a stick up his ass. Guess what folks, Veronica should and would be DEAD by the end of season 2. All open ended plots that make no sense. Why was Kathryn still in jail? We forgot why. And the MONEY everyone is taking and giving away……..so ridiculous! If Loving You Is Wrong was equally as horrid with loose ends and non sensible plot. Worse acting and writing Tyler Perry!
Hellooooooo……everyone.
This show is bad on purpose. I bet Tyler bangs out an entire seasons worth of script in a week. The whole time chuckling about his next trip to bank to make a deposit.
Yes, it is exactly like watching a train wreck…you can’t turn away. You and millions of others $$$$$$$$$$.
Yep. He knows loyal fans wanna watch the same crap over and over in dialog and weird interactions and moments and regurgitated lines like… Sorry , I am sorry, you sure?, I am sure, okay and uh huh.
Banking on it all and laughin at everybody suckers. Lol
omg i can’t stop watching it
although it is awful it is great at same time
music.. lol
I been binge watching the show and I gotta say….as crazy toxic with horrible acting and subpar characters and the repeated same lines in every TP show ….I see why it entertained people…..some people love all the illogical toxic and down right stupid decisions everybody made. For some it may reflect a portion of their lives in fantasies as everybody in the show is attractive but yet make the Looney choices in their decisions. Benny who a lot i seen around liked and didn’t want to see die……was bonafide a complete idiot the whole series . He deserved his death as he escaped by goofy circumstances and constantly getting himself into those situations where otherwise he been dead. His unfathomable love for his sister Candace defied logic at always grilling her for her own ridiculousness and conning ways but yet at same time indulged it and provoked many instances for her to persist and seeming supporting it all and kinda hating it at the same time .
His adolescent mind while being a grown man crippled 99.9 percent of all his choices he made. Candace was even worse even when she tried to redeem herself …..which still had same outcome that would of happened anyway and yeah she deserved her death as well. Hanna as much as a gospel advocate and preachy was gas lighting by never really taking serious firm stances with either of them. Benny being coddled like lord knows what and Candace she beat down and deserved every bit of it as well her slow minded brother benny. Katherine and Jim deserved their fates as well . Kathy would still if lived done same crap tossing her name around to get whatever way she wanted . Jim… Lol he lived too long in the show and all his power he really didn’t have but was given in writing was overplayed .
Jeffrey the clueless gay man discovering himself made stupid choices along the way and especially when came to Justin…..who was totally Looney . They kept him I’ve for far too long as well. DAVID …..lord David….he should have lived or actually been the one to take down Veronica himself ! For good! His from one jacked up to the next and then the next coming from left field was just stupid.
Veronica as much as I laughed at all her craziness was so untouchable it broke reality in every regard. This woman kept the show actually afloat for so long that she was probably the real reason folks tuned in to hear what snarky ignorant racist and so lines she would say every episode. The president elect whole character was bad and flawed tremendously and the reason wanting Candace made no logical sense whatsoever other than want….not love. If he loved the danger and excitement of her he should been just Charles not the Pres elect. His list for her made wanting her so badly seem ridiculous as ridiculous can be and soooooo fast . The inclusion of minor characters felt tossed in for situation purposes and the Malone’s we just bad acted mobsters. Mitch who didn’t want nothing to do with the fam business made it be his business to use their name in stupid situations creating new ones with no real build to them. Vinny getting away with shooting a cop in the police station was hilarious at his even getting away with it made even more nonsense . The guy covering the camera was dumb cause a playback would show them all right there when he did it anyway.
The ending while rushed to kill off everybody who should of died anyway was laughable. Wyatt should of died so many seasons ago for being that much of a druggie should have ODed every episode and Tyler Perry dragged that out beyond belief . The show overall is badly written with horrid acting minus veronica craziness keeping the show going and David kind heart and passive ways while still being a sorta dooshbag judge connected to dumbness of others is what held the show …as well Jim’s snarly smartmouth chauvinistic and narcissistic self also kept the show more entertaining but in a wtf huh kinda way. Tyler Perry has the actors but he writes poorly and directs badly .
Its notable he wants to have ownership of the shows he creates but he seriously needs professional others to take the reigns to make the shows better and much better. The finale was bad……just bad and a reflection of the guilty pleasures of watching it out play out . The show should not be called the Have and have nots….. stupidity of people…..that should been the name of the show cause he wrote them all to be that and making stupid choices along the whole series. Everybody made nothing but the worst choices in decisions cause the circumstances that was put in by themselves or others was ….stupid . The sex scenes were not even needed or interesting at all. Everybody was cheating just to be doing it and even tho Veronica grilled David for his cheating in the past…..and she went to war for it after the pimp slap……she BEEN doing it for decades in their marriage!
The sex plays were utterly shoved in and wasn’t even build up for any of them. 99.9 percent just cause they was horny at that exact moment ….minus ok Candace who was a calculating escort/prostitute/pimp/con artist/ murderer/briber/extortionist and tough girl who thought a minute of trying to change her life would erase all the years of crap she done to almost everybody in the series with no consequences to happen.
Again as well the outside mains were equally bad. Landon and Oliver this g would been good but their dynamic was more of a who gonna one up the other which we knew Landon was gonna be Charles the prez elect favorite anyway since he sided with his weirdo lust love wanna be whatever for Candace. Melissa popping in outta nowhere for David for revenge for her sister was stupid and forced in as well. Its like Tyler Perry was just trying to give people acting jobs just so they have work regardless if their part was stupid.
Tyler Perry needs to stop writing all his own shows cause reusing the same ” okay…..uh huh…..you sure….sorry….I am sorry …..pointless pauses with melodramatic dull moment music”…..seriously needs to be etched out of the scripts and really needs to stop thinking cause the titles always have his name on them is gonna make them be taken seriously and will be good cause he thinks it is or cause he wrote it , produced it , directed it and all over the credits for credit that its a hit.
He needs help and if his reasons are so he can take credit for the backlash, fails and bad reviews then sure I get it. But its also self absorbed and shows his lack of trust in talents of others but if want to really do his shows justice more…let better pro writers do the job he isn’t as good at in the storytelling and dialogs and let the actors actually play the parts with better writing so they can shine more than just having a face for paychecks. The show just should have better in every part which should been a standard from start till the end.
The finale was more like a let’s just wrap this up cause I am bored and ratings are tanking and I got too many projects I am doing and want to do just to say I done this and that than gave a quality ending to a series that suffered but could been far better with a already good cast of actors and writing than the weird ending plotlines and over played ones with bleh instances and acting it all out .
I agree—-it started out good but went downhill fast!
I wanted to see a Christian type series but am taken aback
by the content of this negative, trashy, to put it mildly, series!
I thought Tyler Perry was very spiritual but this type content could
have only come about by a demonized mind. Only Christian I can see
in it is Hanna and she is wearing herself out trying to get the Lord into
the lost souls on this show. Tyler Perry???
I caught the show a bit after Benny got hit by the car, and stayed with it. IF the show had ended better, I would love to rewatch the whole thing. All the “good” people as well as the rotten ones got killed off, except for the Malones, and Justin’s sicko brother. I think Tyler Perry is in it strictly for the money. I feel for all the actors, I sure hope they go on to bigger and better things. The entire series should be flushed.