The Upshaws - General Discussion

[paulvdb]

New comedy premiered today on Netflix.

Quote

A working-class African American family in Indiana struggles to make it work and make it right without the blueprints to do it.

Trailer:

 

[HeySandyStrange]

I finished the series a few days ago. I appreciate how it presented a more realistic portrait of a working class, struggling family that wasn’t tv perfect. But man, while I appreciate flawed characters, the dad Benny was borderline unlikeable. However, at least the show was willing to have him called on his behavior and it not made light of, and the relationship between him and Regina wasn’t presented necessarily as healthy.

Regina was awesome, though, flaws and all. Really liked her, Bernard and Benny’s other young son. Benny and Regina’s oldest daughter was a bit of a typical bratty young teen, but again I appreciated that she acted like a brat teen and not some perfect angel, and that she didn’t always get away with her behavior all the time.

Overall I enjoyed the show and hope it gets a second season, even if the cliffhanger at the end was a bit much.

[chediavolo]

Just Watched the first two episodes. I like it, I think. it’s a little brash and it seems to me like Regina really married down. Husband is quite shady as it is his friends, of course they’re playing it for laughs. 
love Kim Fields & Wanda Sykes or I probably wouldn’t be giving it a chance. 

Edited May 19, 2021 by chediavolo

[Joimiaroxeu]

Just got halfway through the season and I think it has finally hit its stride. I'm actually glad it's not on broadcast TV because it can be a little edgier without seeming like it's trying extra hard to be naughty.

Kim Fields' experience as a sitcom veteran shines here. IMO she carries every scene she's in except the ones with Wanda Sykes.

[Meedis]

I thought the show was pretty well-done overall.   I like the banter especially between Wanda Sykes and Mike Epps (I almost called him Omar but he's a different actor with the same last name and they're actually cousins).   The storylines seem good.   I especially liked how they handled Bernard's coming out story.   It's interesting too how similar it was to mine (aside from sleeping with his prom date) in that while he was worried about coming out and the reactions almost everyone close to him knew.

I guess the cliffhanger is plausible.... hopefully another season (or Part II) comes along.

Edited June 14, 2021 by Meedis

[Joimiaroxeu]

I think that cliffhanger must've been something the writers pulled out of the air when they got wind they'd probably be renewed. Otherwise, it's kind of the same mistake the original Dynasty made with their gay character, that is, doing something to make him more palatable to the portion of the audience who think like Benny--or worse. In Dynasty's case they pretty much made the gay character bisexual even though they continued to call him gay, and here they're giving Benard Jr. a kid conceived via actual intercourse with a woman. I wouldn't be surprised if at some point Bernard Jr. sleeps with his daughter's mother again though it'll be played for laughs like an extremely drunken hookup.

Re Regina's story arc, IRL do you immediately get the results when you take the GMAT?

Though I think the cliffhanger was an iffy choice I do hope the show gets a definite renewal.

Edited June 18, 2021 by Joimiaroxeu

[chediavolo]

Just watched the one where Regina‘s husband steals her college money. I don’t know what she sees in this piece of shit. He acts like he belongs in the ghetto not in a beautiful home with a loving wife and awesome kids. It really seems so far at the left field but she married this scum

[Meedis]

On 6/18/2021 at 12:31 PM, Joimiaroxeu said:

I think that cliffhanger must've been something the writers pulled out of the air when they got wind they'd probably be renewed. Otherwise, it's kind of the same mistake the original Dynasty made with their gay character, that is, doing something to make him more palatable to the portion of the audience who think like Benny--or worse. In Dynasty's case they pretty much made the gay character bisexual even though they continued to call him gay, and here they're giving Benard Jr. a kid conceived via actual intercourse with a woman. I wouldn't be surprised if at some point Bernard Jr. sleeps with his daughter's mother again though it'll be played for laughs like an extremely drunken hookup.

Re Regina's story arc, IRL do you immediately get the results when you take the GMAT?

Though I think the cliffhanger was an iffy choice I do hope the show gets a definite renewal.

Oh I thought the kid was Bernard Sr's.

[Joimiaroxeu]

Quote

Oh I thought the kid was Bernard Sr's.

Classic sitcom switcheroo. Bernard Jr. is known in the family as Junior but the little girl (and her mother) probably don't know that. So everyone in the room assumed she meant Benny. I think the whole point of introducing this woman Junior slept with back in high school was to set up the introduction of his kid. Benny's already got an outside child so storyline-wise nothing would be gained by giving him yet another baby mama. I'm 99.9999% confident the kid will be Junior's.

[AnimeMania]

4 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

Classic sitcom switcheroo. Bernard Jr. is known in the family as Junior but the little girl (and her mother) probably don't know that. So everyone in the room assumed she meant Benny. I think the whole point of introducing this woman Junior slept with back in high school was to set up the introduction of his kid. Benny's already got an outside child so storyline-wise nothing would be gained by giving him yet another baby mama. I'm 99.9999% confident the kid will be Junior's.

Agreed, the part I don't understand is why she couldn't find Bernard Jr. until 10 years later. It is not like they didn't have the same friends or Bernard Jr. moved out of town or joined the military or some other excuse.

[Bastet]

On 6/18/2021 at 10:31 AM, Joimiaroxeu said:

Though I think the cliffhanger was an iffy choice I do hope the show gets a definite renewal.

I just watched this show the past few days, and there's an "It's official; another season is coming" announcement, so it has been renewed.

I'm glad, as I enjoyed it.  I heard Wanda Sykes talking about it on a talk show, and I absolutely love her, so I gave it a look.  I thought the first episode started out pretty stilted (and I was kind of horrified when it opened with a cute kid delivering a typical lame sitcom joke) but it got better as it went on, so I stuck with it. 

Regina and the kids deserve better than Bennie, so I was impressed they wrote her deciding to let him move back into the house (but not the bedroom) in a way that made sense.  It was also quite natural that when he finally, after all this time, put some effort into being a father, she resented it, hurt that the kids act like he's the greatest thing since sliced bread.  She's done 90% of the parenting work for nearly 30 years, and he spends one day listening to them, hands out phones and scooters, and is suddenly World's Greatest Dad.  It happens all the time, and it played well here.

I love, love, love Lucretia; Wanda Sykes is perfect for the role.  I woke up my cat laughing at her and Bennie reviewing the security footage to figure out why their drunk asses woke up in the car together.

I haven't seen Kim Fields in anything since Living Single, and I'm really digging her in this, too.

I thought I recognized the actor playing Davis from something (Duck I recognize from an episode of The Closer), but I looked up his credits on IMDb and haven't seen any of them.  So I'm obviously mixing him up with another actor, and it's driving me nuts not knowing who. 

[AnimeMania]

The Upshaws Renewed for Season 2 at Netflix

The series Second Season has been renewed for 16 half-hour episodes, which are expected to run in two batches of eight. This is an increase from the original 10-episode First Season order. 

[CarpeFelis]

I watched this because I’m a Wanda Sykes fan. I enjoyed it, but I have to admit the laugh track and clichés in the first episode made it seem a little too much like a ‘70s sitcom. (For instance, Bennie insulting Lucrezia like Fred Sanford did with Aunt Esther.) I nearly expected someone to yell “dy-no-mite!”

Did I miss something, or has Bennie still not given back the $2500?

P.S. Hey, Lucretia: “Assiduous.” You use this word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

[Bastet]

I haven't found a release date announced anywhere, but Wanda Sykes mentioned on Jimmy Kimmel that they're currently filming season two.

[AnimeMania]

Season 2 has finished filming.

[AnimeMania]

‘The Upshaws’: Wanda Sykes, Regina Y. Hicks Sitcom Sets Second Season Premiere On Netflix

The eight-episode second season of The Upshaws will stream on Netflix on June 29.

[AnimeMania]

The Upshaws Season 2, Part 1 is eight, 30 minute episodes June 29, 2022 on Netflix.

Edited June 15, 2022 by AnimeMania

[Bastet]

Oh good, that gives me time to re-watch season one.

[AnimeMania]

The Upshaws Season 2 Part A        June 29, 2022      Netflix  

Episodes 1-8       Titles and Descriptions

Spoiler

S02.E01: Maybe Daddy

When a surprise comes knocking on the family’s front door, Regina points the finger at Bennie and pushes Bernard to wise up.

S02.E02: Bennie's Woman

A suspicious Lucretia conducts a thorough investigation. Meanwhile, a big misunderstanding leads to a bigger mistake as Bennie attempts to close a deal.

S02.E03: Testing, Testing

When Regina retakes the GMAT, Lucretia struggles to keep order in the house. Bennie and the crew scramble to get the shop up to code for an inspection.

S02.E04: Control Issues

Regina is determined to throw a budget-friendly birthday party for Maya until Lucretia takes over. Bennie tries to bribe his way out of a lawsuit.

S02.E05: Duct Up

Regina plots to win over her boss at work. Lucretia dines with an old flame. Bennie lands in a tight spot. The kids are left to look after themselves.

S02.E06: New Growth

A crisis forces Regina to seek out Tasha's services. At the shop, Lucretia tries to talk sense into Bennie. Aaliyah and Maya have a sibling squabble.

S02.E07: Sista, Sista

With their unfiltered sister in town, Lucretia and Regina let a few things off their chests. Not to be outdone by Noah, Bennie makes a pricey purchase.

S02.E08: Goin' In

After their blowout, Lucretia takes time for herself while Regina gets fed up at work. Bennie fears he's losing Kelvin. All drama leads back to the shop.

Edited June 29, 2022 by AnimeMania

[sugarbaker design]

NM

Edited June 30, 2022 by sugarbaker design

[Bastet]

I like when Tasha says they need to be the subject of an investigative documentary, because it's unbelievable Bennie found two women to give him children.  I agree, because my big stumbling block with this show is why anyone gives him the time of day.  He's such a loser, and if it wasn't for how wonderfully Lucretia hates him, I'm not sure I could watch.

I found this first half of season two not as interesting as season one, until the final two episodes, especially episode eight.  I am Team Lucretia, but I also completely understand Regina feeling like this is Frank talking, not her.

Bennie is being ridiculous about Kelvin - he's moving across town, not across the country - and I love Regina's excuse me, what?! reaction when he just announces that Kelvin will be moving in with them.  I also love her quitting her job, and then wondering what the hell she just did, saying she didn't really even know what happened -- there were cupcakes, she was cussing, and then she bounced.

I also really like the respect Regina showed for Tasha as a mother, telling Bennie she puts that boy first (which is a bit of a retcon, considering how Tasha was presented in much of season one, but I'll go with it), so if she thinks moving in with Noah is the right thing, than that's the way it's going to be. 

Good mid-season ending, with Bennie's "I can explain" smash cutting to him and Lucretia each behind bars, with her telling him she's going to slither through and kill him.

Edited July 5, 2022 by Bastet

[Meedis]

Overall I quickly flowed through the eight episodes.   I thought the "it's not what it seems" anvil thrown at the end of Episode 1 with Bennie and the prospective lady customer was a bit much especially after the "it's not what it seems" one they threw at the end making it seem like Bennie fathered another kid.   Good call from those on here that said it was likely Bernard Jr's kid.   

I'll be back for the next 8 episodes whenever they drop them.

Edited to add:  I never heard of any certification tests like Regine was taking allowing multiple '10 minute' breaks (let alone when done online at home as opposed to proctored in person).   But I know, just go with it...LOL.

Edited July 8, 2022 by Meedis

[WildFlower87]

[AnimeMania]

The Upshaws Part 3 streams on Thursday, February 16, 2023 on Netflix.

[AnimeMania]

[Joimiaroxeu]

Looking forward to getting back into this for the third season.

[Bastet]

I enjoyed it, and really look forward to seeing how Regina's depression is handled next season.  Her simple statement that she has a sadness within her, it comes and goes, and it sucks, was perfect.

I liked her arc across these episodes.  I like the honesty about her new job, that she gets something out of helping an under-served community, yes, but the reason she's there is it's the only thing she could get -- in a competitive job market, she torpedoed her career by staging a nutter at the only place she has to list as a reference.

While I get a kick out of Sheila as the utterly clueless antagonist, I also enjoyed the moment of understanding between them in the hospital, when she told Regina she hopes her feelings of discontent pass, but if they don't, she has every right to feel what she feels.

I appreciated Regina's frustration with everyone being up her ass about going back to school, asking why the fact she doesn't want to go isn't all anyone needs to hear.  Of course they're concerned because she wanted it for so long, but if right now it feels to her like another obligation she can barely function through, then she's right not to go, at least for now.  She's not looking to get a Master's in something she's passionate about studying, she's been wanting to get an MBA simply because it will increase her earning potential.  That's great, but not worth killing herself over.

Even though I knew it was coming, the shot of Lucretia duct taped to the airplane seat cracked me up.  I love the scene with Frank when he's on her about coming to Atlanta and she says just once she'd love to have a man ask how he can adjust his life to make things easier for her.

I also love Lucretia refusing to bail Bennie out, but then telling Bernard they raised him better than that when he doesn't want to do it either.  (And I LOL at Bennie doing Shawshank when he got out.)

LOL also at Satan Wife Swap, and I can't wait to see how this goes with Regina taking some time at Lucretia's while Lucretia helps at the Upshaw house.

The actors playing the girls aren't getting any better with age, but I like the twist on the tired "teen succumbs to peer pressure and shoplifts" storyline where Aaliyah pretends to steal to be "thug life" cool to the popular kids, but is secretly paying -- and carrying around the receipts, because she wants to go to college.  And, while profoundly silly, I did get a laugh out of Maya pretending to be possessed in order to have a room to herself while Kelvin was staying there.

Edited February 16, 2023 by Bastet

[Bastet]

Wanda Sykes was recently on a talk show and said this is the number one comedy on Netflix, and they're already filming the next season.

[Joimiaroxeu]

Looked like this show got a bigger budget for the 2nd season. It had noticeably higher production values and the characters all had better clothing.

I didn't understand the graduate school thing. The university is located out of town. Was Regina going to move away from her family, which includes young children? Otherwise, that would be a tough commute to make every day.

How is Lucretia going to break up with Frank again? He's handsome, educated, financially secure, and he treated her well. Someone like him is rare, especially at their age.

Who was Bernard's boyfriend Hector supposed to be portraying when he was performing in drag?

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While I get a kick out of Sheila as the utterly clueless antagonist, I also enjoyed the moment of understanding between them in the hospital, when she told Regina she hopes her feelings of discontent pass, but if they don't, she has every right to feel what she feels.

I'm not so sure Sheila is clueless. It seems to me she knows what she's doing and it's a power play. Until the last episode when they finally had her genuinely relating to Regina on a personal level, I considered her almost a sociopath. But now I guess she's just been good at doing whatever it takes to achieve a certain status and hang onto it. Which includes disarming what she perceives as threats to her status.

Good to hear it's been renewed for a 3rd season. Netflix has been known to dump even popular shows.

[Bastet]

9 minutes ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

I didn't understand the graduate school thing. The university is located out of town. Was Regina going to move away from her family, which includes young children? Otherwise, that would be a tough commute to make every day.

The main campus is in Bloomington, about an hour away, but there's one in Indianapolis, too.  I'm not sure which one she was supposed to be going to when she went to the casino for the weekend instead (I thought the reason she was going for the whole weekend was not because it was too far to travel back and forth each day, but because it was a weekend-long, stay-on-campus orientation event).  She'd probably be able to do it a lot of it online, in either location, but I did not confirm that.

14 minutes ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

How is Lucretia going to break up with Frank again?

Because they have two different lives in two different cities and neither one is interested in living the other one's lifestyle.  She wants to be in Indianapolis doing stuff with Regina and the kids, and he wants to be based in Atlanta but traveling.  They could continue to visit as they'd been doing, but that's going to fizzle out, so I think it's better to just acknowledge now they're not on the same page.

[sugarbaker design]

On 3/17/2023 at 7:36 PM, Joimiaroxeu said:

Who was Bernard's boyfriend Hector supposed to be portraying when he was performing in drag?

Some Whitney/Mariah/Diana/Beyonce mashup.  I guess production wouldn't pony up for an actual song.

I'm looking forward to the next season.  I could do with less of the female kids, more of Bernard and Sheila, and the return of Duck.

[AnimeMania]

The Upshaws Part 4      August 17, 2023       Netflix

[AnimeMania]

The Upshaws Adds Marsha Warfield and Jenifer Lewis to Season 4 Cast — Watch Trailer

 

The Upshaws Season 4  (August 17 on Netflix) is adding guest stars Marsha Warfield (Night Court) and Jenifer Lewis (black-ish) to the cast. Jenifer Lewis will play Dr. Pearl Edmunds, Regina’s new no-nonsense therapist helping her strike a balance between the prioritization of herself, her mental health and her countless family obligations. 

Marsha Warfield's character is unknown. 

[Bastet]

5 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

Marsha Warfield's character is unknown. 

From that scene in the trailer, I'm guessing someone related to Bennie.  Have we ever heard anything about his mom?  Maybe that's who she is.

I'm looking forward to this.

[AnimeMania]

Jenifer Lewis will guest star in three episodes of The Upshaws.

Marsha Warfield will guest star in one episode of The Upshaws.

Edited August 4, 2023 by AnimeMania

[andidante]

I was a bit disappointed that this part was only 6 episodes and it ended on a cliffhanger. I hope after the writer's strike is over, they will make more episodes even if it is the final season. 

Jennifer Lewis was so funny! I have always loved her. 

[Joimiaroxeu]

Finally finished watching this season. My takes:

E1
Jenifer Lewis as a therapist was fantastic casting. It seemed different from the kind of comedic character she usually plays.

E2
I don't know about joking about having someone steal all your money.

The actor who plays Duck must've gone on the Ozempic diet. I was surprised the show acknowledged his noticeable weight loss.

Kim's Emmy nomination reel monologue went on too long. I lost the point about a third of the way through.

E3
Peanut butter, baloney, and Funyuns sandwich. Ew. Surely no one actually eats such a horror!

Wonder if Wanda Sykes ad-libbed Lucretia's profanity-filled rant at the end of this episode. It was amazing, especially with bleeps.

E4
Wow, I did not recognize Marsha Warfield. (I avoided the spoilers.) Good to see her again.

Lucretia's idea of an AirBnB was basically having a temporary roommate. Is that how it's supposed to work?

Glodine was too much. And not in a good way, IMO.

E5
A Cooch bag. That joke works on two levels. 😏

So was this the end of The Upshaws? I thought the cliffhangers were kind of weak this time. Netflix has been supportive of this show but I wonder how the stike will affect continued production.

[andidante]

1 hour ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

Kim's Emmy nomination reel monologue went on too long. I lost the point about a third of the way through.

 

I rolled my eyes during that whole mess! I could not even feel sorry for her character at all. LOL

[Bastet]

On 9/4/2023 at 2:40 PM, Joimiaroxeu said:

Wonder if Wanda Sykes ad-libbed Lucretia's profanity-filled rant at the end of this episode. It was amazing, especially with bleeps.

I cracked the hell up at that.  My favorite part of the season (or part, or whatever they call it).

On the whole, I didn't enjoy it as much as I normally do.  Regina has some serious nerve getting upset that Lucretia is going to sell the shop.  And Bennie can miss me with taking glee in Lucretia being broke.  (I can barely tolerate him on a good day, so when he's up while Lucretia is down, I'm not having a good day.)  Him, I definitely buy as dumb enough not to realize if she needs money, she's going to have to sell the garage, but Regina not realizing what she was saying in encouraging Lucretia to be selfish was a stretch.

I like the idea of Regina having to put up with Sheila at work again.  I like her, but I'm a little miffed at her right now, so I'm going to enjoy that.

Davis cracked me up at the basketball game, with how once he's down he's down, and he's not messing with all those stairs for a chance at a car, never mind a beat-down.  I miss Duck, so was glad we got to see him once.  (I love Bennie calling for him and then remembering, "Oh yeah, he's at Jesus school".)

I'm glad Hector is still around; he and Bernard are good together in the little bits we see.

I'm generally not into the other kids, but I feel sorry for Aaliyah with this Savannah and Kelvin stuff.  And that it's happening when her mom isn't paying any attention to her, and even Bernard, being so wrapped up in his gym woes, not picking up on it when she mentioned them ditching her.

 

[WildFlower87]

Renewed for Season 4

https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/the-upshaws-season-4-netflix-1235816896/

[AnimeMania]

The Upshaws Part 5     April 18, 2024      Netflix

[Bastet]

I didn't enjoy the last batch of episodes as much as I normally do, so hopefully this is back to form.  Looks good from the trailer.

[Joimiaroxeu]

Finally finished Part 5.

That was some major product placement by Wells Fargo right off the bat. Surprising given the trouble they got into last year for systematically discriminating against Black customers seeking home mortgages.

The show seems to have gotten a bigger budget for hair styling.

Loved the sly dig at Tyler Perry's style of sitcom.

Tony the mechanic is quite the unexpected polygot. He apparently speaks both French and Spanish fluently, in addition to English.

That was funny how they didn't show Tony's ex-girlfriend's face. Guess she was so beautiful no actress could do her justice.

Didn't the previous season also end with Lucretia going to Atlanta to be with Frank?

[sugarbaker design]

This show is so uneven.  The second generation storylines just do not work at all.  Keep the focus on the adults, they're hilarious.

[AnimeMania]

‘The Upshaws’ Renewed For Final Season By Netflix With Part 7 Pickup

The Upshaws 12-episode Part 7 will be it's Final Season on Netflix.

[Bastet]

I like that they seem to have realized none of these kids can act worth a shit, so they're not using them very much.

I can't imagine them doing the entire final season with Lucretia just visiting, but if she decides she doesn't want to live in Atlanta, she wants to live near her family, that would be an exact repeat of the decision she made last time, so I'm not sure where they're going with this Frank thing.  I mean, she sold her building so fucking Benny can keep his garage, but fast forward, what, a month, and the family is the root of all her problems with Frank and she needs to get away from them?

And his beef with Regina is ridiculous.  Benny's mooching ass, hell yeah.  But Regina thinking Lucretia changed her mind on marrying him after all this time, spending his money all over town, and heading for the altar at warp speed was because she's broke now was a) what everyone over the age of ten would wonder about and b) rooted in concern for Frank as well as Regina.  Their previous breakups weren't caused by Regina; Lucretia made her choices because of Regina's circumstances both times, yes, but she made the choice, Regina didn't demand it.

I loved Lucretia going viral for taking over that awful school play.  I laughed my ass off for that entire scene.  "I guess I'm about to be Rodney King.  Google it!" 

Do parents not meet their kids' teachers right before school starts anymore?  It seems out of character for Regina to have skipped Back to School Night, or not to at least have asked Maya after her first week of school to tell her about her teacher, so it was distractingly annoying that they wrote her as not knowing Maya's teacher is Black.  But that was still my favorite episode of part six.