The Upshaws part 4 follows the titular family as they deal with Regina’s diagnosis and Lucretia gets into financial trouble. The episodes are streaming on Netflix.
Story
Regina is now in therapy and working on herself so that she can move back into her house. Her children are having a tough time without her and they are processing it in different ways.
Lucretia is not happy with Regina as a roommate and is glad once Regina has a breakthrough and goes back home, but soon after, she falls into trouble herself when she finds out that she is broke.
Bennie continues being Bennie, although he is more supportive of Regina with whatever she needs and does his best to provide for his children.
Performances
Mike Epps is playing a character that has become quite unlikeable at this point. He gives it a good go but it isn’t an especially nuanced role to embody.
Kim Fields is in a similar situation with Regina, which is a bit of a disappointment. The season begins with her working on herself but it soon shifts away and Fields doesn’t have too much of an impact.
Wanda Sykes continues to be the bright spark of the series with her comedic stylings. Her talent is unmatched and raises the series to another level.
Khali Spraggins and Jermelle Simon show some maturity in their performances.
Positives
The script is one of the few aspects of the series that occasionally stands out. There are several good lines that are delivered expertly and are contemplative.
The seeds of many good ideas are there and they beginnings of these ideas have been implemented. That aspect deserves some praise for a show of this genre.
Negatives
The approach to mental health is hugely questionable in the first couple of episodes. It is not taken seriously, the terminology thrown about sometimes is also very disrespectful.
Benne Upshaw continues to be a generally despicable character despite the obvious growth he shows occasionally. Character growth in general is a rarity in the series apart from the children literally growing older and looking different.
6 episodes is very short to have an entire arc and some subplots are barely there before they move on to the next. Kelvin shows up only when convenient and there is an entire episode dedicated to Bennie’s mother.
It’s all a confusing approach to the series that has been running for quite a while now.
Verdict
The Upshaws part 4 had the opportunity to cover a genuinely intriguing concept in mental health but they didn’t treat it with the respect it deserves and ultimately made several distasteful jokes about it instead. The series could undergo a slight turnaround for its conclusion but where it’s at now is definitely not desirable.
