The Upshaws revolves around a black family headed by the patriarch, who try to make it work in society. The family navigates through hurdles and emotional moments to work together perfectly.
Story
Bennie, the awkward but endearing father of the group who works as a mechanic at his own shop, is the focus of the series. Bennie continuously tries to patch things up with his on-again, off-again wife Regina while juggling his demanding family life and failing business. His arguments with his family and his “downtime” with the boys at work dominate the series.
Every episode involves the family getting into ridiculous and extremely awkward situations, which, as you would expect, don’t always turn out well.
This complicated family comprises Bennie’s four children—Kelvin, Aaliyah, Maya, and Bernard Jr.—from two different moms, as well as the constant Auntie Lucretia, who hates Bennie.
The show depends on the chemistry that develops between the cast members as they attempt to get through each day with as little adversity as possible. Of course, the Upshaws will have to put up with a lot of pranks.
Performances
The character Bennie is played by Mike Epps who is inarguably the funniest. He’s the family patriarch and Epps gives a wonderful performance that perfectly captures the show’s distinctive comedy style and sense of humour.
Kim Fields plays Regina Upshaw, Bennie’s wife, a tough and powerful-willed woman who always tries to make it work rather than giving up in difficult situations. The actress does complete justice to the role, portraying the character’s strong and emotional front in an elegant manner.
The legendary Wanda Sykes, who is also the co-creator of The Upshaws, is prominently featured in season 2. We would be negligent if we failed to mention her performance in season 2, making it as lively and entertaining as possible.
Positives
With its dated aesthetics and cliched humour, The Upshaws manages to rise beyond all of these cliches and succeeds on its own terms. There are no gimmicks or hot social themes to investigate in this show; it simply is what it is. It is somewhat addictive but familiar and safe like comfort food.
The show can reproduce traditional sitcom norms with remarkable ease and panache, which is to its credit. The season feels adequate and comfortable, with its less running time, making it an easy watch.
Negatives
The main issue with the second season of the show is that the unfunny jokes and the washed-up format lose their edge after a while, even though the show is worth a quick watch. This situational comedy appears extremely dated at first glance and offers nothing new to the genre.
Verdict
The Upshaws is good to watch if you want a heartfelt, comfortable watch with nothing new to expect out of the ordinary. The how is good for a casual breezy watch, with its less running time and the family shenanigans the show has got to offer.
Rating: 3.5/5
Also Read: See season 3: Release date, cast, synopsis, trailer & more