When shes called on it and security guards are called in, she looks at the guards and goes, This is some bullshit. Ballsy reaction from someone who tried to pretend she never quit. The Upshaws is a Netflix original series that streams exclusively on the platform. "The Upshaws," is, of course, not a stand-in for the entirety of the Black American experience, but, by incorporating the complexities of a blended family amid varied parental and marital relationships, it feels not only timely, but also incredibly genuine. Whats more, theres Bennie Sr. and Jr.s evolving relationship, as the younger tries to trust his father again after a lifetime of disappointment. Lara Solanki / Netflix. It's safe to assume that when "The Upshaws" arrives for its inaugural season, she and her Lucretia character will provide no shortage of moments to remember. TV appearances from earlier in her career include Living Single, The Steve Harvey Show, The Drew Carey Show, Kenan & Kel, Martin and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Regina then speaks with Bennie and tells him that she cant deal with the home garage. The Gist: Yes, we ended Part 2 of The Upshaws with the. You can see Sykes as the star of special Wanda Sykes: Not Normal and in the LGBTQ+ celebration Stand Out. Appearances The Upshaws split the second season into two parts, with eight episodes in each of them. The comedy is also her first big part, after popping up on Empire as a young Cookie Lyons. A business owner and a constant visitor to The Upshaw home. Well, youre in luck because were laying it all out for you from detailing the entire cast to connecting the dots on this family tree. Bennies attempts to be a providing and attentive father to all of his kids (and the drama that ensues when he tries to bring them closer together) is the driving force for this seasons first two installments. Regina is skeptical at first, but after some persuasion she agrees to assist Bennie by managing the job. She tries to get her oldest son Bernard (Jermelle Simon) to help, but he refuses; his relationship with Bennie is better than its been, but still isnt great, and hes tried of getting in the middle of Bennies messes. And into that breach, just five years later, stepped "The Cosby Show," with its presentation of respectability politics. In the new multicam comedy The Upshaws (Netflix), star and co-creator Wanda Sykes Lucretia gets compared to these (and some even less flattering objects and animals) by her neer-do-well brother-in-law Bennie (Mike Epps). Godzilla. Season 3 of The Upshaws starts with Bennie and his sister-in-law Lucretia in jail after Bennie sold stolen car parts at their body shop. 1,011, This story has been shared 996 times. You can follow Epps on Twitter or Instagram. He was conceived when Bennie thought he and Regina were on a break. Epps, Fields and Sykes, all decades-long sitcom veterans, know what theyre doing in front of a studio audience, which makes some of the stuff the teens do stand out more, and not in a good way. Youd hardly call them a perfect bunch, and they certainly would never have made it to the small screen in the days of the Cosbys and the Bankses. Brown Bennie tells Regina about his new job, in which he has built his own garage in the driveway of their home. Still, one family sitcom on the now-defunct urban network UPN managed to evade "The Cosby Show" bandwagon before "The Upshaws": the Golden Globe-nominated series "Everybody Hates Chris." The season two finale ended with Bennie and Lucretia in jail on suspicion of selling stolen parts out of their body shop. The Upshaws is a Netflix original series and debuts exclusively on the streaming service. Come 2006, she landed her first comedy special on HBO titled "Wanda Sykes: Sick & Tired," and in 2009 she returned for "Wanda Sykes:I'ma Be Me" collectively earning her three Emmy Awards nominations between the two. A sullen Epps and an elbow-throwing Sykes embody personae weve long associated with those comedians. Bernard is disturbed by everything his boyfriend is doing, so he attempts to talk to Hector about it. Aside from the role of Lucretia, here's where else you may have seen this comedy legend and LGBTQ+ icon in the past. Episode 7 of The Upshaws season 3 begins with Lucretia learning of Regina's heart attack while on a flight to Atlanta with Frank. Set for a May 12, 2021 release, "The Upshaws" is set to join Netflix's ever-growing collection of original series. With Bennie and Lucretia in a pinch, a jobless Regina must drum up cash fast and try to hide the situation . A used Q-tip. Security suspects her friends and searches everyones bags. 'Mandalorian' Season 3 Release Time, 'Jeopardy!' By the end of these eight episodes, the show demonstrates why it put the mother through the ringer, setting up an interesting arc for season four. The show also helps illustrate the issues Black women face in traditional two-parent families, who are nonetheless hampered by archaic parental and marital roles that no longer work for or serve them in the modern-day world. The Upshaws are determined to make it work, and make it to the next level, together. But while "Good Times" was supposed to be an authentic look into the Black experience, Amos and Rolle became increasingly disillusioned with the stereotypes in the show specifically Jimmie Walker's buffoonish portrayal of J.J., which they felt echoed the lazy Black man stereotype made popular by the 1930s vaudevillian Stepin Fetchit. When it arrived on Netflix in 2021, The Upshaws stood out as a refreshing twist on the typical family sitcom. A used Q-tip. [11], For the series, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 63% based on 8 critic reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. The Upshaws (2021- ) Episode List. Wanda Sykes pulls double duty on The Upshaws as Lucretia, older sister to Regina, and the series co-creator. Theres a lot more to Bernard than his custom UPS uniform. Dennis is currently part of the hilarious cast on HBO Max's A Black Lady Sketch Show, but she's also well-known for her roles as Denise Ray on Blue Mountain State, and Janay on The Game. Species From "Family Matters" to "Black-ish," the majority-Black shows that got greenlighted at the majority-white broadcast networks generally featured two-parent families, middle- or upper-middle-class households and a lot of whitewashing. It would be wise of those in Hollywood seeking expert comics and strong writers to keep the offers coming because she's one talent they don't want to miss out on. All of this history, then, possibly makes Netflix's "The Upshaws" one of the more authentic portrayals of a modern Black experience ever made. Hes also a rapper. Cinemablend is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. The Upshaws is an American sitcom created by Regina Y. Hicks and Wanda Sykes. Portrayed by After a seven-year hiatus, Sykes returned to the televised stand-up game for Epix's "What Happened Ms. He played Black Doug in The Hangover and was the title character in the 2016 Uncle Buck reboot. The Upshaws is a funny and relatable show that everyone in the family should find something to enjoy. Lucretia admits that Bennie is an excellent mechanic and agrees to reinstate him as manager. Opening Shot: Bennie (Mike Epps) and Lucretia (Wanda Sykes) are in holding cells after being arrested for buying stolen auto parts. Her next two flicks were 2000's "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps" and 2001's "Pootie Tang," and though substantial parts would be few and far between for some time, she came back to the cinema in full force as soon as the opportunity arose. Wanda Sykes Hector, on the other hand, does not attempt to comprehend the situation and finds Bernards request to tone it down a notch insulting. Soon, Bennie revealed to Regina how they have finally made some fortune from the garage and presently have a pretty good balance in their account. Ciara Bravo on how she learned to shoot up for. 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The second half of the season, also eight episodes long, will see a resolution to this massive crisis when it premieres later this year. 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This is a lie. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. The Upshaws, co-created by Regina Y. Hicks (Girlfriends, Insecure) and comedian-actress-writer Wanda Sykes, juices the multicamera-family-sitcom model with fresh dynamics, depth, and genuine laughs. Assistiu? And then theres Regina. Sykes can currently be seen playing Lucretia on the Netflix comedy-series The Upshaws starring Mike Epps, Kim Fields, Dewayne Perkins and more. The Upshaws, Netflix's newest multi-camera sitcom, . [5][6] On October 26, 2022, Netflix renewed the series for a third season. Like Epps and Fields, Sykes is also a comedy legend, appearing in scripted series like The New Adventures of Old Christine, rom-coms like Monster-in-Law and her own stand-up specials. Bennie and Reginas eldest, the 20-something Bernard (Jermelle Simon), resents his dad for not being around during his childhood, but the Upshaw patriarch has a second chance at fatherhood with 13-year-old Aaliyah (Khali Spraggins), elementary-school-age Maya (Journey Christine) and their half-brother Kelvin (Diamond Lyons). Episode 6 of The Upshaws season 3 begins with Bennie and Lucretia showing the repaired and redecorated garage to the entire Upshaw family, who don't notice any difference from the last one. But Bennies antiheroic qualities dont make The Upshaws characters any less two-dimensional or its dusty jokes any funnier. Bennie is a mechanic in Indiana trying to do well by his family, but as his father was not around to teach him how to provide, Bennie's kind of winging it and making plenty of mistakes along the way. Now that she and Regina are on the outs, Sykes is able to explore the characters life outside of the Upshaw family, continuing the shows lovely tradition of building the sitcom stock typethe disparaging auntinto a well-rounded person. You will receive a verification email shortly. [1][2] In June 2021, the series was renewed for a second season, with the first part being released on June 29, 2022. Set in Indianapolis, the series follows Bennie Upshaw (Mike Epps), a car mechanic who is married to his high school sweetheart, Regina (Kim Fields), and always at odds with his sister-in-law, Lucretia (Wanda Sykes). Also, she tries to keep Bennies predicament away from her daughters, 15-year-old Aaliyah (Khali Spraggins) and 8-year-old Maya (Journey Christine). Season: OR Year: Season 2 S2, Ep1 29 Jun. . [5][6] In October 2022, the series was renewed for a third season. She isn't always at the top of the bill for the latest multi-million dollar blockbuster, or the lead for the next big TV sitcom, but Wanda Sykes has more than left her mark on the entertainment industry nonetheless. Bennie and Regina have three children together: their adult son, Bernard Jr. (Jermelle Simon), and two younger daughters, Aaliyah (Khali Spraggins) and Maya (Journey Christine). However, because both Regina and Bennie are unemployed, Bennie has no choice but to accept the job. The scenes dedicated to the embattled Upshaw matriarch offer welcome relief from the volley of taunts and put-downs and finally get at a desire for something more. Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesnt kid himself: hes a TV junkie. The show follows the life of Bennie Upshaw (Mike Epps) and his struggles with his dysfunctional family and his failing garage business. Rounding out the blended family is Lucretia (Wanda Sykes), Reginas older sister and the shows spiritual descendant of Sanford And Sons Aunt Esther. A lot of Kim Fields' recent work has been in TV movies, as the former child actress has dabbled in the holiday movie world, including You Light Up My Christmas and Wrapped Up in Christmas. Mike Epps as Bennie, Journey Christine as Maya, Kim Fields as Regina and Wanda Sykes as Lucretia in "The Upshaws" on Netflix. Yard Sale: Directed by Kelly Park. Her most recent comedy routine, "Wanda Sykes: Not Normal," hit streaming in May of 2019 via Netflix and continues to provide subscribers with over an hour of the laugh-out-loud material that put her on the map. These meet-cutes will bring on all the feels. All Rights Reserved. The episode ends on a cliffhanger, with Regina, Lucretia, and Bennie learning that the garage is flooded, just after Lucretia reemployed Bennie. The Upshaws (2021- ) Episode List Current Episode (aired 16 Feb. 2023) Now What The family sends Regina off as she takes on a new endeavor, but a sudden change of plans has Lucretia and Bennie worried about her, and the future. After you're done with this series, be sure to check out our 2021 summer TV schedule, and find your next binge with these 2021 Netflix TV premiere dates. You can follow Fields on Twitter or Instagram. However, they also aren't the "typical" nuclear family, because Bennie has another son, Kelvin (Diamond Lyons) who is the same age as his daughter Aaliyah with a former fling, Tasha (Gabrielle Dennis). When Bennie arrives home, Regina informs him that she is not happy with the home garage situation. As we said when we reviewed the first set of episodes in 2001, The Upshaws feels like a 90s sitcom in a lot of ways, a cross between Martin and My Wife And Kids. Birthday B.S. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. Lucretia adds a dash of gleeful nosiness and sharp wit to the proceedings as the silent partner of Bennies garage. Kelvin is the reason for that blending, as the son Bennie had while on a break from Regina. Lucretia agrees to hire Bennie as a worker in the garage after much pleading, but she does not reinstate him as manager. You can follow Simon on Twitter or Instagram. Meet Storm Reid. (Along with the insults, the show regularly offers up groan-worthy lines like Bennie wagging his eyebrows at his wife with, Forget the coffee I got something hot and black waiting for you right now.) The quips dont improve, but the back half of the 10-part season does offer a serialized storyline about how Bennies tendency to use shortcuts in life which often involve keeping secrets from his wife and culminate in a major betrayal of trust leads to a second serious rupture in their marriage. The first half ended with a big cliffhanger after a relatively bright start to the eighth episode. Regina is also irritated by her daughter Mayas constant presence around her. The series premiered on Netflix on May 12, 2021. And while earlier episodes had a nice balance of struggle and levity, this one maybe piled on the financial and emotional challenges (specifically the ones with Regina) a bit too high. The titular Upshaws is the kind of family youd want to join if only for the drama. We should also expect the sitcom to feature new casts. Shes also starred in two music videos, her own Work and Nina Wests Drag is Magic.. Bennies wife Regina (Kim Fields) thinks she can scrape together the !0% of the bail money she needs to get a bail bondsman involved, but when he tells her she needs proof of employment, she curses the fact that she quit her hospital billing department job that day. Parts at their body shop there, but she does not reinstate him as manager for third! Cash fast and try to hide the situation parts, with eight episodes in each them. 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