With sisters like the Braxtons, who needs enemies? Season 2 of the famous family’s reality series reboot premiered on Oct. 10. I’ve had the pleasure (and pain) of watching the new season of The Braxtons for review.
As a longtime stan of the original We TV show and a stan of the family itself, I was never a fan of the reboot. For one, we’re down one sister due to the loss of Traci. Furthermore, if anyone knows the intricate history of the sisters and their arguments, it was clear from Instagram and other clues that their sisterhood was not in the best place…at least with Tamar…for them to return and give us any family values as the original series intended.
This season shows the sisters are worse off than they’ve ever been in their relationship with one another. And there may be no hope for true reconciliation. The glory days of the Braxton family are gone, where impromptu songs and fun shade filled the episodes. Fans get nothing but family turmoil, and in my opinion, it may time to end the show for good if there’s any hope for them to heal.
The Tamar of it all
Let me start by saying, I consider myself a Tamartian. But at almost 35, it’s important to tell the truth. And I preface that with love.
I’ve always said that if you watch a reality series long enough, everyone’s skeletons are exposed, and your fan favorite changes over time. From the start, Tamar and her outgoing and sometimes brash personality stole scenes. She was the breakout star, and we watched her go from a frustrated background singer of her legendary sister to a bonafide and in-demand superstar in her own right. But as quickly as she rose, she fell, and she can only blame herself.
She’s presented herself as a liability due to her unpredictable behavior. She’s been difficult to work with, which we’ve seen on the show throughout the years. And she lacks true accountability. She’s a professional victim. This season, Toni says it best: Tamar revels in being infamous versus famous. And collectively, we hate that for her.
In one episode in the season, she acts out in a way fans have never seen. As the kids say, Tamar crashes out. Her behavior doesn’t give music royalty. In a scene that’ll live on in infamy, Toni warns her multiple times that this will not look good for her, and it seemingly only makes Tamar more amplified.. She calls her sisters various obscenities, accuses them of being jealous, spills crazy family secrets and more.
This cycle must end
She’s already tried her usual damage control methods by getting on stage recently, for the umpteenth time, and apologized ahead of the show’s premiere for her behavior. Who she needs to apologize to publicly are her sisters, especially Trina, which fans will see why when the episode airs. She recently got on stage and promised to do better and insists she’s on a journey of bettering herself. We’ve heard this before. This cycle must end.
Tamar is undoubtedly talented. Toni has said her baby sister is the most talented singer out of all of them. But she gets in her own way. Her voice is undeniable, and she gives funny moments. There’s such a complex duality to her. As a Tamartian, you want her to win. I’ve been a fan of her music and a lot of her early antics in the first iteration of the show. But over time, she’s gotten mean. She’s almost 50. It’s hard to imagine she’ll truly change when she’s constantly exploited and rewarded for bad behavior, and surrounding herself with hangers-on who want clout.
As a fan of hers, despite my ongoing disappointments, I want better for her. But we can’t want more for someone than they want for themselves. I am afraid that after this season, her relationships with her surviving sisters are permanently damaged.
She’s spoken about her mental health struggles, which I am sure contribute to a lot of her behavior and issues with people. Staying off the internet and reality cameras may be best for her, and whatever positive public image she can salvage. The only time we should hear from her for a while is when she’s singing.
The issues with Towanda and Tamar
Towanda and Tamar’s issues are clearly deep-rooted. And while viewers can agree that Tamar is problematic, it does seem that Towanda has chosen to go back and forth on her boundaries over the years when it comes to the “Love and War” singer. Tamar’s contributions are definitive because she is loud and brash. Towanda’s contributions appear to be more underhanded.
At times, it does appear that she has a lot of influence over the way her sisters have interacted with Tamar over the years, especially with Trina, who she’s closest with most of the time. Toni has been more neutral over the years.
Objectively, Tamar appears to be an agitator, and she has said and done things on camera that are not forgivable in many people’s eyes. But Towanda can appear cold and vague. In the dinner scene previously mentioned, she revealed some alleged secrets while Tamar also dished on how she’s allegedly helped Towanda in the past. Relationships between sisters are complicated, and it’s not easy to just cut the cord. But the flip-flopping over the years with a personality like Tamar’s hasn’t been helpful. Bottom line: pick a side, and stick to it.
They’ve learned nothing from Traci’s death
In the first iteration of the show, the sisters had one of dozens of therapy sessions to address their dysfunction. Instead of their typical family counselor, they enlisted the help of Bishop T.D. Jakes. He foreshadowed something that would eerily come true: that their toxicity would lead to a point of no return, and it would take something drastic, such as one of the sisters’ unfortunate passing, for them to get it together. Both came to pass, and they are worse off than before.
Traci died at the age of 50 in 2022. Their niece died a year prior, tragically from a fentanyl overdose at the age of just 24. You’d think such major losses would unify them. It’s done the opposite. They are more vile toward one another than ever before. Let’s not forget, from what we saw on television, the sisters weren’t always particularly the kindest to Traci, so for her to pass was a major blow, and I am sure there were regrets in how they treated her over the years.
The fact is that no one is getting younger, and their parents are also aging. Matriarch Miss E has learned to compartmentalize and stay out of their quarrels, but I am certain the behavior they display on the show is heartbreaking. It would be devastating if another sister gets severely ill or worse before they decide to reconcile.
When the show first premiered, it was everything Black families loved. Every viewer had a sister or two they could relate to. We’ve watched marriages, babies being born, divorces, career triumphs, and everything in between. But since at least Season 4 of the first iteration, it’s been nothing but drama. At this point, when it comes to the Braxtons, unless we’re getting Toni, Towanda, Trina, and Tamar in love with one another as sisters, we don’t want to see this anymore. This show is tarnishing the legacy of the Braxtons.