HOLLYWOOD—Media mogul Tyler Perry is unleashing his newest drama to fans of television with “If Loving You is Wrong” which debuted on Tuesday with two episodes. Perry’s newest drama surrounds a group of neighbors who love lives are just as twisted as a pretzel. Keep your friends close; keep your enemies even closer!
The show instantly grabbed the audience’s attention with a steamy affair between neighbors Alex and Randal. I had to pause for a second to think; this is network cable right? For a moment, I thought I was watching a program on HBO or Cinemax.
The two argue about betraying their lovers Brad and Marcie. Alex feels a bit guiltier than Randal does. In a surprise moment, Marci crashes the barn and nearly catches her husband and Alex in the act. The two do their best to cover their tracks. Perry does an excellent job at establishing the characters for the audience, as there are plenty of characters in this twisted drama. We soon meet Kelly and Travis. Kelly is a busy woman who is head over heels in love with her boyfriend Travis, who is working on a relief program in Haiti. She seems certain he is going to propose to her, but I have a feeling that Travis is up to no good.
Brad corners Alex about her recent behavior and insinuates the possibility that his wife is pregnant because of her growing breasts. This worries Alex quite a bit. Our next couple is Esperanza and Julius, but Esperanza is a nervous wreck about her former ex, Edward, catching her with her new lover in her home. Edward is indeed a control freak and apparently a bit abusive to his ex. The irony is Ed is married, but yet secretly holds a flame for Esperanza who is determined to move on with her life. To make matters worse, Edward is a cop and he’s a hothead who has no trouble speaking his mind.
A character certain to resonate with all audiences is strong-willed Natalie, who is juggling work and raising her three kids as a single-parent. She does have some assistance from her ex Lucian who does his best to inform Natalie she doesn’t have to do it all. She is a bit on edge after receiving a call from her incarcerated son Joey, who is begging for his mother to give him another chance.
It’s amazing to see how many secrets all of the male characters on this series are keeping from their wives or lovers. Brad and Randal are good friends, but I wonder how long that will last once he learns his friend has been sleeping with his wife. Their meeting is interrupted by Brad’s friend Edward, who is no fan of Randal. The two trade spars, before Brad reveals he had a vasectomy without Alex knowing. Oh, that means Randal must be the father of Alex’s baby and that will send concerns to Brad that his wife had to be messing around.
When the ladies gather for lunch it’s apparent that Marcie is the odd one out, primarily because the other women have bonded through their children and Marcie has been unable to conceive. It’s apparent that the relationship between Esperanza and Edward will get more heated as the season progress as he physically assaults her while at work and then again at a sporting event for their kids. This time around Lucian and Natalie intervene to diffuse the situation. I can definitely see Lucian and Edward butting heads considering both have a police background.
What Perry has done so well with this series is present characters that are unique and different in every single scope. Some naïve, some possessive, some strong, others weak that the audience will love, hate or both. The dialogue in the first two episodes were so riveting, it was potent in my opinion. In the second episode, it became apparent that Randal may be a bit obsessed with Alex and he is willing to push her buttons any way possible.
Kelly continued to not see the light that something is up with Travis, but begin to worry after trying to share the news that she purchased a home. That phone call said it all. Alex did her best to comfort Marci who was visibly upset about her inability to conceive. To make matters worse, Alex is indeed pregnant with Randal’s child so imagine the fury that may be unleashed by Marci when she learns the truth. There is nothing like a scorned lover.
The second episode concluded with a heated exchange with Esperanza and Edward as he broke into her home and searched her belongings. He was heated to discover she has moved on from him and was determined to prove a point to his ex-wife. So what did Ed/Eddie do? Well he pulled over Julius and shot him in the leg. So it’s apparent that Edward is indeed a dirty cop, and willing to do really bad things to get his way.
Based on the first two episodes of the series, it looks like “If Loving You is Wrong” will be a major hit with fans deliver levels of drama to keep fans wanting more. “If Loving You is Wrong” airs Tuesday at 9 p.m. on OWN.
