6/10 because the plot lacks depth and acting skills. I thought Ricco Ross did a fair job, but overall the actors aren’t that great. But somehow I find myself watching the whole show despite previous named reasons.

A Melodramatic Maze of Mayhem Alright, so I finally sat down with Tyler Perry's Beauty in Black. He's the guy who created, wrote, and directed this whole thing, and honestly, my first thought was, This is nothing new. Seriously, every TV soap opera, atleast the ones we get in India, has this exact same story. It's like they just took a template and slapped an R-rating on it. The premise sounds wild enough: Kimmie (Taylor Polidore Williams), a stripper, somehow gets tangled up with this super-rich, messed-up family. They've got a cosmetics empire, but surprise, surprise, they're also running some shady human trafficking operation. Sounds familiar, right? And the story is so damn over the top. Random things just keep happening, and you want to believe it's possible, but then you're like, the fuck, it's not! It just pushes the limits of believability way too far. And the pacing? Oh my god, it's slow, very slow. This show could have easily been 12 episodes, but it just drags everything out. It takes so much time in what feels like useless conversations. I get it, they're trying to develop characters, and yes, they have to, otherwise "it'll be shit." Every character has their own arcs, their own story, which is fine. You see it with guys like Roy (Julian Horton) and Charles (Steven G. Norfleet), these spoiled brats who are clearly products of their messed-up parents, like Mr. Mallory (Ricco Ross) and his ex-wife Olivia (Debbi Morgan). The actors do their best with what they're given, but the writing just makes them act like typical soap opera characters. Here's the kicker: like in all those TV serials, these characters never talk to each other. There are so many misunderstandings, and they'll be ready to kill each other, but they just won't have a simple conversation. It's frustrating because, let's be real, "things don't happen like these in real life." It's like that old saying, "Better to be slapped with the truth than kissed with a lie," but these folks prefer the lie, every single time. Then there's the family politics, which are very over the top. It's a constant power struggle, and it just reminds you that "power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." And don't even get me started on the word "bitches." They used it a lot, and it started irritating me after some time. It just felt lazy. Even though the characters are established, I just didn't feel connected to them. You know, like when Angel (Xavier Smalls) was gonna get arrested, I didn't care. Honestly, nobody would've cared even if Kimmie was dead. It's a weird feeling when you're watching a show and you're just indifferent to the main characters' fates. And Norman (Richard Lawson)? He just keeps saying, "my wife is dead" the whole show. They tried to make him dangerous, but he just comes off as a fool. Plus, some of the scenes sometimes didn't feel right; they just weren't convincing. But, there's always a silver lining, right? Crystle Stewart as Mallory was great. She was the one outstanding character. Her performance really stood out amidst all the chaos and made some of the more ridiculous moments bearable. So, what's the verdict? Beauty in Black is an usual alright show. It's got all the drama, the secrets, the betrayals, because "the saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies; it comes from those you trust the most". And you know how "nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest", so all those family secrets eventually spill out. If you're into Tyler Perry's style, enjoy R-rated melodramas, and don't mind a slower pace with a heavy dose of family secrets and betrayals, then you can definitely give it a chance. It's not going to blow your mind, and it's certainly not groundbreaking , "all that glitters is not gold" but it'll keep you somewhat entertained if you're in the mood for some over-the-top escapism.