“The Braxtons” Review – An Emotionally Raw New Chapter

The big picture

• The Braxtons reunite to confront grief in a raw and emotional new chapter.
• Trina Braxton is the rising star of the series and shares her pain authentically.
• The show openly exposes the inner workings of reality TV production, some of which may seem forced to viewers.

In the sequel to their hit series, Braxton Family Values, The Braxtons unites one of reality television’s most prominent families in a way that hits home and hits hard. Returning to television on We TV, Toni Braxton, Towanda Braxton, Trina Braxton, Tamar BraxtonAND Evelyn “Mrs. E” Braxton reunite in a new light. After the loss of a key member of their family, Traci BraxtonThe series begins with the women attempting to share that their family is like any other, that they experience loss, and how they deal with it. Heavily divulging personal trauma, The Braxtons reaches a deeply dramatic tone, exposing the difficulty of the disease through pain and mourning. If you’ve never seen a loved one get cancer, The Braxtons is your window. If you prefer not to, this will not be the show for you. Traci Braxton is an integral part of The Braxtonsdespite not being physically present, though it does feel a bit exploitative in terms of how the series fits into this context.

The series may be a continuation of the previous show, but new viewers may not be given enough background to truly understand this next part of the journey. In a way, it would be unfair not to share what happened in the four years the Braxtons were off television as a family. To do so, The Braxtons relies heavily on personal videos of Traci with her sisters. These flashbacks leave nothing to the imagination, as they are raw and edgy, and everything presented can be difficult to watch. For this family, it is a way to celebrate this important woman, while also revealing the harsh reality that cancer can bring, but perhaps a one-off exclusive would have been enough before officially launching this reboot.

The Braxtons are back and in mourning in their new series

Whether you’ve spent the previous seven seasons with them or you’re new to the family, The Braxtons It is a celebration of life, but it comes at a cost. Is this the right forum to express grief and loss? For this family, yes. The Braxtons It’s proof that this group needs each other and, like a family, they’re forced to navigate a difficult situation together in order to move forward. That said, having a film crew follow something as innate and immensely personal as the tragic loss of a loved one is not an opportunity that just anyone watching from home has. The Braxtons AND heartbreakingly vivid and at the same time serves as a new chapter in the life of the titular family.

Much of the action to kick off the season revolves around the family coming together to discuss the impact of losing one of their own. To bridge the gap between Braxton Family Values TO The BraxtonsThe opening episodes revolve around the family meeting with a grief counselor named Spirit. To say it starts off heavy is an understatement, and there’s a lot to get through before the lightness that characterized the original show can return. The brightness that Braxton Family Values may eventually return, and so it does. Even though the loss feels like the end, the show’s ability to offer the other side of the women’s world is crucial to the storytelling. To get moments of Trina and Towanda laughing over lunch with their mother, they need to listen to Mrs. E reveal that she saw her daughters hit a wall. To see Mrs. E and Tamar’s playful behind-the-scenes antics while filming their cooking show, Tamar has to admit that maybe group therapy isn’t the best trip for her. Before she attends Toni’s rehearsals for her upcoming Las Vegas residency, she has to admit how her personal health issues could affect them all again.

‘The Braxtons’ Reveal This Family Still Has a Lot to Share

What is shown in the series is that Traci’s death has brought the family together, but Each of the Braxtons is going through the grieving process individually.and dealing with loss in different ways. It’s one of the most relatable elements of this new series. Some, like Trina and Miss E, need the opportunity to express their grief openly and honestly. For others, like Tamar, they need to acknowledge their loss and move on. Watching the sisters and their mother reunite is both beautiful and heartbreaking, watching them allow this process to get the best of them. Trina admits she was wary of doing the show and wasn’t sure if they could work together because she felt like she was the only one who wanted to deal with Traci’s loss. But through grief counseling, it comes to light that Toni is disconnected from her feelings and doesn’t know what to expect.

The Braxtons’ grief counseling ends up opening up more wounds than expected, something viewers can certainly anticipate will be explored throughout this season. When Ms. E explodes, it’s raw. When Trina shares her struggles with insomnia and overeating, it’s raw. Even when Toni quips, “Don’t break my heart,” her rawness is matched by her expression of her health issues. With the loss accompanied by the potential for further losses, The Braxtons it gets darkbecoming an experience that viewers must approach with an open mind. It’s one thing to read a news story about what the Braxtons are going through; it’s another to see them go through it.

Trina Braxton is very close to our way of The Braxtons. She is easily the breakout character in this story, allowing viewers to understand where the family is at. She shares her grief in an accessible way that is not only engaging but also authentic. When she has an emotional yet comedic outburst, sharing her struggles, Trina becomes the glue, binding the family together with the audience. Towanda also becomes a very grounded presence, picking up the pieces as both an aunt and a surrogate mother to her sister’s child. The two show opposite ends of the spectrum of grief, but still establish one of the most endearing relationships in the family. With Toni and Tamar, we are given a glimpse into their lives on stage again: a new show with Cedric the Entertainer for Toni, a new cooking show for Tamar. Yet Toni’s struggle to be her own superstar mirrors the central story, while Tamar is going through the motions.

The curtain almost fell too far back on “The Braxtons”

With The Braxtonsthe curtain is completely drawn back. The audience knows they are there to make a television show. Viewers can hear discussions about the inner workings that make the show work. Scenes are set, entrances are called into action. Producers become key figures at certain moments. The fourth wall is exposed in a way that other shows would shy away from.. Most of The Braxtons acknowledges the series’ filming, and it might be a bit too direct. A certain suspension of disbelief is why docu-following reality shows work, but it often feels like the show is trying to direct the narrative and change the emotions viewers are supposed to feel.

One of the most peculiar elements of The Braxtons this is how the son of Traci, by Kevin Surratt Jr.aka Little Kevin, intersects with this story. He is an important and connected figure to Traci, but the plot of his impending divorce feels more contrived along with the grief counseling session. The big reveal becomes more of a catalyst for drama rather than an integral moment for the grief plot. The timing was just too convenient. Kevin’s involvement in this show serves as a surrogate for Traci. His journey through grief is multi-layered, but the way it is incorporated feels extra and messy.

The Braxtons It has many difficult moments to watch. If you are willing to take this difficult journey, The Braxtons is for you, but if you’re more apprehensive about its harsh realities, put the series on the back burner. Hopefully this new show will give the family the freedom and healing they need to move forward, but continuing to interrupt the story with flashbacks could only weigh down the series when viewers are more looking for an escape. Traci Braxton’s story is an important part of The Braxtonsbut at a certain point, It’s time to write a whole new chapter for this broken sisterhood.

The Braxtons debuts on We TV on Friday, August 9 at 9:30 PM ET with a special commercial-free event. It will also be available to stream on ALLBLK.

Stream on ALLBLK