Stuck With You: Season 1 – Review/ Summary
Through its exploration of marriage and relationships, after the honeymoon phase, “Stuck With You” explores that period between wanting to leave but not lose your investment.
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Through its exploration of marriage and relationships, after the honeymoon phase, “Stuck With You” explores that period between wanting to leave but not lose your investment.
| Network | UMC |
| Creator(s) | Patricia Cuffie-Jones |
| Aired | 2/13/2020 |
| Genre(s) | Comedy, Drama, Romance |
| Noted Cast | |
| Candace | Tammy Townsend |
| Luvell | Timon Kyle Durrett |
| Mora | D. Woods |
| Quasir | Terrance Green |
| Stephanie | A.J. Johnson |
| Katrina | Jessica Obilom |
| Aunt Claire | Terrah Bennett Smith |
| Tisha | Tiffany Black |
This content contains pertinent spoilers.
Season Synopsis
For at least a decade, Candace and Luvell have been an iconic Hollywood couple, comparable to Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith. But, in recent years, despite releasing a hit book and maintaining this public sense of being the perfect couple, they are anything but. Together and as individuals, they are both struggling. Neither are struggling financially, but as they work on their next chapter, there is the question of whether their spouse will be part of that journey.
Alongside them, there is Candace’s assistant Mora, who is having a difficult time securing a date, never mind achieving her five-year plan. Also, Luvell’s partner at a non-profit he runs, Quasir, he is a young man dealing with a shift in his relationship just like Luvell. Thus creating a show which focuses on this specific question: Are you with this person out of comfort or convenience.
Review
Highlights
Rarely, If Ever, There Is A Sense Someone Is A Bad Person
Like any and all dramas where a relationship is on the rocks, Luvell and Candace’s marriage gets tested. It is tested by people who don’t believe what they put out there, people who one or the other interact with, as well as the back and forth between them over what is the plan for not just the next day, but month and years down the road. Yet, despite what sometimes can be seen as an unnecessary drama, rarely do you see Luvell or Candace as a terrible person. Instead, you see two people who are coming to the point where they don’t know if being together publicly is worth the arrangements they made privately.
So as much as you see them tempted, because of the way Cuffie-Jones crafts these characters, they are allowed their flaws without being made out to be someone you’d want to turn on. For in the long run, what is clear is these people are doing the best they can to make themselves happy, and after feeling they haven’t been for a long time, giving themselves permission to do so is hard.
The Number of Prominent Roles For Dark Skinned Women
In the industry, diversity has primarily focused on just getting one or a handful of people in the room. From there, there is the hope you may get a mix of different looks, personalities, and backgrounds of any specific gender, ethnicity, sexuality, or what have you. Now, what I don’t feel we see a lot of is diversity in terms of Black women who are a shade of brown to those considered dark skin. Usually, we see someone like Candace, and maybe one woman like Mora who is part of their circle.
However, “Stuck With You” primarily is cast with dark-skinned women who all have had different lives, are at various points of their career, and due to their varying ages, have different perspectives on love. Mora, being the youngest, isn’t necessarily big eyes and a bushy tail, but she is still a romantic. From there, you got Stephanie, who is a bit jaded after multiple marriages, Katrina, who is married to Quasir, and then a woman we meet later in the season, Aunt Claire, who is very traditional.
The Conversations That Are Had About Love, Marriage, Longevity, and Presentation
There are multiple moments in the show where people are faced with looking at themselves internally, at their relationship, and judge another person. In these moments, I won’t say you get the most profound conversations, but that is when the show peels back the drama and comedic moments, and it gets real. We see past the façade, the times when you may feel the show is a little over the top, and you get a chance to truly get to know not just Candace or Luvell, but the people who feel like more than their employees or partners, but the majority of the cast.
Which is one of the best things about this show. Everything is not solely about Luvell and Candace. Note: This is by no means an ensemble show, but it is firmly established that from Stephanie and Aunt Claire to one of Luvell’s partners Tisha, and Candace herself, everyone had a life before we met them, have goals which have nothing to do with our leads, and are in active pursuit of that.
On The Fence
There Isn’t Body Diversity On This Show
As much as we may praise the diverse depiction of women and personalities, I must bring up, even if this is a show focused on people in the entertainment industry, and set in Los Angeles, it seems weird how we can have people old and young, fair-skinned to dark skin, but there is 0 diversity in terms of body shape. Damn near everyone has the physique you’d dream of having, especially as you get to a certain age.
And mind you, this by no means is a huge issue. It’s just one of those things where, with this show providing multiple opportunities for viewers to feel seen, it makes this omission feel glaring.
Overall
Rating: Positive (Watch This)
“Stuck With You” may not go deep into the trenches when it comes to marriage and relationships, be it the desires to have one or the struggles of being in one, but it hits the points it needs to. The first season explores the temptations to see if grass is greener on the other side, if life could be easier if you just broke up, and the need to question if relationships may even be meant for you. And while, as expected, it keeps things light, despite the various subject matters, you have to admire “Stuck With You” consistency. Be it in making sure most of its audience feels seen, triggered by circumstances or conversations, or simply making sure no character can truly be seen as a villain or victim. Simply put, everyone is struggling to live that dream fed to them and am struggling with reality.
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