But the character’s throwback existence, which falls well short of a revision or subversion of the trope, underscores just how oldfangled The Upshaws feels.
That makes The Upshaws’ most striking character its protagonist: Bennie Upshaw, a father of three children with Regina, as well as of a teenage boy he sired with his former mistress, Tasha .
The quips don’t improve, but the back half of the 10-part season does offer a serialized storyline about how Bennie’s tendency to use shortcuts in life — which often involve keeping secrets from his wife and culminate in a major betrayal of trust — leads to a second serious rupture in their marriage.
The actress makes the most of the twist that concludes the second episode, when Bennie takes Regina out to a restaurant they can’t afford, lured in by an offer to be “taken care of” by a woman who’s romantically interested in him.
Fields gets even better as The Upshaws leans more toward drama in its final episodes, and Regina is forced to reexamine her own reasons for excusing or enabling Bennie’s paternal failures.