Beauty in Black Season 3 Review: The third season of Beauty in Black sees more of the Bellarie family shenanigans as these adults continue to destroy anything and everything in their path to one-up each other, but the third season at least has some moments of introspection and maturity as some characters move past the petty drama to something more worthwhile.
The season follows Kimmie and the other Bellaries and picks up right after the events of the second season. Most of the season, Roy, Norman and Olivia spend time in prison while the rest try to come to terms with who they are. In the midst of this, Kimmie’s budding feelings for Horace and her friendship with Mallory add to the emotional turmoil, as does Charles’s relationship with Varney.
The season stars Taylor Polidore Williams, Crystle Stewart, Amber Reign Smith, Xavier Smalls, Julian Horton, Steven G. Norfleet, Richard Lawson, Terrell Carter, Shannon Wallace, and Charles Malik Whitfield, and is created by Tyler Perry.
Beauty in Black Season 3 Review
Kimmie Finally Gets to Play the Game
Kimmie becomes a rather confusing character this season. Having come from nothing to a position of power, her character does a great job of showcasing the vulnerability and kindness that is innate to her as she struggles to adjust to Horace, who is alive and well now. As more and more twists get thrown at her at every turn, she does a fantastic job of balancing her kindness with her steadfast approach, and viewers will find themselves being drawn to her character more.
Her relationship with Horace becomes a very interesting part of the discussion as, coming from a place where people have only taken advantage of her, she shares a rather vulnerable side of herself that feels relatable and moving. Her character is the most balanced of the lot, and while the others sometimes tend to overdo the drama, Kimmie is a character that brings everyone back to the ground, even when she’s plotting murder!
Kimmie and Mallory Steal the Show
A surprising turn of events this season is Kimmie’s relationship with Mallory. While the series started off pitting these women against one another, season 3 sees them sharing a close bond as two women married into the family. They realise that they have to stick together to survive, and the journey to that realisation is quite sweet and heartwarming.
Of course, they don’t completely trust each other, but acknowledge that as well and, as a result, it feels genuine. Mallory is surprisingly watchable this season… well, in comparison to previous seasons, and we see a different side to her that makes us want to root for her. The slight competition between them is sweet and engaging, and it’s nice that the series switched up from making them enemies for no reason to turning them into confidants who choose to stand by one another in this crazy family.
While we are still learning about their partnership and the season is yet to end, I think the series has done a phenomenal job of showcasing how people are forced to adapt when strong women decide to stand by one another, and I am looking forward to seeing that situation unfold even more.
The Drama Remains Deliciously Over-the-Top
As with every other episode of this franchise, Beauty in Black Season 3 continues to be insane. There’s some twist or another taking place in every episode, and each episode escalates the insanity constantly. Most of it doesn’t make sense, but the series is quite sincere in how it handles these situations. While viewers will find it goofy, the series, however, is very serious about whatever it’s showing and wants us to take it seriously as well. That’s a hard feat in and of itself, but longtime viewers know the drill by now!
The series embraces its soapier elements, including betrayals, blackmail, revenge and shocking revelations that will leave any soap opera in the dust. It’s a constant barrage of insanity that might or might not be interesting to everyone. While most of it is amusing, it’s still highly addictive if you know what to expect. The excessive twists and turns are a part of the franchise, however, and I guess we would be remiss without them.
The Bellaries continue to be absolutely dysfunctional and are completely insane. Every time one character defeats an enemy, another one pops up to keep the characters engaged. It’s an endless stream of enemies, and everyone seems to have some beef with the protagonists. Although my previous opinions remain for this season, I guess the sensationalism is growing on me at this point.
Where Season 3 Falls Short
The biggest problem with this show, as always, is the fact that it never knows when to slow down or reel itself in. It’s just one insane choice after another, with characters speaking filthily with each other for no reason. Just spewing hate randomly just because they can. While I have started to enjoy the nonsensical sensationalism, it’s hard to sit there and watch hate for hours on end, especially when it’s not warranted.
As with the plot twists as well, the series just doesn’t know when it needs to calm down and have nuance. There were some moments when the season did give time for thoughtful conversation, but it’s nothing compared to the sheer amount of senseless crap that it threw at us.
As always, Season 3 is more invested in keeping viewers on their toes rather than exploring the characters and their motivations. While Taylor Polidore Williams and Crystle Stewart are fantastic, we don’t get enough time to get to know them and how they are growing at the speed at which the series enjoys going.
Final Verdict
Overall, this is more of the same. There are tons of twists and turns and crazy revelations, as is obvious for a Tyler Perry show. It’s more entertaining than the last season, but there’s nothing that truly makes any of this memorable.
Watch Beauty in Black Season 3 on Netflix. Let us know your thoughts on the latest season in the comments below!
