In The End, Single Ladies Wasn't As Bad As We Thought

The first episode of Single Ladies did not impress me. it seemed like all the characters did was drink champagne and change clothes. I watched the second episode not expecting things to get better. Then the third. Then the fourth. Then I suggested my mom watch, and then I realized: I was hooked. The show had grown on me… and gotten better. I regret reacting so soon… but in a lightning-fast 24 hour entertainment news cycle you forget that there is such a thing as development. Giving something a chance to breathe. Now that the season finale has aired, I feel confident in saying: Single Ladies is good. Not amazing, not perfect, but a fun, soapy summer romantic comedy series that deserves the second season renewal it recently picked up. Does it tread the same ground as Sex And The City? Yes. Of course. Because the quest for true love is eternal. But unlike SATC, Single Ladies depicts a non-segregated world, where white people and black people not only work and socialize side by side, but are friends. SATC‘s version of New York — my hometown — was sadly whitewashed.

At first the characters seemed too similar to Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha, but as the storyline progressed, the single ladies — Val, Keisha, April and eventually intern Christina — proved to be unique individuals with their own agendas and neuroses. Val’s the optimist who dreams of a fairytale ending (read: wedding, husband and kids) even though she was with a man for five years and he refused to propose. Keisha is the player with a checkered past who meets her match, meaning she has to stay on her toes. April is the seemingly happily married woman who cheats on her husband, who finds out when he sees it on the news. And Christina the intern is a sex-hungry psuedo-hipster know-it-all, who somehow manages to charm everyone even as she’s getting busted by cops or coming to work hungover.

As Keisha, LisaRaye sparkles. Apologies to Stacey Dash, but LisaRaye is the true star of the show; half the time she utters her lines like she’s doing someone a favor, and the other half she’s emoting with a subtle purse of the lips or slight eyebrow raise. Her character — a video vixen slash thief turned gold-digger turned real estate agent — is the woman you wish you could be, toughness and one liners, curves and attitude. As you can see in the clip above, she manages to be both the wise, cynical and funny without slipping into stereotypical “sassy sister” territory.

Omar, the gay best friend, is another charmer. Like Stanford on SATC, he provides color commentary for the ladies, but he also gets his own screen time and plots.

Unfortunately, the weak link on the show is Stacey Dash. She is gorgeous. I could watch her sip champagne and pout beautifully all day long. But — and it literally hurts to type this — her acting is not up to snuff. A recent issue of In Touch contained the rumor that she is — or will be — fired from the show. I hope not, but if she is, I won’t be surprised. But I gave this show a second, third and fourth chance… Maybe Dash will get the same.

“I’m So Excited”: VH1’s ‘Single Ladies’ Renewed For 2nd Season [Hip Hop Wired]