Toni's Tears

The girls and their mother, Evelyn, are all gathering in L.A. to be together when Toni Braxton accepts an award from an organization for Lupus. Lupus is a disease that affects your immune system. Toni actually suffers from this condition but amazingly, not everyone in her family knows. Toni decides she is going to use this time to let everyone in on her true suffering, and that includes the public as well. The girls arrive at Tamar's "L.A. home" ready to hang out and spend some quality time, but Tamar puts a damper on that idea immediately, handing out a set of ridiculous rules and ordering her sisters around as soon as they walk in the door. The rules included directives such as : everyone must shower before sitting on any furniture, they should wash their hands as to stop the spread of germs, and everyone must go to sleep when Tamar goes to sleep... I couldn't wait for the show to get to the more serious and substantial plot, Tamar is just silly and I have to believe that she's just playing a character for the cameras. If not, then at this point, I'm just glad my last name isn't Braxton. The girls' brother, Mikey shows up as a surprise guest and the entire Braxton family are all under one roof for the week. They engaged in many tasks and errands, (filler for the hour-long show I would say). Tamar takes her mother to get Botox and fillers, then they gang up on oddball Traci and make her go to charm school. Tamar must have called her sister a hoodrat at least 5 times. "She was raised by a pack of rats. Hood rats." All of this leads to a poignant luncheon attended by Tamar, Trina and Toni. Tamar decides she is going to confront Trina about the intervention they held when they were concerned about Trina's drinking. Tamar asks why Trina shot her down every time she spoke. Trina tries to explain why she doesn't appreciate Tamar's take on the situation, and the mood changes further when Toni arrives and Tamar begins to bash Trina for still charging their superstar sister whenever they perform. Tamar says it is selfish of Trina to ask for a salary because family doesn't do that. I tried to imagine if I was a famous star and my family went on the road with me and actually performed a service. Would I pay them? I guess it would depend, but I think if I had the money, I most certainly would. It's obviously a hard call to make being that I'm not in the situation, but family or not, they have to make a living too. Toni reluctantly agrees with Tamar that when it comes to finances and taking care of their mother, Tamar is the only sister that has contributed. This opens the floodgates and Tamar beings to dramatically state that she has NEVER asked Toni to be paid. Toni becomes visibly upset by this subject. As we know, she has declared bankruptcy and has fallen on hard times. The arguing doesn't help either and she tells the girls that it literally makes her sick. We find out later of course that she is stricken with this disease Lupus and stress is not her friend. Later we see an emotional Tamar sobbing at the news that Toni is sick and then the entire Braxton family attends the event where Toni is presented with a special award. It was an emotional episode and yet again succeeded in raising familiar family issues. Whether you come from an affluent lifestyle, or are just a regular middle class group, the foundations of family pretty much remains the same. When times are tough or even when you're flying high, family should stick together and be there for each other, in sickness and in health.