The Braxtons are back in their new series,The Braxtons. But before this show took off, the family starred in another hit series,Braxton Family Values. Of the 148 episodes over the course of seven seasons,Braxton Family Valueshighlighted the highs and lows of the titular family. But within the series, there were some sorely underrated episodes.
Braxton Family Valuesdocumented the lives of the Braxton sisters -Toni,Towanda,Trina,Tamar,Traci, and their mother,Evelyn. Seen as a guilty pleasure production, the series took viewers on an inside look into rocky relations and tumultuous moments, all while showing just how they were one of reality television’s premiere families. Throughout the run of the series, viewers had an intimate look at each woman’s personal stories and how they intertwined. Barely anything was left to the imagination.
10"I Love L.A."
Season 1, Episode 4
The Braxtons are finding their footing in this early episode in the first season ofBraxton Family Values. In this episode, the sisters and Ms. E arrives in Los Angeles to stay with Tamar andVince Herbertas Toni will be honored at a Lupus LA charity event. But when it comes to staying with Tamar, it’s not a vacation. Oh no!.Tamar has extensive “house rules"in addition to a “to-do” list of activities for them to perform. As Towanda puts it, “Tamar has always been anal, but this is taking it to a new level.” The rules included: No eating in the bedrooms, only food in the kitchen. Clean up after yourselves. Wash your hands. No singing in the house because there’s no Von Trapps allowed. No sitting on the furniture until you’re showered. No visitors. But the most important rule:none of these rules apply to mommy.
To get ready for her event, Tamar thinks it’s best to bring her sister to get a spray tan, but it does not turn out well.Leave it to your sisters to make fun of youfor the result! But,the sisters do have a sweet moment togetheras they have a slumber party, drinking champagne in their pajamas. Even though they are Southern ladies, Traci displays some not-so-perfect table manners, so leave it to Tamar to once again offer a brilliant idea. Time to take Traci to charm school! Mrs. Olson, an elderly instructor, guides the girls on how to hold a conversation, and sit like ladies. Oh, and don’t forget mother! She tells her mom that it’s time for her to get Botox. Toni can’t handle the procedure, but mommy is here for it. At least Evelyn is satisfied with the result! The sisters come to a head as they feud over the treatment of Tamar by Trina during her intervention. But this conversation becomes bigger than that as Toni reveals that she has been seeing a doctor, causing her sisters to feel they are causing her distress. In the end,it comes full circle with a rip-up of the house rules, bringing lightness to the episode.
9"Braxtons Under Fire”
Season 6, Episode 6
During the sixth episode of the sixth season,the focus turns to Mommy.The girls are all united to come together and celebrate their mother’s birthdaywith a surprise party. But some of the sisters are stunned when an unexpected guest shows up to Mommy’s birthday party. So who is it? Well, it’sVince Herbert!Apparently, Tamar asked him to come in case she needed some help with their son, Logan. But after all the trauma from the past, his presence was not only relegated to her birthday party, he did pop up in the scene at Uncle Julio’s. With the divorce and pending lawsuit causing so much strife in the family, Vince’s presence becomes a dark cloud.
Speaking of shocking reveals, in this episode, viewers witnessedthe hilarity of the double datewith Trina and Towanda. Towanda surprises Trina with her date.It’s none other than their sister Traci.Shady! Was it all a setup to met Trina’s new manVon? Imagine having one Braxton sister to deal with. Now Von is bombarded with three! The family unites once again as they learn the gender of Traci’s baby in a big gender reveal. The big moment leads to the family learning it’s a boy!
8"Bright Lights, Big Breakdowns"
Season 4, Episode 1
Broadway, here we come! The time has come to see Toni Braxton hit the Great White Way in her star turn inAfter Midnight. During this time period, the girls are supposed to gather for Tamar’s birthday. Unfortunately, Toni is not feeling well following rehearsals and skips the event. That never ends well. Tamar feels like she goes out of her way to attend everyone else’s events, becoming offended that Toni is not there for her. But have no fear, with Toni absent, Trina brings a guest. It’sGabe Solis. Once again,Tamar is shocked, as she didn’t know they were back together.Part of the party includes Tamar’s desire to have everyone say something nice about her, but when her friends claim she hasn’t changed, despite everyone’s affirming words, the sisters have mixed reactions, causing more strife.Especially between Towanda and Tamar.
Much of the series highlights the turmoil between the sisters.Not every single relationship is perfect. Such is the case for Tamar and Towanda. Even seen onThe Braxtons, there are and have been deep routed tensions between the sisters. Following Toni’s fantastic opening night, the family has a celebratory night out. The sisters begin to bicker asToni asks what a “Tamartian” is. Towanda reveals it’s “rude little kids on Twitter.” Tamar is livid at this comment that she’s offended her fans. But Towanda continues to dive deep into why they are offensive individuals. With Tamar defending the fan club over her sister, the broken relationship continues to crumble. A night later, all the drama from the past few days is rehashed, and even as much as Mommy protests,Tamar and Towanda can’t find peace.Towanda ends up having a breakdown that leads to the breaking of a glass. That’s the frustration Tamar causes her.
7"The Other Mrs. Braxton"
Season 5, Episode 24
A trip to Mexico sounds like a fantastic idea until some shocking travelers arrive as well. DaddyMichael Braxtonis joining the ladies on their vacation to Mexico, but he’s not alone, as he had brought his wife, Wanda. To the dismay of the family,they truly wished that he just left her at home.Even as little Logan is the first to find out the secret, when Miss E and the girls find out, to say they’re stunned is an understatement. But all hell will break loose when Toni decides to invite Daddy and Wanda to dinner.Michael Braxton reveals that he feels as if he’s walking on eggshellswhile trying to maintain a relationship with his children. Toni wantsto respect his new marriage, but she’s uncomfortable with how they got together.
Through this dinner, Michael’s daughters are caught off guard as they learn thatthe marriage between their parents was already brokenby the time Miss Wanda entered the picture. He defends her, alerting them that she was not the onewho broke up the family. It was a glaring omission of a fact that none of the sisters knew. To make matters worse, he says that his marriage is his business, not theirs. The floodgates have opened now. Trina reveals she’s upset he wasn’t at her wedding, but he reveals it was due to the fact that Wanda was not invited. Despite her push for him to go, his feeling that it was disrespectful prevented him from being there. This admission causes more strife,causing Wanda to leave and Tamar to lash out.In the end, Tamar is the only one to not find the will to forgive their father.
6"Oh You Tried It!"
Season 5, Episode 5
It’s time to un-break her nerves! Toni’s biopic is about to be celebrated, but it’s going to be the source of somedrama between the sistersand cast alike. The sisters are all at varying stages of nervousness when it comes to their reaction of the film. Toni is anxious to share the film, but she’s got her sisters by her side. When they eventually arrive late. Following a positive reaction,it’s time to celebrate.Sisters with sisters. Real and screen.
Since it is the big premiere, Toni decides to invite the cast to join her and her sisters. Toni willthank the cast for their wonderful portrayalof her family. NowTiffany Hines, who portrayed Tamar Braxton, decided it would be cute to still stay in character. Unfortunately, having the real Tamar at the table, she was none too pleased.Tamar is not even phased by meeting Tiffany, keeping her attention to her phone. So Tiffany plays Tamar, since she missed her performance. Tiffany says she has studied Tamar.Tamar, that is acting!
5"Party in the DMV"
Season 3, Episode 6
In this Season 3 episode,it is Daddy’s birthdayand the girls will find unity there.Gathering in Baltimore for Michael Braxton’s 65th birthday, the sisters have a pre-party dinner the night before to get on the same page about what they’re about to face. Tamar didn’t want it to be a buffet party. She was willing to hire a waiter because, you know, germs. But Towanda will take it a step further and say it would prevent them from mingling with the other side of the family they don’t like. As Towanda says,“If i didn’t speak to you before, they’re not gonna speak to you when I see you!”
We learn that the cousins didn’t want to f- with the girls. They talked smack about the family, so social media broke Daddy’s side of the family apart. But when everyone gathers for the event,leave it to Aunt Beverly to stir up some trouble.She’s going to end up talking smack about Miss E. and the sisters are none too pleased. This incident unites the sisters as they think their aunt is ratchet. As the girls are sitting at their table, enjoying the BYOB of it all, Facebook cousin Sheronda is seen, causing the girls to laugh. But Trina, who does not want to make as scene, will be summoned over to Aunt Beverly. She chats her up and her sisters are now furious. Trina will give her a what-for for talking smack about their mother. This Braxtonfamily gathering was a hot mess. Thankfully, with the sisters showing a united front, they rush to Atlanta when they learn that their mother is in the hospital.
4"For Better or Worse"
Season 2, Episode 26
In the Season 2 finale,the Braxtons are in St. Lucia where love is in the air, but not every sister feels love. To kick things off, the sisters are gearing up to perform at a concert on the beautiful island. Toni, Trina, and Towanda take to the stage for an adoring crowd. Toni isso thankful to have her sistersas her backup singers again. As was the crowd! But as happy as this moment was, one sister is not getting the same reception.
It’s revealed that Trina has secretly invited Gabe Solis to St. Lucia.Her plan is to renew her vows.She has seen a change in her husband, but her sisters do not. They are not thrilled to see their baby sister get hurt. As Tamar trumpets, “buh-buh buh-boo!” The clash over Gabe and Trina causes tension between the sisters, especially with Tamar being the voice box for the family. In the end, Trina is walked down the aisle again by her father where she sees Gabe, believing she made the right choice. She’s falling back in love with her husband.But leave it to Tamar to almost object!Thank you, Toni, for restraining your sister.
3"Hello Baby, Goodbye Dog"
Season 3, Episode 9
On this episode ofBraxton Family Values, it’s acelebration of life and deathall rolled up into one. For Tamar, it’s time for her to get her first ultrasound. It’s an important moment for her as she goes on her journey toward motherhood. As Tamar prepares for a new addition,Traci has a new skill to share. Say hello to the motorcycle. It’s a literal crash course with her new obsession. She’s practiced and practiced only so she can have her sisters be impressed. Sadly, she arrived last to the birthday as she had to return her broken bike. No banged-up hog for Traci! It’s a comedic moment for Traci, one of the highlights from her time on the show.
Meanwhile, it’s a somber moment as Mommy is saying goodbye to her beloved dog, Jackson Braxton. There have been many infamous dogs throughout the course of reality television, so it was fitting that the family united to pay respects.But leave it to Tamar to make the moment about herself.She stands up andaddresses the room to sing along to “Dear Dog.“It was wildly uncomfortable, earning a plethora of reactions from the sisters. Traci’s face said it all. Was this one of the best musical moments in the show’s history? It’s up there! Mommy really felt this was a special moment for her as she knew how much Tamar didn’t love dogs.
2"Birthday Party or Go Home”
Season 2, Episode 24
It’s time to stage an intervention for Evelyn.With the sisters fearing that their mother is not eating healthily enough,they raid her refrigeratorto see a cake. How dare she! The more they dig in, the more they see the sugary sweets are not good for her. It’s going to spike her diabetes and Evelyn is fighting them. Don’t get rid of the pickled pig’s feet! Towanda suddenly becomes the refrigerator police. The sweet intervention is officially on. Even with a comedic tone, the sisters are there for the betterment of their mother.
Meanwhile, Trina’s got the music video for “Party or Go Home” to prepare for. Trina looks incredible in her outfit, knowing that she’s going to be making her sisters jealous by her appearance. At the filming of the video, with time and budget going over,Trina almost hada major wardrobe malfunctionwhen her revealing dress allowing for something to just pop right out. Towanda did not want that to happen! No one wanted to see that. Oh and Traci, she’s trying to get back into her own solo venture. Viewers get a chance to watch her work with a vocal coach who puts her through the ringer. No cigars for you Ms. Braxton!
1"Making Fetch Happen”
Season 4, Episode 26
Sister Toni isready to record her Christmas album alongside her sisters.What’s meant to be a joyous occasion turns into anything but. Scheduling can be hard, and it proved to be the bane of their existence. Tonineeded to finish the albumas she was about to embark on her tour. With the sisters already apprehensive about partaking in the project, Toni continues to encourage them that this would make Mommy happy. With the sisters in the studio,they’re just missing Tamar.And they’re even unsure if she’d show up at all. But when things get revealed, tension arises once again for the sisters.
Tamar, who is also working on her own solo album, is not thrilled at the timing of when the Christmas album would be released. Knowing that it would be released a month after her own album, she raised her concern. Just maybe not in the best manner. Toni alerts her that she can quit the album if that would make her feel better. But really, she didn’t want that to happen. It’s sisters being sisters. Meanwhile, Trina and Towanda are toying with the idea of retiring as Toni’s backup singers. They’re not sure if Toni would take it well, but all this stress, they feared it wouldn’t end well. And then there is Traci. Traci stormed out of the recording studio. Even after her sisters chase after her, she doesn’t want to talk about it. She’s feeling underappreciated by her sisters.Christmas usually brings a family together.Christmas albums, on the other hand? Not so much.
