Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Lust, drinking, domestic violence on soapy primetime drama.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
If Loving You Is Wrong
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 10 parent reviews
Parents say the show has received overwhelmingly negative feedback due to its unrealistic plot lines, poor character portrayals, and lackluster acting, leading many viewers to express their disappointment and frustration. Despite a few fans appreciating certain aspects, the general sentiment is that it is poorly executed, lacks substance, and is bogged down by dragged-out storylines.
- unrealistic plots
- poor acting
- drawn out storylines
- character dissatisfaction
- negative viewer sentiment
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 1 kid review
What's the Story?
In director Tyler Perry's hour-long nighttime soap IF LOVING YOU IS WRONG, a group of good-looking neighbors in a suburb lead interconnected lives. Alex (Amanda Clayton) has a hot husband, Brad (Aiden Turner), with whom she's falling out of love, particularly since she's started having an affair with her neighbor (and Brad's pal) Randal (Eltony Williams). A positive pregnancy test adds immensely to the complications. Meanwhile, Randal's long-suffering wife, Marcie (Heather Hemmens), is always rushing around with her busy real estate job, which brings her in contact with Natalie (April Parker Jones), a forthright single mom with four kids and a big secret. Esperanza (Zulay Henao) is trying to escape the clutches of her frightening ex, Edward (Joel Rush), in the arms of new flame Julius (Octavio Pizano), and Kelly (Edwina Findley Dickerson) is attempting to stay focused on her career and raising her young son after the death of her husband.
Is It Any Good?
Despite the decades and cultural gap that separate them, If Loving You Is Wrong resembles nothing so much as vintage Aaron Spelling soap Melrose Place. Did Tyler Perry -- whose other steamy soap, The Haves and the Have Nots, has already carved itself a significant niche on OWN -- have this television touchstone in mind when he conceived of a soap built around a group of hot neighbors? Maybe, maybe not, but there's no denying that If Loving You has a similar vibe, as excitable neighbors meet each other, fall in forbidden love, conduct clandestine affairs, blow up their marriages, and start all over again.
The fact that the characters on this show are multi-ethnic, mostly African-American, gives If Loving You a hint of freshness, but basically these are the same old soap opera tropes you've seen before. Teens, however, may not have seen them, and their heads may be turned by all the sex and drama. If parents let them watch at all, they may want to watch along to counter any iffy messages.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the tradition of soap operas. When do they air on television? Who is the audience? What type of advertising and media attention do they attract?
Does If Loving You Is Wrong remind you of any other shows? Which ones? Is this show better or not as good? Why?
Are the characters on If Loving You Is Wrong wealthy or poor? How can you tell? How will the characters' social class affect the types of problems they will face on the show?
TV Details
- Premiere date : September 9, 2014
- Cast : April Parker Jones , Edwina Findley Dickerson , Eltony Williams , Charles Malik Whitfield
- Network : OWN
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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