‘Basketball Wives’: Season 5 premiere promises a skeptic’s redemption

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“You are human and you are going through hurt,” Shaunie O’Neal said as she clumsily attempted to comfort Tami Roman.

O’Neal and Roman sat across from each other at O’Neil’s huge rented kitchen table during the Season five premiere of Basketball Wives, awkwardly holding hands and rubbing each other’s backs. It’s a touching scene we’ve probably seen duplicated many times in Lifetime Movies of the Week. Yet, you get the impression that this moment was more calculated than genuinely endearing. A female voice angelically serenaded us in the background with a tune worthy of Lilith Fair concert. Roman (who last year drew the ire of viewers for her constant bullying of biracial former cast mate Kesha Nichols), confessed through watery-eyes that she now realizes that she has rubbed people the wrong way. “But I am more conscious,” she said matter-of-factly.

Self-conscious is probably more accurate. Throughout the season five premiere episode, we saw nothing but a reflection of events from the past. Although this season features an ensemble of five, last night’s episode focused primarily on the show’s three most controversial characters. We witnessed lots of crying and explaining. Evelyn Lozada spent the entire episode crying through raccoon eyes created from globs of runny mascara, while explaining – and then re-explaining, and just for posterity’s sake explaining again – how this last year has been pretty rough on her. First, the breakup of her marriage after a domestic violence incident involving Chad Ochocinco. And most tragically, the death of her brother-in-law. Roman cried while explaining her tough financial predicament and her mother’s illness. And O’Neal almost looked as if she was ready to cry because nobody bothered to notice, or even compliment, her new weave. I kid. O’Neal, however, was all about explaining why she had been largely silent during most of the series’ most controversial moments, even as she served as both cast member and producer.

It’s clear that the spirited “wives” of the series are well aware of their image problem. Despite being wildly popular out of the huge selection of relationship-based reality shows geared to African-Americans, the VH1-produced series has also been widely-criticized for the behavior of some of the show’s stars, particularly Roman and Lozada, with their penchant for physical assaults, bullying and verbal abuse. In season three Roman viciously attacked Meeka Claxton, wife of former NBA star Speedy Claxton, on a trip to Italy.

Despite being hit with a lawsuit for that incident, Roman was no more deterred from her bullying and in season four, found a new target in Nichols. Lozada, who has had continuous beefs, as well as slap down and drag out fights with just about every single cast mate (supporting, as well as the extras, too) since season one, quite literally soared to new heights when she threw bottles at Kenya Bell’s head and, later in the season, hopped over a table in a rage after her former best friend Jennifer Williams. In addition to the violence, the show was also heavily criticized for what many think are poor representations of black women, and as such, has inspired dozens of boycotts and petitions, demanding that the show be removed from VH1’s lineup.

Now after a long hiatus, we find ourselves reintroduced to the ladies on Monday night. Not only do they physically look better, including Roman — whose wet and wavy weave has come a long way since its haggled introduction in season two — but the ladies also want us to know that their spirits have evolved, too. In what could have been inspired only by Iyanla Vanzant, the stars of the show have taken this year to work on fixing their lives. As such, vows of new leaves turned and lesson learned were shared. Roman vows to work on her temper. O’Neal vows to be “more vocal.” And Lozada – well actually she didn’t promise to change anything. In fact she spent pretty much the first episode defending and explaining her past to anyone that would listen. Nevertheless, the three stars of the series want us to know that they intend to be on their best behavior. Intend – anyway.

As O’Neal awkwardly hugged Roman, who has let down her shield enough to let some of that remorse seep through, she reminded her not to be too hard on herself. After all, she is human and going through hurt. It’s hard to say if we as the viewers should, or will, buy into the “I’m only human” defense. Only time – and ratings – will tell. However, as seen in the previews for the upcoming episodes, including a fist fight and a major confrontation between Roman and O’Neal, we might want to view that sentiment as only a disclaimer.

Charing Ball is the author of the blog People, Places & Things.