Tyler Perry’s Sistas | Whose Fault Is It For The Show’s Declining Popularity?

Man, oh man. It just sucks to see this show fall from grace. We all saw it coming, but the way it has crashed is just unprecedented.

Of course, we’re talking about Sistas. I had a pretty good discussion with another fan yesterday, and the main topic was the overwhelming negativity toward the writers on Twitter. Apparently, over the weekend, there was a huge wave of backlash directed at them.

Now, here’s my take—I post my stuff on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram, and then I move on. I don’t usually follow massive movements where everyone is dragging an actor or calling out the writers unless you all tune me into it. Trust and believe, I catch enough flack on Twitter for my unpopular opinions about Sistas Season 3 as it is, so I know when to mind my business.

But yeah, the writers really got it this weekend. This discussion is a companion piece to some of my recent videos—one questioning whether Sistas Season 8 will accomplish anything and another about the show’s ratings hitting an all-time low. Even going back to the Season 6 press run, Tyler Perry himself admitted in an interview that he didn’t like the new direction of the show. He even said he couldn’t bring himself to watch the new episodes because he no longer recognized the characters.

It’s like these new writers took over without first understanding the source material, and as a result, the show has flopped compared to what it once was.

During my discussion, I posed a question: Who’s really at fault?

Yes, these new writers have undeniably ruined Sistas, but let’s not act like Tyler was doing a flawless job before. Sure, the ratings were better, but the writing quality, pacing, and repetitive dialogue were already problems back then. We’ve all talked about it—whether in my comment sections, on social media, or even with coworkers.

So now, do we solely blame the new writers, or should we also hold accountable the person (or people) who selected them?

I don’t know who made the decision. Was it Tyler himself? A manager at Tyler Perry Studios? I have no idea. But if Tyler personally picked these writers, then he has to take some blame.

In that same interview, Tyler mentioned that if he were given control of a new show, he would do his homework—rewatching old episodes to understand the characters and storylines. Did he give these new writers the same advice? Did he sit them down and say, Hey, this show is six seasons in, with 140+ episodes. Do your homework. Learn these characters. Here’s where I was taking the story—you have free reign, but respect the foundation.

If a conversation like that didn’t happen, then I blame him or whoever was responsible for hiring these writers. Sistas wasn’t a new show that was one or two seasons in—it was the #1 show on BET, with years of established history. That’s a massive difference compared to, say, Tyler Perry’s Assisted Living flopping after a writer switch.

Speaking of Assisted Living, when new writers took over that show and House of Payne, the quality improved significantly. Those shows got better without Tyler’s direct involvement. But Sistas? It started off promising, then completely fell apart.

Now, people are saying even Ruthless is declining under its new writers. So, what went wrong with Sistas?

I feel like Tyler Perry was focused on his movie projects, streaming deals with Netflix and Prime, and other ventures. Maybe he thought, I’ve held down the Viacom thing for five years—time to hand it over. But whoever was in charge should have ensured that these new writers understood what they were taking on. This was the cash cow of the network, and now it’s taking a huge hit.

It feels like that moment in A Charlie Brown Christmas where Charlie puts the ornament on the tree, and it collapses. Oh no, I ruined it. Everything I touch gets ruined. That’s what it feels like right now.

And even if Tyler briefly comes back to try to fix things, I don’t think it’ll be enough. The damage is done.

How do you fix Zac and Fatima when they’ve been broken for two seasons straight? Some say the moment they got a spin-off, they should have left Sistas entirely. I somewhat agree. If Zatima had been its own focused series, while Sistas gave the main cast a chance to shine, the writing could have been better.

But at the same time, removing them might’ve tanked Sistas even sooner. That’s like if Family Matters took Steve Urkel out in Season 4—would the show have survived? Probably not. That’s the danger of over-focusing on a single character or couple. It’s the Tommy Oliver Syndrome from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers—when one fan-favorite takes over, the rest of the cast suffers.

At the end of the day, these new writers should have done their homework. There are six seasons’ worth of material. Honestly, they could have assigned each writer a season to binge, then come together and break down the characters and plots.

Instead, it feels like they just watched Season 1, then skipped to the season premieres of 2-6, relying only on recap montages to fill in the gaps. And that explains the mess we have now—characters who feel like cheap imitations of themselves.

Andy has always had her weak moments, but this is just embarrassing. The character work is awful.

So, what do you think? Who is truly at fault here? The new writers for their poor execution? Or the people who hired them without ensuring they were prepared?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Don’t forget to like and subscribe, and I’ll catch you in the next one!