Tyler Perry’s House of Payne | Floyd Should Forget About Sauce Bosses And Reopen His Barbershop

Palmer Williams Deserves Better: Why Floyd’s Storyline in House of Payne Needs a Serious Upgrade

Let’s talk about Palmer Williams Jr.—an incredible actor we all know and love as Floyd. Sure, he was great in Love Thy Neighbor, but if you ask me, his standout role was as Tony Grant’s father in The Marriage Counselor stage play. That performance had depth, humor, and soul. But in House of Payne, the man is constantly boxed into one recycled storyline: the barbecue sauce business.

It’s become painfully predictable. Every single time Floyd and Curtis share a scene, it’s about the sauce. They’re either starting a new venture, arguing over the same mistakes, or watching another golden opportunity go down the drain. The pattern is so tired it’s practically a blueprint: Floyd comes up with a great idea—a TV spot, a social media boost, or an investor pitch—only for Curtis to let his ego get in the way and mess it all up.

Honestly, it’s like watching Andy and Barney from The Andy Griffith Show, with Curtis playing the Barney role—loud, self-absorbed, and always sabotaging their success. We’ve seen it play out time and time again: Shark Tank-style offers, food influencer collaborations, or even a brick-and-mortar barbecue joint—all blown because Curtis can’t stay in his lane.

What’s worse is how little credit Floyd ever gets. Curtis takes all the praise, hogs the spotlight, and ignores Floyd’s feedback—even when customers say there’s too much sauce. Instead of improving, Curtis takes it as a personal insult and they fall out. Again. Then Ella steps in to say, “Preserve the friendship,” and we’re right back where we started.

At this point, the writers missed a golden opportunity with Season 13. After Floyd and Curtis decided to part ways, why not let Floyd reopen his barbershop? He’s a hustler, a self-starter, a man who doesn’t wait around. That would’ve made for an excellent storyline. Meanwhile, Curtis could be struggling to keep the sauce business afloat on his own, finally realizing how much Floyd brought to the table—more than just a recipe.

And don’t tell me it’s a budget issue. BET+ has sets for Zatima—use the barbershop set from that show. Say Floyd got a new shop or remodeled his old one. Bring back one or two familiar faces from the barbershop days. Add a couple of new ones. Boom—fresh energy, expanded cast, and finally something for Floyd to do outside of bickering with Curtis about burnt ribs and missed deals.

We saw what Floyd could be when Curtis was MIA for a bit. He was the one holding things down, even having deep conversations with Ella. Fans were even speculating about a Floyd-Ella arc! (Thankfully, that didn’t happen.) Point is—Floyd has depth. Give him more than just “sauce guy.”

As a content creator, I’ll admit—this season’s drama between Laura and the Payne family has been great for views. May was wild. But long-term? The show needs more than just beef between Laura and the Pains. Fans want variety. They want character development. They want nostalgia and progression.

There are still so many characters from the original series that fans have begged to see again. But instead of building on that rich history, we’re stuck on this hamster wheel of recycled plotlines.

Let Floyd grow. Let Curtis learn. Let the business either succeed or get sold off so the show can move forward. Because I’m done watching these two bicker about BBQ in every episode.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Like and subscribe, and I’ll catch you in the next one.