Tyler Perry has a very specific way of making TV. It’s fast. It’s loud. It’s messy. If you were watching OWN back in 2016 and 2017, you know exactly what I’m talking about because The Haves and the Have Nots season 4 was basically the moment the show decided to floor the gas pedal and never look back. It wasn’t just a soap opera anymore; it became this bizarre, high-stakes thriller where everyone was a villain and no one was safe.
Honestly, the fourth season is where the "Haves"—the Cryer and Harrington families—started to truly pay for the decades of secrets they’d been burying. If you remember the premiere, it picked up right in the middle of the carnage. We’re talking about the immediate aftermath of that horrific hit-and-run and the fire at the mansions. It was a lot.
The Cryer Family’s Total Meltdown
Jim Cryer spent three seasons acting like he was untouchable. He was the judge. He was the power. But season 4 pulled the rug out from under him in a way that felt both earned and totally unhinged. John Schneider played Jim with this smug, reptilian energy that made his downfall so satisfying to watch, even if you kind of hated yourself for enjoying it.
The dynamic between Jim and Katheryn (played by the incredible Tika Sumpter and Renee Lawless) shifted here. Katheryn stopped being the grieving, cheated-on wife and started becoming a force of nature. She was done. Her scenes in the jail and the way she handled the family’s legal "troubles" showed a woman who was finally realizing that her money couldn't buy her a soul, but it could definitely buy her revenge.
Then you have Wyatt. Poor, spiraling Wyatt. His struggle with addiction and the guilt over the hit-and-run reached a fever pitch in season 4. It wasn’t just a subplot; it was the anchor for the family's morality—or lack thereof. When he’s in rehab or fighting with his parents, you see the core theme of the show: the "Haves" have everything except peace.
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Candice Young and the Art of the Long Con
You can't talk about The Haves and the Have Nots season 4 without talking about Candice. Tika Sumpter is the engine of this show. In season 4, her war with the Cryers got personal in a way that moved beyond just extortion. She was out for blood, but she was also desperately trying to keep her own world from collapsing.
The thing about Candice is that she's a "Have Not" who refuses to play by the rules of the "Haves." She uses their own corruption against them. In this season, her relationship with Benny and her mother, Hanna, became even more strained. Hanna Young, played by Crystal Fox, remained the moral center of the show, but even she started to crack under the weight of her children's choices.
The tension in the Young household wasn't just about money. It was about dignity. Hanna wanted to earn it; Candice wanted to take it. That's the central friction that makes the show work.
The Harrington Explosion
David and Veronica Harrington. What a disaster. In a good way, for the viewers, at least.
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Season 4 was a masterclass in how to write a marriage that is essentially a tactical war zone. Angela Robinson as Veronica Harrington is one of the best TV villains of the last decade. Period. Her manipulation of Jeffrey and her sheer refusal to let go of her "perfect" image drove some of the season's most stressful moments.
Jeffrey’s journey in season 4 was particularly grueling. Watching him try to navigate his mother’s homophobia while dealing with the fallout of his own secrets was tough. It added a layer of grounded, emotional stakes to a show that often veers into the absurd. When Veronica decides she’s going to "fix" her family, everyone else should probably just run for the hills.
Why the Ratings Spiked During This Run
People often wonder why this specific era of the show was so successful. It’s because Tyler Perry tapped into a very specific kind of binge-worthy pacing. Each episode of The Haves and the Have Nots season 4 felt like it was designed to end on a cliffhanger that made you want to throw your remote at the wall.
By the time we got to the mid-season finale and the eventual wrap-up of the 23-episode cycle, the show was regularly pulling in millions of viewers. It was the highest-rated show on OWN for a reason. It didn't matter if the plot holes were big enough to drive a truck through—the performances were so committed that you just went along for the ride.
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The production style is also worth noting. Perry famously films these seasons in record time. While some critics point to the occasionally "theatrical" lighting or the soap-style cinematography as a flaw, it actually gave the show a distinct identity. It felt like a stage play that someone accidentally filmed with a multi-million dollar budget.
The Reality of the Season 4 Legacy
Looking back, season 4 was the peak of the show's cultural relevance. It was when the memes were everywhere. It was when everyone was talking about "The Ice Queen" (Veronica) and whether Jim would finally go to prison for good.
The show eventually ran for eight seasons, but season 4 is where the foundation for the endgame was laid. It established that no character was redeemable, and no one was safe from the consequences of their actions. It was the season that proved the show could survive without being a traditional "procedural" and instead lean fully into being a sprawling, Southern Gothic nightmare.
Key Takeaways for Fans Re-watching Season 4
If you're jumping back into the series or watching it for the first time on streaming, keep an eye on these specific threads:
- The Power Shift: Watch how Katheryn Cryer slowly takes the power back from Jim. It’s a slow burn that pays off massively in later seasons.
- The Benny Factor: Benny’s evolution from the "good son" to someone who has to get his hands dirty is a subtle highlight of this season.
- The Legal Loopholes: Pay attention to how the show uses the legal system. It’s less about "Law & Order" and more about how the wealthy use the law as a weapon.
The best way to experience this season is to lean into the melodrama. Don't look for realism. Look for the emotion. Look for the way these characters fail each other over and over again. That's the heart of the show.
To get the most out of your re-watch, I recommend following the episodes in their original broadcast order rather than skipping around, as the continuity in season 4 is surprisingly tight compared to later years. Check your local streaming listings or the OWN app to see if the full 23-episode arc is available, as some platforms occasionally split the season into "Part A" and "Part B." Focus on the character beats between Hanna and Candice; those are the scenes where the writing actually shines through the chaos.