Riches is a show that is part of the up-and-coming trend around family inheritance battles and it does it very well… and on home soil. London Stand Up! Some wicked performances on show… lets dive in!
Riches follows the everyday goings of the Richard family. Proud, black, and African, owners of one of the biggest beauty cosmetic companies in the world, F&G. Stephen Richards the founder of the company has a somewhat fragile relationship with his family and is also keen on mending his relationships with his kids from his 1st marriage who live out in US. He suffers a sudden heart attack and there is a fight for control over his empire amongst his 5 kids. From there its high-tension drama, secrets unfolding, deception and lots and lots of confrontation. We love to see it!
There are some stellar presentations. I’ll start with the Richards family. Deborah Ayorinde is a force to be reckoned with. She’s the main character and on top of that she gives that main character energy. As Nina Richards, she embodies the role of the articulate, independent, go getter that takes no nonsense. Hugh Quarshie is Stephen Richards, the god father of secrets. His character is interesting because we get to know very little of him in the beginning as we move along, we get to unravel his character through the other characters describing him. He makes appearances in flashbacks etc. Hugh does deliver the mystery element very well. Sarah Niles is amazing as the villainess Claudia Richards. She’s conniving, forceful and deceptive. In the midst of all this she still manages to showcase the motives behind her behaviour which is, she’s a mother. Ola Orebiyi, Adeyinka Akinrinade and Nneka Okoye play her children and also very good. Being self-centred, entitled and spoilt, they do great in showing these attributes. My favourite Richard by far is Simon played by Emmanuel Imani. The king of “let me mind my own business”! He owns every scene he is in. He’s queer and bold with it. Before he enters said scene you actually can’t wait to see what outfit he’s put together this time round as he’s a superstar stylist. For someone who is actually in the hair and makeup industry he takes a backseat to all the business drama. He’s transparent, honest and he’s just fun to watch. CJ Beckford and Brendan Coyle play Andre and Gideon. The 2 sly foxes of the show. Just battling it out and trying to stay 5 steps ahead of each other. It makes for some great tension.
It’s an exceptional production. The cinematography is clear and clean. Each episode has the face of a movie. With the show taking us to few locations they manage to display bits of the different cultures. The soundtrack stays grounded from homegrown talent from the likes of Donaeo, Shaybo and many more. The music inserts are well placed. This is a British and Nigerian show and they make that very clear.
The blend of English and Yoruba dialogue drives the authenticity of the show. Some dialogues emphasise the emotions much better than others.
Some outfits on display are to show this is one for the culture.
It’s cat and mouse game of thrones type of show. Every one plotting on how to secure the top seat of the empire. The sibling rivalry intensifies the more the stakes get higher. The jealousy, the tension, the suspense is all well done. Within the drama around the succession and inheritance story there are mini story plots that leave us with intriguing questions and keep us engaged. You have a storyline with Gus where he’s dealing with racism via the police and he uses some abstract ways to get it sorted. Claudia’s affair is a recurring theme through the whole season and makes for some great spectacles. Nina and Simon’s broken relationship with their late father is a good journey as we get to watch them make decisions in life and business to which they believe they father would have wanted despite the fragility of their connection. The show then switches to a “lets catch a thief” theme which drives up the tension etc. with mysterious characters coming out of the shadows to claim ownership, long term family and friends revealing their dastardly motives and some big theatrics amongst the children.
All in all, I really enjoyed the show. Left on a numerous gigantic cliff hanger I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds in this franchise. Of course, from a new show business angle I’d love for it to go on for 20 seasons but story wise I don’t want to see it go beyond a season 4. Anything beyond that will have the narrative over stretched and forced. Let’s keep it nice and sweet and let’s know when to stop… tenk you!
Who was your favourite character? Does Simon need his own show? Who do you think deserved the throne? Is Stephen really dead?
This series is 10/10 I was glued to my TV for 2 days straight and watched all 6 episodes, I can’t wait for the new episodes to come out