HOLLYWOOD—Tyler Perry’s “The Haves and the Have Nots” ended its first season with one of the biggest cliffhangers of all-time, leaving the audience to wonder if Benny (Tyler Lepley) was alive or dead after being struck by Wyatt’s (Aaron O’Connell) vehicle. A huge cover-up was in the midst of things as Katheryn (Renee Lawless) and Jim (John Schneider) did their best to protect their son.  The twist: that means pointing the finger at Veronica (Angela Robinson) and David Harrington (Peter Parros).

So it looks like the rich will do battle against the rich this season, as secrets, lies and deception propel to the forefront. Episode 17 “The Black Sedan” saw Hanna (Crystal Fox) reeling from learning that her son is on his death bed. Candace (Tika Sumpter) persuaded Amanda (Jaclyn Betham) to take a stand against her parents to sue them for the money that she is entitled to.

I must admit Candace is one manipulative character. The duo stumbled into Jim and Katheryn sharing a bitter feud, and Katheryn unleashed some fury on the woman who seduced her husband. To see her diminish her daughter was horrifying, but also gratifying at the same time.

Finally, Amanda stood up to her parents, with a bit of coaching from Candace to inform her parents that she plans to sue them. Hanna nearly had a breakdown, trying to check on the status of her son at the county hospital.  Veronica continued her charade to not discuss the issues surrounding Jeffrey (Gavin Houston) being gay. She even refused to say the word, as her husband gave his wife a hard dose of reality, without his wife’s blessing.

It appears Candace has a bit of compassion, as she attempted to assist Jeffrey in his time of need by allowing him to have a place to stay. It appears these two have more in common than they’d like to imagine. Candace’s mother despises her, just like Jeffrey’s mother despises him. Hanna made a friend in the waiting room with a family whose child was hit by a drunk driver.

In a stunning twist, it appears Wyatt struck a little girl, as well as Benny. It was a revelation for Hanna, who realized the person who struck her son was Wyatt!  I still can’t believe that Hanna has not yet contacted Candace to inform her that Benny is in a dire situation. It was interesting to see Jeffrey place a lens to Candace to force her to acknowledge who she really is and what she is afraid of. She decided to open up to Jeffrey in a way that she never opened up to anyone else, about her cousin who taught her the ropes about everything that she knows. She revealed that her cousin was murdered, and Jeffrey delivered a quote that is haunting, “If you fear nothing, you love nothing,” quite poignant to say the least, and polarizing at the same time.

Hanna was still reeling from the news that a little girl was murdered by Wyatt, while Benny continued to fight for his life. Jim attempted to reason with his wife about their current predicament, just as he acknowledged that he is in love with Candace, he actually is, but refused to acknowledge it. The episode wrapped with Jim and Katheryn discovering that their son was responsible for the death of a little girl.  My mind can only imagine all of the chaos that is about to ensue, because Jim and Katheryn will do anything, and I mean anything to protect their children.  “The Haves and Have Nots” airs Tuesday at 9 p.m. on OWN.

By LaDale Anderson