What to Watch: The Family Business, Crime, Drama, and Soap Opera-Level Chaos

If you want a crime family show with over-the-top drama and a twist every episode, binge Carl Weber’s The Family Business. Think Power meets Empire, but with even more assassins, drug dealing, and betrayal. It’s a juicy, soapy crime saga. And since it’s Black History Month, what better time to highlight a show created by a Black author and featuring a powerhouse Black cast?

The Setup: A Family That Means Business

At first glance, the Duncan family looks like a respectable crew running a high-end car dealership in New York. But beneath the luxury cars and tailored suits, they’re running a high-stakes criminal empire. The Family Business is based on Carl Weber’s bestselling novels, bringing the world of organized crime to life with no shortage of family feuds, dangerous alliances, and enough double-crossing to make your head spin.

Meet the Duncans:

L.C. Duncan (Ernie Hudson): The no-nonsense patriarch trying to keep his family’s empire intact.
Chippy Duncan (Valarie Pettiford): The matriarch who knows how to hold things down.
Orlando, Vegas, and the rest of the clan: Each sibling has their own role in the family operation, and the drama between them is just as intense as the crime.

Why You’ll Love The Family Business

Over-the-Top Drama: Every episode has that “did that just happen?!” energy. There’s no slow burn here. The action starts right away and doesn’t let up.
Crime, Power, and Betrayal: The Duncans fight rival gangs and the cops, and then they betray each other too. Who needs enemies when your own family might stab you in the back?
Soap Opera Vibes: It’s got all the elements: dramatic showdowns, secret affairs, long-lost relatives showing up out of nowhere, and cliffhangers that’ll have you pressing “next episode” before you can even blink.
Badass Women: The women in this show run the game and call the shots as much as the men do.

Where to Watch The Family Business

The first four seasons of The Family Business are currently available to stream on Netflix, while all seasons including Season 5 is available on BET+. You can also purchase episodes on Amazon Prime Video for the first four seasons.

The Family Business: New Orleans

If you can’t get enough of the Duncan family’s high-stakes world, there’s more where that came from. The Family Business: New Orleans is the latest spin-off, shifting the crime, drama, and power struggles to the Big Easy. Same drama, new city.

If You Liked The Family Business, Read These Thrillers:

The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow: The ultimate crime thriller about the drug trade, government corruption, and deadly power plays. This one spans decades and follows DEA agents, cartel bosses, and assassins as they fight for control.
Ruthless People by J.J. McAvoy: The perfect pick for romance lovers. A mafia power couple fights to maintain control over their empire, with plenty of betrayal, high-stakes business deals, and unexpected romance. It’s like watching the Duncans’ empire unfold in book form.
Jade City by Fonda Lee – The perfect pick for fans of crime families but with a paranormal twist. The Kaul family controls jade, a magical resource that grants enhanced abilities, but rival clans want in. Imagine The Godfather meets martial arts fantasy, with assassinations and a family that will do anything for each other.

If You Like This, Watch These Next

If The Family Business hits the spot for you, here are a few other crime family dramas worth checking out:

Power: The ultimate crime drama about a nightclub owner with a double life as a drug kingpin.
Empire: If you love the family drama aspect, this music empire series has similar betrayals and power struggles.

Worth the Watch?

Absolutely. If you love your crime dramas with a side of jaw-dropping plot twists and high-stakes family drama, The Family Business is a must-watch. Just be ready to get hooked, because once you start, you won’t want to stop until you’re all caught up. And then, like me, you’ll be demanding to know when we’re getting more of the Duncans.

Are you watching The Family Business? Let’s talk in the comments. Who’s your favorite Duncan?

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