Created by Tyler Perry, this series dives into lives of Cryer, Harrington and Young families. They are super wealthy. And guess what? Their hired help has a front-row seat to all the chaos. Power, wealth, race, class- it’s all here. Critics have mixed feelings, but fans? They are loyal. Since 2013, they have been tuning in, probably wondering why they cannot look away from this train wreck.

Meet the characters from The Haves and the Have Nots

Candace Young

Candace is this fierce, loud, can’t-be-tamed teen who stomps into a room and suddenly everyone’s on edge — in the best way. She’s scrap-happy, loyal to a fault, and somehow alternates between street-smart and heartbreakingly naive (like, she knows how to hustle but still texts people their feelings at 2 a.m.). She says what she thinks, often too fast, which leads to both brilliant comebacks and massive trouble. Also, she collects cheap rings for some reason and will insist they’re sentimental — even if she lost the story behind half of them.

Jim Cryer

Jim plays the calm, steady dad/official type but don’t be fooled, there’s a simmer under that suit. He wants rules and order (sometimes annoyingly so), but he’s also the guy who bends when his family needs him — and then pretends he didn’t. He’s moral in a very human, messy way: tries to do the right thing, makes compromises, sleeps badly about it, repeat. Also I swear he has a secret love for ridiculously cheesy soul songs — catch him humming in the car, it’s adorable and slightly tragic.

Hanna Young

Hanna is the quiet backbone — tough, resourceful, and protective, with the kind of resilience that makes people both admire and underestimate her. She keeps her family together with this low-key intensity; she’s not flashy but she is endlessly strategic (and sometimes stubbornly forgiving). She’ll surprise you: soft and maternal one minute, steel-eyed and ruthless the next — like, don’t test her patience. Oh and she bakes? Or she claims she does; honestly, I think she burns toast but tells everyone it’s artisanal.

Veronica Harrington

Veronica is the queen in heels: impeccably dressed, razor-sharp, and terrifyingly in control — she’s pure power and theater, honestly. She’ll run the room with a look and rearrange people’s lives like furniture, and she loves it; it’s almost performance art (but with consequences). Underneath? Tiny cracks that show she cares about legacy and family more than she lets on, which makes her both magnetic and monstrous. Also, she organizes her closet by mood — not kidding, that’s both ridiculous and somehow perfectly her.

Katheryn Cryer

Katheryn is ice and velvet, a wealthy matriarch who speaks in polite barbs and expects obedience, but there’s a grief-soaked corner that sometimes peeks through. She’s used to pulling strings behind heavy curtains and can be shockingly cruel — yet she’ll surprise you with a half-sincere act of charity when you least expect it. She’s very particular about appearances (down to napkin folds) and believes in tradition, even if she breaks a rule now and then when it suits her. Also, she collects antique perfume bottles and will give a dramatic history lesson about each one for like 20 minutes.

Wyatt Cryer

Wyatt is the soft-laced rebel of the family — tries hard to be decent in a family that isn’t always, and sometimes that makes him messy and conflicted (in a very relatable teen-angst way). He’s got a good heart, and he means well, which lands him in trouble more than once because he’s trusting when he maybe shouldn’t be. There’s this weird, charming shy side that’ll make you root for him, and then he’ll do something bold and you’re like, oh right, he’s not boring at all. And yep, he actually likes old vinyl records and will defend a scratched LP like it’s national treasure.

David Harrington

David is slippery and complex — equal parts charm and venom, and you never really know which will show up. He craves control and status but has these tiny self-destructive tendencies that make him unpredictable; one minute suave, the next… meltdown. He’s a schemer but he’s vulnerable in weird, ridiculous ways (yep, he cries in the rain trope) and that mix is oddly compelling. He also has a laugh that’s way too loud for someone who plays it cool — it kind of gives him away.

Jeffrey Harrington

Jeffrey gives off this polished, nervous energy — like he’s practiced smiling in the mirror a dozen times and still gets tongue-tied. He’s sensitive, maybe scared of his own shadow sometimes, and often caught between wanting approval and wanting to run away from the family business. He can be kind and thoughtful, but also shallow when he panics (ugh, human). Small weird detail: he hoards seashells from vacations he never really enjoyed — it’s adorable and sad all at once.

Benny Young

Benny is the hot-tempered protector who would punch anything that threatens his people and then cry about tacos five minutes later. Loyal to the core, he’s got a history that makes him prone to explosive choices, but he’s also desperately trying to be better (or at least less broken). He’s loud, proud, and occasionally terrifying — but you can catch him humming gospel songs when he’s alone, which is a whole mood shift. Also, tattoos and a surprisingly tender collection of old mixtapes — yes, mixtapes, and yes, it’s honestly sweet.

Celine Gonzales

Celine is sharp, sassy, and practical — the kind of friend who tells you the brutal truth but also brings the casserole when things fall apart. She’s resourceful, quick-witted, and has this no-nonsense vibe that masks a soft spot for the underdog. She’ll clap back in a second, but she’s also the first to help — sometimes too involved, sometimes a bit too proud to ask for help in return. Quirky thing: she has a ridiculous pen collection (I said pens, not secrets) and will barter them like currency.