Nemesis: Candace Was The Worst Character In Season 1

By: Mark T. Wilson

One thing I will give Nemesis is the excellent job they did with casting. There were actors from a few of our favorite black shows, along with some new faces sprinkled in. But when it came down to storylines, that’s where Nemesis went off the rails a bit.

The one character who didn’t fit was Candace, Isaiah’s wife, and we learned early on that there were problems in the marriage. Yes, she had the right to be angry at his actions, but her story was just all over the place. Okay, I’m being nice. Let me be straightforward here. Her actions were dumb as hell.

I hate using that word to describe a person, but that’s the only thing I can come up with when breaking down her character. In the beginning, the writers of Nemesis gave her very valid points as to why she was angry with Isaiah. He put the job over his family, and she was right.

However, as the episodes moved on, we began to see that she was an anchor holding Nemesis down. First, she was telling a stranger that her husband was never around. Then she was telling an ex that her husband was not around. Then she was busy letting the son display animosity towards his father. But that was a small dose compared to the real damage and confusion she was about to cause.

Isaiah is a Detective and has been for years. Meaning, Candace should understand how all this works. He was stressed, and instead of trying to understand, she complicated matters. As viewers, we were on her side in the first few episodes, but when he told her that he was after the crew who killed his trainee, that’s where her focus should have changed. Instead, she just complained more.

With her husband and son both being interrogated for the murder of Nightmare, she had a realization that her husband was right concerning the person who did it. Hell, she even questioned her friend about it. Even after being somewhat dazed by what she was told, she still sort of walked away like a deer caught in headlights. How can you be married to a Detective all these years and not pick up a thing or two along the way? She was a lost cause.

When she went to Ebony’s house to snoop, she got all the evidence she wanted. Hell, she and Ebony even fought. The truth was right there. Ebony then informed her that her son was in danger.

Isaiah did what he had to do to get his son back, and that meant putting out a hit on Coltrane. His son’s life is in danger; all bets are off at this point. And between Coltrane and Isaiah, this was always personal. But then you have Candace. When she found out that it was her husband and son’s father who sent the hit men, she completely went off the deep end.

Instead of confronting and discussing what happened with him, she ran into the arms of another man and slept with him. That man said to her that Isaiah never once asked if she ok. How could he? He never knew that she was kidnapped. And she wasn’t too worried about her son either cause she spent the night in another man’s bed while her son was in trouble.

All that complaining and finger-pointing that she did, it was for what? In the end, it was she who was doing wrong. It was she who couldn’t see the bigger picture. At some point, while watching Nemesis, I grew tired of her character and thought the writers could have made Isaiah a single parent. Her presence on the show was not needed or important if we’re being honest.

The case could have been closed if she hadn’t been caught cheating. Remember, it was the picture of her and Malik kissing that let Coltrane walk out of the police station without being asked the two questions that may have tipped their hand. She caused as much damage as Isaiah did. But Isaiah didn’t think twice, he dug in and did what he had to do to protect his. Yes, he was a bit overboard and distant, but it was for a purpose.

What was the purpose of Candace? What did she bring to Nemensis that made anyone believe she was vital? The show would have still been a success if she hadn’t been involved. Hell, even all the cheating didn’t serve as a huge purpose for the storyline. She was in the way the entire time. Her character needs a reboot for Season 2.