For the past five decades, the casting of Grace and Frankie has become a comforting presence to Netflix subscribers. (This is fitting because its showrunner, Marta Kauffman, is also the showrunner for Friends.) But while a few of the hardest parts about friendships is to say goodbye, the series time is preparation for the final and seventh one, while being a pleasure ride in its own right putting up a personality arc.
Obviously, among the benefits of being on service is that since syndication isn’t the goal, characters may grow in ways they can not get on network TV. Nevertheless, Grace and Frankie have a propensity to stick to the status quo: lovers seldom stick around for more than a season; relatives or friends outside the primary cast do not make second looks, and everywhere Grace or even Frankie go out of their beach house, they find a way to return. The series appears ready to create changes that are more lasting this time.
The most significant change is that Grace (Jane Fonda) has become married to mega-rich businessman Nick (Peter Gallagher). She’s since moved out of the shore house, and unlike when Frankie (Lily Tomlin) moved to Santa Fe or when the pair went into an assisted living community, this sticks during the entire season. The other significant change is Grace and Frankie working on their latest product: a toilet called the”Rise,” which lifts to helps seniors develop minimal effort.
For significant shifts, the remainder of the cast can be currently preparing outside of the pair. Sol (Sam Waterston) and Robert (Martin Sheen), for one, are fighting because of money issues and also a health scare for Sol. Meanwhile, Brianna (June Diane Raphael) is a sense friction together with her spouse, Barry (Peter Cambor), who’s agreed to donate sperm to his lesbian friends. Add in the facts that Bud (Baron Vaughn) is dealing with married life, Coyote (Ethan Embry) is relationship Bud’s ex, and Mallory (Brooklyn Decker) is becoming more involved in Say Grace, and suffice it to mention that a lot’s happening here.
It is no wonder fans of Netflix shows like to binge seasons in preparation for new episodes. But while this helps viewers get up to date, rewatching all the events makes it evident that Grace and Frankie incline to recycle plots; this is quite evident from the”Rise” plotline. The focus on the duo trying to acquire financing and market study is reminiscent of the season where they try to get Vybrant off the floor, in addition to the first season, in which Frankie attempts to get her lube to be bought by displaced Grace.
The side cast’s plots are echoes of seasons. Sol had health issues as Robert did, and Barry’s frustration at the psychological distance of Brianna remains a defining characteristic of their relationship. Another example includes Joan Margaret (Millicent Martin), who, having become a live-in helper in season 5, plays just like a retread of Sheree (Lisa Kudrow) in year 4. There are some new thoughts, and the season finale sets up a twist for the season, but the show is too content with treading familiar ground.
The hat is not to mention the rep in and of itself is a bad thing, however. Familiarity is just one of those facets of sitcoms that folks enjoy the most, and there’s a reason why the authors keep the characters in similar situations. Simply put, it works. The jokes are composed, the emotional moments are heterosexual, as well as the pacing distracts from the recycled dynamics. It is clear that the show creators have found their groove, and they’re staying on track.
Plot aside, the real allure of Grace and Frankie would be the figures, and they are still the same lovable, spirited bunch audiences have grown to love over since 2015. The cast is top-notch, and it is obvious they all still have the same degree of enthusiasm for the show and the characters that they had in the first installment. Commendably, Tomlin and Fonda have managed to maintain their characters’ core undamaged without flattening them. It might have been simple to flip the all-business Grace and the hippy-dippy Frankie to caricatures over six months, but they provide their characters nuance and depth to keep them away from self-parody.
Just as big of a draw as Tomlin and Fonda are the supporting cast. Characters like the Bergstein’s and the Hansons have, and the throw has electric chemistry, which bolsters this dynamic. Especially of note is the work as Brianna, whose deadpan delivery makes her funniest character in the series of Raphael.
Her connection problems with Barry also give her a vulnerability never seen, and Raphael’s portrayal creates an excruciating person strangely charming. Waterston can also be a treat as the neurotic Sol. It would have been easy for his needling and clingy personality to become annoying, but his performance is so charming it’s impossible not to fall in love. From the end of the season, Grace and Frankie will probably be Netflix’s longest-running series with 94 episodes. It’s not hard to see why: this one is no exception, and it continues to provide the same level of comedy and soul every season. I am eager to see how it gets there, while I’m not excited for the show to achieve its conclusion.
