Since Netflix began releasing its original shows in 2013, there have been many hits and many that ended after two seasons. Overall, Netflix has released tons of content. With all the options out there for TV shows, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and turn to a familiar favorite. However, for those of you that want a new show to get absorbed in and don’t feel like dealing with the hassle of scrolling through endless titles, I would suggest “Grace and Frankie”.
When I first started college, I was looking for something comforting to watch after long days of studying or stressing over an exam. I wanted something that would make me smile, and I found “Grace and Frankie”. I had heard of it before, but I never gave it a real chance. Once I started it, I fell in love and watched all the seasons. I have rewatched it many times since then.
“Grace and Frankie” ran from 2015 to 2022, and it has received multiple Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe nods throughout. The show is about two older ladies who are polar opposites, their husbands who have a law firm together, and how their lives become intertwined in a comical, although at times tragic, way. In the first episode, Grace (Jane Fonda) and Frankie (Lily Tomlin) discover their husbands are leaving them…to marry each other. Their husbands, Robert (Martin Sheen) and Sol (Sam Waterson), have been law partners for years. For the past 20 years, they have been “life and bed” partners behind their wives’ backs. In their 70’s, they decide to leave their wives and get married to make the most of their last years. The tragic part is palatable in the first episode, but it takes a fun and cheerful turn for the best.
The most important part of the show in my opinion are the iconic leading ladies, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. Fonda and Tomlin have been friends since 1977, when they met and quickly became friends backstage at Tomlin’s one woman show “Appearing Nitely”. The actresses’ first time on screen together was alongside Dolly Parton in the hit movie 9 to 5, which premiered in 1980. The duo remained friends, and those who were part of the “Grace and Frankie” production said that their ability to banter with each other and their connection contributed to the greatness of the show.
Aside from this, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin are well known activists. Fonda has been a well known activist since the 60’s, when she protested the Vietnam war. In January of 2017, Fonda and Tomlin attended the Women’s March in Los Angeles to march with about 750,000 others in the fight for equal rights.
I think everyone should give “Grace and Frankie” a chance at least once. Each season has some wisdom sprinkled in with the funny and often lewd jokes and remarks. The concept of getting older and what one’s life will look like when they are 70 is daunting and scary no matter who you ask, but after watching “Grace and Frankie” many times, it feels less frightening. The show is about two women who had their lives turned upside down in their 70’s, became best friends, created their own business, and lived life fearlessly while making memories for 7 seasons. If this is still not enough to pull you in, I’m going to list my favorite pieces of wisdom and highlights from each season.
Season 1
Sometimes, you must look within yourself to figure out what the next step forward is.
This season is filled with moments that are just too good to spoil, but it is also filled with decisions on how to move forward. How does one move forward from a life turned upside down? Grace and Frankie got lucky because despite being polar opposites, being there for each other is exactly what they needed to survive such a shock. Frankie is a whirlwind of energy, although sometimes chaotic, and will try anything once. This convinces Grace to move outside of her comfort zone. Grace is a disciplined businesswoman who learns how to let loose while lending her knowledge to Frankie, who is learning to make things happen on her own again. The finale forces the duo to reckon with who they really are and what they want.
Season 2
Sometimes, the things we lose are for the best.
This season wasn’t as eventful as the first, but the surprises that did occur are definitely shocking. This particular season is one that I sometimes love to leave playing in the background because it is funny, has some wholesome moments despite the show’s lewd themes, and has a great finale. In the first episode of this season, Sol and Frankie make a mistake and find themselves uncomfortably entangled in their past. This season features the characters’ reflections about their present lives. The mistakes the characters make often result in some of the best episodes, and the finale leads into an exciting season 3.
Season 3
You are capable of anything if you believe you can accomplish it and have a friend or two to help you along the way.
This was one of my favorite seasons because this is when Grace and Frankie create their business plan. The business itself is something you have to watch to find out about. Every time I watch Grace and Frankie, the first season of episode 3 brings a shocked, yet pleasantly surprised, smile to my face. Grace’s extensive business background makes their business a real possibility, and Frankie makes her own true effort to get their invention off the ground. This is another great season that features women in their 70’s taking charge of their lives and making things happen despite their age. Many important things are discussedt and acknowledged in this season, which makes it truly impeccable. The finale signals big changes are on the horizon for the duo.
Season 4
If the change you made wasn’t the right one, you can always change your mind again.
This season was one that definitely had me on the edge of my seat. Grace and Frankie are reunited after their brief time apart, and things begin to change for the two. Grace has a new boyfriend that loves her biting wit and go-getter attitude. Frankie becomes a grandmother, which is exciting and sparks love for the rest of the cast like never before. The duo begin to encounter some challenges, and the last episode of this season was definitely unexpected. It’s easy to think it may be the end of the duo’s adventures, but hang on to hope!
Season 5
Never let other people dictate your choices, and never lose sight of your purpose.
This season begins with Grace and Frankie taking back their independence and setting the record straight to their families. They make interesting compromises to satiate their relatives’ worries about their “aging”. They don’t always handle the task of taking back their freedom gracefully, but that’s part of being human. Grace goes back to work at the business she created, which is currently being run by her oldest daughter, Brianna. My favorite thing about this season is how Grace and Frankie take back their independence in a real way. Of course, it is a TV show, so the events are the best case scenario, but watching them live their lives the way they choose to is heartwarming. Frankie makes a mistake with the business that Grace and her started, and the iconic pair are at odds to end the season. The finale is an interesting episode where the pair imagine their lives without each other.
Season 6
Never forget those that stood beside you from the beginning.
This season is an interesting one, and it features Grace and Frankie’s dating lives as a central plot element. I enjoyed this because it shows that it is normal to get caught up in situations, relationships, or people. Grace and Frankie stand beside each other through the ups and downs, as they have in all past seasons, up until the finale episode. This episode really cements the fact that standing beside the people who have supported you since the beginning will usually turn out for the best.
Season 7
Never give up hope because the best will always be yet to come when you have the right people by your side.
This season isn’t one I can really describe, because so many of the events are continuations of previous seasons. Yet, the prevailing theme, as always, is friendship. My personal favorite moment of this season happens in the last episode, when Frankie regretfully thinks she is going to have to give up her art, but Grace comes in to save the day. Once again, we see Grace show up for Frankie to bring her back to life. Frankie has been bringing Grace back to life since day one, and their subconscious give and receive relationship is heartwarming. Of course, it was sad to see the end of “Grace and Frankie”, but thankfully, there are 6 other seasons.
My mom started watching “Grace and Frankie” when it first premiered in 2015, and I was still in middle school. I guess you could say my first memory of the show was watching it with my Mom at a much simpler time in my life. Of course, I never knew that those simple moments watching a TV show with my Mom would become such precious memories to me. However, looking back as a 20-year-old who rarely has time to sit and watch things with her mother, I wish I had appreciated those times more. This is my personal reasoning behind my love (minor obsession) for “Grace and Frankie”. I hope this article serves as some inspiration to give it a watch.
References
Gibbons, S. (n.d.). What The Rise Of Netflix’s Original Content Can Teach Leaders About Diversity. Forbes. Retrieved December 3, 2023, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/serenitygibbons/2019/05/21/what-the-rise-of-netflixs-original-content-can-teach-leaders-about-diversity/?sh=82b8ac17a56b
Goodman, T. (2015, May 5). “Grace and Frankie”: TV Review. The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/grace-frankie-tv-review-793612/Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin’s Iconic Friendship Has Been Going Strong for Decades. (2020, January 19). Prevention. https://www.prevention.com/life/a30569510/jane-fonda-lily-tomlin-friendship/