Why Haven't You Watched Grace and Frankie Yet?
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The second season of Netflix's comedy series Grace and Frankie hits the streaming service this week. Even though we're sure you've said to yourself, 'I do love Lily Tomlin,' you may have also thought, 'Not for me' about the show. To be fair, the comedy, about two women in their 70s (Tomlin and Jane Fonda) whose husbands reveal they're gay and leave them for each other, does look like it skews older and might not be as appealing as say, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. However, if you dismissed the new series as a modern Golden Girls, I have some reasons you should reconsider.
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You'll Fall Madly in Love With Frankie
If you already love Lily Tomlin, this will reinforce everything you have felt about her. If you don't love Lily Tomlin, then you need to watch this even more. Frankie is the breakout character of this show, eclipsing all others around her because she's so funny, so human, so inimitable. "Free spirit" is the cliché that comes to mind, but she's much more than that, with her hippieish philosophies, glamorous caftans, and most of all, witticisms. You'll want her to be your mom, your friend, or you'll just want to be her.
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You Already Love (or Will Love) the Supporting Cast
Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin get top billing, but the supporting cast deserves kudos as well. There are veteran actors Sam Waterston and Martin Sheen, but your favorite characters (besides Frankie) will probably be their children, played by Ethan Embry, Brooklyn Decker, Baron Vaughn, and comedy standout June Diane Raphael. Bonus: Craig T. Nelson pops up as a guest star, too.
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It's Right On About Friendship
Grace and Frankie do not bond right away over their husbands being gay and leaving them. In fact, they hate each other, but you know by the title that eventually they come to be some sort of pair. Grace and Frankie is unique in the way that it has a sort of traditional TV will-they-or-won't-they, only the question is whether these two will actually become friends. Spoiler alert: they do, but the ups and downs they have to surmount are organic — and relatable if you've ever had a friendship that took some time to develop.
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At the End of the Day, It's About Family
Hey, you have a family, right? Then you'll totally relate to the conflicts of Grace and Frankie. While the two families at the center may have a more unusual issue than most, the way the characters deal with the blending of their families is not. You'll also appreciate that the show is not glib about fathers/husbands/law partners Robert (Sheen) and Sol (Waterston) falling for each other. While the subject of two men coming out in their 70s isn't quite as deftly treated as, say, Transparent, it's also not The Birdcage.
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The Humor Really Goes There
Yes, there is some older-person humor, but you do not have to be older to appreciate it. The best part of the comedy is that it pushes the envelope; there's a whole episode dedicated to talk of vaginal dryness (it's funnier than it sounds), and why yes, that is a giant mechanical penis that Bud (Baron Vaughn) is astride. So don't worry that the comedy won't be edgy enough for you.