We recapped the first half of Grace and Frankie and then abruptly quit talking about it, but since it's been renewed, we should tie this up in a neat bow. As with other Netflix shows in the past like OITNB and Daredevil it didn't quite engage people in the blogging model as weekly series coverage does despite the fact that it was clear that most readers were watching. The problem, as documented in ongoing media hand-wringing and cultural conversations about binge-watching, is that nobody's ever on the same page.
But on the other hand people do seem to have ended up on (mostly) the same page with Grace & Frankie in terms of its overall quality. More...
The potential is there but it seems to be two different shows warring with each other -- an old school broad sitcom versus a modern psychologically subtle dramedy. This really came to a head in "The Earthquake" (1.6) in which the show revisited one of its most interesting relationships (Frankie & Sol, still deeply in friendship-love post divorce) within the context of super broad jokes. The fusion was... uncomfortable. Another sign of "what is this show trying to be and is the writing room at war?" was "The Elevator" (1.10) which uses the principle cast stuck in an elevator as an awkward way to do a flashback episode. The writing in this episode is very sloppy as its never entirely clear why the elevator or why it prompts this flashback.
Part of the problem is that the show is aiming to be an ensemble comedy when at its heart it's a star vehicle for Fonda & Tomlin, two of the most enduring entertainers in showbiz history. Scenes with Sol & Robert alone are nearly always duds (and reek of gay minstrel humor... they really should've cast gay actors in these roles because you can always feel these two "gaying it up") and the scenes with the four adult children are generally hit and miss. The 'defacto siblings by way of close parents' chemistry is unusual and cool and June Diane Raphael is exceptionally funny as Brianna but the scenes involving the four of them are some combo thereof are still all over the place in terms of quality - and when those scenes miss you're like "why aren't we watching Jane and Lily again???"
But the saving grace (no pun intended) of Grace and Frankie: Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin are marvelous in either register, broad sitcom or subtle dramedy. That fusion works best in the first couple of episodes and the final couple (which prompted this famous tweet from Miley Cyrus).
Co-sign! (or, rather, Retweet)
In fact, it wouldn't be an unhappy outcome if Jane & Lily both muscled their way into Emmy consideration and hogged 33% of Emmy's Best Actress in a Comedy Series shortlist this year. This is my dream lineup for the Emmys this year:
- Fonda, Grace & Frankie
- Kemper, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
- Kudrow, The Comeback
- Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
- Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer
- Tomlin, Grace & Frankie
...from my understanding the Togetherness cast are all campaigning as "supporting" (?) or I'd throw Melanie Lynskey in there. I cast this ballot with apologies to Poehler & Falco but it's time to shake things up with fresh shows.
It takes a lot of TV shows a second season to truly find their groove so fingers are crossed that the team on Grace & Frankie really zeroes in on their strengths (Fonda & Tomlin, duh!), and backgrounds their weaknesses.
How are you feeling about the prospect of a second season?