Friday, August 26, 2016

Better Late Than Never: Grace & Frankie Season 2

Netflix has been one of the most consistent performers when it comes to entertaining materials when it comes to dramatic and comedic series. Though the term 'binge-watching' was essentially created because of them and their original series, it is surprising how many of them hold up when watched by an episode by episode basis. This is not only true for several of their dramas, but also their sitcoms. And in that sense, I have found more than a bit of latitude for one of their more maligned series: 'Grace and Frankie', now in its second season. The majority of the critics who watched it dislike, but after viewing more than a season and a half I can't see why.
Part of the problem may be, in comparison with some of the better players like 'Master of None' and 'Kimmy Schmidt', these sitcoms have a level of hipness. Where as this series is comparatively lower key. Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin play the title roles, two seventy-ish women, who are still reeling with the fallout of their husbands Sol and Robert (Sam Waterston and Martin Sheen) revelation that they've been having an affair for the last twenty years. In the second season, Robert suffered a heart attack, which thwarted Sol's revelation that he'd slept with Frankie the day before their wedding, a fact that now everyone in the immediate family knows except Robert.
As fascinating as it is to watch Sheen and Waterston do comedy, much of the attention is still focused on the two women and their attempt to build new lives in the fallout of what has happened. Part of this deals with the problems of dating - Grace has just ended a relationship, and is now trying to reconnect with a man she considering leaving her husband for years ago. Frankie, in the meantime, is trying to grow a life that she basically abandoned over the last several decades - she's trying to earn her own living by selling all-natural feminine hygiene products, she's spent two episodes trying to renew her driver's license, and also gradually find her way back into the path of romance. It's obvious that Tomlin is far better at the comedy stuff than Fonda (her Emmy nomination actually is deserved), but surprisingly Fonda does a more than credible job trying to get back into the fish out of water face of her life.
I realize that the comedy is as rapier witty or socially meaningful as some of the other comedies even based from the limited field of the series on Netflix, but there's something to be said for a series that doesn't try to be high concept and is merely funny. I have laughed longer and harder at some of the jokes on this series than I have on 'Kimmy Schmidt', and there is something to be said for any series on any network having a cast that many deals with septuagenarians as its leads. Plus I am in favor of any series that gives great actors a home, and this show more than delivers; this season, we've had as guest stars Ernie Hudson, Craig T. Nelson, Rita Moreno, Swoosie Kurtz and Marsha Mason (and I'm only up to Episode 5!). Granted, the majority of the jokes on this series could be seen on any network, but if Netflix is the only series willing to give all these senior giants a home of their own, that's more than enough to be in its favor.
It's still not a perfect comedy, and it still strains at times to be different, but its enjoyable, and its makes me laugh, and I'm not anywhere near its target audience. I'm not surprised that it's been successful, and that it's already been renewed for Season 3; lest we forget, senior citizens watch TV to.

My score: 3.75 stars.

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