What I’m Watching: Grace and Frankie

Grace and Frankie: Season 2, Episode 3 “The Negotiation” (B+)

Much of this episode was unapologetically silly, but that’s what a lot of this show is about. One of my favorite second generation characters, Coyote, wasn’t around at all, but the other three more than made up for it. Frankie’s demand for $9 million as soon as Brianna announced her intention to market her yam lube was obviously ridiculous, but I love that it didn’t stop there. Bringing Bud in as her legal counsel and then refusing to sit down before Brianna did was pretty hilarious, and it only got more absurd from there as they negotiated and somehow ended up with a good deal that wasn’t what Frankie wanted but was much more than Brianna wanted to give. That’s the message of this show, to me, that people need to find their own attainable place of happiness after settling for less for so many years. I thought I recognized Conchata Ferrell, who earned Emmy nominations for blurting out suggestive insults on “Two and a Half Men,” as Grandma Jean, a fitting too-perfect rival for the less fun Grace, and it was great to see Grace win with her use of the truth and no babying to win over her grandson. Mallory telling her mom why she was shutting her out was also satisfying, and a nice bonding moment for the two of them. Sol reacting badly to things that weren’t his “kind of gay” was more than made up for by his sweet gesture that permitted Robert to have a wonderful experience in his hospital room courtesy of a traveling bingo emcee.