6 things we like about the new Netflix comedy Grace and Frankie

Turning the Odd Couple trope on its head, Grace and Frankie centers around two recently divorced wives, played by Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, who go from enemies to best friends when their husbands come clean about their 20-year affair and wish to get married.

Grace (Fonda) and Frankie (Tomlin) find they’ve become unlikely roommates when they both claim the beach house co-owned by the two families. Their husbands Robert and Saul have been law partners for 40 years, but their wives never really clicked. Grace, uptight snooty socialite, is balanced neatly with free-spirited Frankie. Thankfully the jokes about one being ultra-tidy and the other a slob pass quickly and the friendship blossoms as the two women embrace the major change late in their lives.

What makes Grace and Frankie good, let’s count the ways

1

Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin are the odd couple
They might not be exact copies of Oscar and Felix and that’s fine by us. In fact the chemistry between the two veteran actors in their prime is brilliant, they’ve done this before in the movie 9 to 5 (and apparently they’re real-life friends). Sure there’s a bit of typecasting here (especially for Tomlin), but they fit into their roles really well, and evolve their characters through the series. Slowly Grace and Frankie move their lives on, supported and encouraged by each other while navigating the changing relationship with their ex-husbands.

2

There are many other great actors in the show
Netflix can always be expected to produce quality shows with exceptional talent. Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston star as gay couple Robert and Saul with recognizable faces rounding out the primary cast. Throughout the series a number of strong actors appear including Ernie Hudson, Craig T. Nelson, Corbin Bernsen and Barry Bostwick.

3

It’s a show about older women (like a modern Golden Girls)
We don’t see many older women on television which is silly because not only does the audience exist but they’re humorous and relevant. What might seem like risks for Netflix are perfectly calculated decisions based on their wealth of audience data, and most of all good writing.

4

The story of two older men coming out
While the show is about the two women and the fall-out from their divorces, the new couple figure into the storyline both as it affects the wives and children but also as Robert and Saul adjust to being an out couple. Except for Vicious, there are few shows featuring older gay couples (much like the lack of shows about older women). Coming out later in life is still common, telling that story and that of older gay couple is great.

5

The story is not only about Grace & Frankie
In the first episode were introduced to the two families, two couples and four children, and over the 13 episodes we watch the drama and tension in each character’s life, not simply in the two primary relationships but the dynamic between the grown children and with their parents (and step-parents).

6

Variable episode lengths
The producers didn’t stick to the standard 22-minute format used for broadcast television running episodes between 26 and 35 minutes. This means each story is allowed to develop and play out without being forced into a rigid formula. Many tv critics have suggested not being bound to a set schedule and being flexible is an opportunity for Netflix (and similar services).

Grace and Frankie is available now on Netflix