I’m unwell, and I’ll be unwell for the foreseeable future. As a woman who has oft collected friendships with women far outside my age, there’s something truly beautiful about a show that illustrates the beauty in finding friendship in unexpected places. The people I’ve clicked with most over the years weren’t specifically because of age or circumstances. It’s been because of who we are and what we share. I have best friends almost a decade younger than me, over a decade younger than me, and decades older. Ava said it best earlier this season when she acknowledged that she doesn’t think it’s weird that they’re best friends. They click, and when it comes to surrounding yourself with your people, that’s what you should be looking for. People who make you the best version of yourself, no matter their age, sex, gender, whatever. Surround yourself with people who challenge you and help you grow. And on that note, let’s discuss the finale that emotionally eviscerated me from the jump.
Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Jean Smart, & Christopher McDonald
“It’s perfect.”
Hannah Einbinder
We open with Ava (Hannah Einbinder) on set. It’s the first day of filming the “Who’s Making Dinner?” reboot, and it’s so beautiful to see our little baby bird spread her wings and fly. She’s doing so well. I’m so proud of her. And Deb (Jean Smart) is seeing her comedy club come to fruition, under her own name as well. Happy that Marcus slipped that past her. It’s much better this way as a piece of her legacy, helping comedians get their start. Kiki (Poppy Liu) got upgraded to Pit Boss. I’m sorry, Pit Mama. And even DJ (Kaitlin Olson) shows up to give support at the grand opening. Meanwhile, Mayor Jo (Lauren Weedman) cuts herself, and Jimmy (Paul W. Downs) has an anthrax scare because, of course, douches at Latitude are pranking the mail.
Jean Smart & Hannah Einbinder
Jean Smart
But more importantly, the vacation is still on because Deb has something to come clean about with Ava. It turns out that when she had that mysterious surgery, the mass wasn’t completely removed. And what was left has metastasized. I don’t wish that word on anyone. Watching people you love lose their battles with cancer is decimating. Well, joke’s on all of us because Deb’s got a plan. A trip through Europe that ends with assisted suicide…ok, not the gold star trip I was expecting…nor was Ava. And at first, Ava can’t do it. She can’t just agree to go along with it and watch Deb die. But Ava can’t leave her alone either. So she agrees to go and make the best of it. But even after nearly dying, learning to drive stick shift in Paris, and taking drugs and dancing in the discotheque, Ava sees what she’s about to lose, and it breaks her.
Megan Stalter & Paul W. Downs
“Then unload one, you greedy fucker.”
W. Earl Brown, Megan Stalter, & Paul W. Downs
Back home, Jimmy’s been having some success in the mail room. You see, when you anoint someone to go through the mail, you give them far more power than you might realize. It doesn’t take Jimmy long to get enough information that Kayla’s (Megan Stalter) Dad has been skimming off the top. Big no-no, and even if a chunk of the company wants to walk away, I have zero doubts that Jimmy will have things squared away in no time. Day one and he’s taking Bob Lipka’s (Tony Goldwyn) phone calls, so I think these two will do just fine back at Latitude. Not to mention Randi’s (Robby Hoffman) got the corner office now and if anyone can hold shit down, it’s that girl.
Hannah Einbinder & Jean Smart
“Please, please don’t leave me.”
Hannah Einbinder & Jean Smart
Ava stays up all night finding research, drug trials, anything that will convince Deb to fight this. But Deb’s tired of fighting. She has control right now to do things the way she wants, and as a woman who has been fighting for so long to be heard, it makes sense that she wants to go out her own way. Ava gives in to the morbidity, and they make some jokes, and in the end, Ava doesn’t need to convince Deb. She just needed to let Deb be. Because Deb can’t walk away from a bit, she can’t just walk away from comedy. She has to make the joke. She has to see if it lands. And whatever may come from treatment, she’ll have someone beside her to help write the last jokes whenever and whatever those may be. I’m crying just sitting here writing this because I couldn’t have picked a more perfect ending if I tried. Deb always has to have the last word, and she has a best friend beside her to help her do that.
“Will you help me write it?”
Jean Smart & Hannah Einbinder
We got to watch these two grow and evolve together over the last five years, and it’s been beautiful to be part of. The whole cast kept me laughing constantly. I don’t know what the creative team behind this is doing next but whatever it is, HBO better buy it because they’re amazing and I want to watch anything they choose to make. It’s probably time to start a rebinge or something. I just know I’m going to be a depressed diva for the foreseeable future without my comedy queens. How can you just walk away from a show when you’ve been made to feel like they’ve been your friends the whole time? If I can’t get over it and I just stay obsessed with them forever, would I be a hack? I think I’m okay with that…
