Grace and Frankie: The Elevator
June 7, 2015 1:00 PM - Season 1, Episode 10 - Subscribe

This is not the bottle episode you were expecting, nor is it really about an elevator. After the divorce papers are signed, everyone flashes back to five years ago on Labor Day weekend.

The exes (and Bud) have all signed the divorce papers and are in an elevator together. Yeah, you know what's going to happen from the title alone, right?
Grace's claustrophobia kicks in and everyone tries to help. She collapses to the floor. "I've got pot gummies, eat THIS!" Frankie says. Bud also starts to have a panic attack, which reminds him of five years ago when he had the first one...(which oddly enough is never shown in this episode.).

Cut to Labor Day, five years ago. The men are secretly discussing outing themselves, apparently. At lunch, Robert tries to bring it up, talking about the NY business trip...when a pregnant Mallory and Mitch walk in (they left the first kid somewhere else). Surprise! Everyone's coming here! Frankie coos over Mallory's stomach and is otherwise in a good mood. Mitch says that Frankie is more excited than the pregnant women at his work. Since she never got to do it herself, it's special to her.

Grace is directing everything and says that if they eat at 7:10, they will have failed. She claims she won't work all weekend and takes a work call. Frankie grumbles that Grace works too hard.

Cut to Mallory, Mitch, and pool noodles in the pool. Wow, that is a good fake stomach in a bikini in the water! Coyote (with a lot more hair) walks in, discussing his date. He also pulls out some weed.

Brianna and Bud are playing some hand slapping game on the couch, talking about work. She called her boss "dumber than fuck" in e-mail. Bud points out that bosses don't like that, but Brianna doesn't care and says he shouldn't be dumber than fuck, then. Brianna wins the hand game and says Bud gets the couch.

Frankie makes natural gunk in the blender while Grace is on hold on the phone--she's obsessed with taking care of a pregnant woman. Grace gets disconnected.

The husbands debate about how they're the biggest assholes ever and while they didn't out themselves, they dodged a bullet when M&M walked in. They look at a calendar to reschedule and can't find any dates. Grace yells at them to go make the marinade and the guys claim they're planning an Alaska trip. Grace points out even more bad dates and grumbles that she'll do the chicken herself. Robert is all, "Alaska in January?!" "I cracked!" Sol says.

Mitch and Coyote try to figure out the playhouse Coyote got for their first kid. Coyote snorts up.

Grace is still on the phone, bitching about trying to get a hold of someone in Singapore. How's your work, Brianna? It's the usual shit. Grace comments that Brianna is the smartest person in the room and the least liked--Grace may even share those qualities. She tells Brianna how to figure out how to play with others and Brianna answers, "or be the boss."

Coyote does tai chi While smoking. Frankie coos over Mallory's belly again and Mallory gets her to leave by requesting Ovaltine. Mallory asks Coyote how much coke he's on right now, and he claims to be naturally energetic. Mallory doesn't want to talk about...well, I guess he got her pregnant one summer and she had an abortion. "Can you imagine me with a 9-year-old?" Mallory says the last few times she's seen him, he's been really high, and he says he's fine and runs off.

G&F argue over who'll make the Ovaltine. Frankie want to rub Mallory's belly and Grace is all when you're pregnant, you don't want to be touched, which you'd known if you'd ever been pregnant. Ouch.

Sol has now told people they are going to Hawaii in March. We really need to pick the exact right time. Robert rags on sol for losing his nerve. Sol hates to hurt people.

"You do realize I have a knife in my hand?" Frankie doesn't like Grace right now becasue of the pregnancy remark, which Grace denies saying or at least intending. Frankie is all, you don't even take me seriously as a mother and Grace is all, you're not on my radar. That pisses Frankie off and she says Grace likes being busy and important and she can lord it over others. Brianna walks in and takes over Frankie's chopping.

Mallory's water just broke. Coyote stares. Frankie is excited and tells Grace. Grace hands Brianna the phone and makes her take over the deal. "Listen up, you little piece of shit...." Brianna starts.

Is Mallory about to give birth right here on the floor? Yes, the baby is in her pants. Sol passes out in Bud's arms. Wow, that was amazingly fast. Eesh. This looks...weird. What was that, a 2 second birth? Everyone sits around and looks at Madison. "That's the name?" Grace says. "That's probably why she didn't tell you," Frankie says. Grace apologizes to Frankie. She thinks motherhood started when she held her baby--Frankie too. Brianna rocked that business deal. Brianna doesn't like the baby name either, but there's nothing they can do about it.

Later that night Robert smokes a stoagie on the patio. Sol comes in and congratulates him. Both of them are glad Sol was there for the birth. He wants to be there for these moments and not just share secret looks. He's ready any time to tell. Bud's asleep on the couch as Robert walks through after that conversation.
Grace is up with a cup and can't sleep. Grace has decided to retire this year and hand the company over to Brianna. Seriously?! Grace thinks it'll be great for her and for us. She misses Robert and wonders if they could reconnect. Robert says "wonderful" and stares into space.

And that's why he decided to stay, Robert says, as they're back in the elevator. His heart broke for Grace and he had to give her what she wanted. "Of course, it was crueler not to leave." Could have saved us both five years, Grace says. Bud says he could have... because he woke up and saw them making out outside. So that's why he panicked at breakfast (presumably the next morning, which we don't see)! He was drunk and half asleep and put it out of his mind. Frankie gets that he didn't want to know. She doesn't blame him. Grace says they wouldn't have believed him and Frankie said she got five more years with his dad. Bud and Frankie hug. Grace joins in. Sol wants to and Grace is all "too many people!" Sol hugs Robert instead. The elevator is fixed.
posted by jenfullmoon (5 comments total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Was I the only one who wasn't 100 percent clear that the flashback was a flashback and got very confused for a minute there?
posted by Etrigan at 1:27 PM on June 7, 2015


(I watched a lot of these while multi-tasking, so if there was an on-screen indication that I just missed, my bad.)
posted by Etrigan at 1:35 PM on June 7, 2015


I think the flashback was a little weird, but not as bad as "The Fall," thank god. Totally not what I expected in a bottle episode.

So we know Mallory and Coyote boinked once upon a time and she aborted the baby, and he and Mitch used to be friends. Still don't know why The Incident, though.

We never did see Bud's panic attack that supposedly brought on this flashback, did we?

And those two did hold off for wow, a reaaaaally long time.
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:54 PM on June 7, 2015


Oh, I wonder if Grace did get the beach house, and if Frankie got anything at all.
posted by jenfullmoon at 5:20 PM on June 7, 2015


That had the be the fastest birth in the history of everything ever. From no niggles to waters breaking to a single push and baby is born into pants. Twenty seconds, max.

That would SERIOUSLY hurt, and rip a few things.
posted by tracicle at 2:00 AM on June 13, 2015 [1 favorite]


« Older Grace and Frankie: The Invitat...   |  Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Th... Newer »

You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments

poster