'Girlfriends' Season Series Finale?

So last night I caught the 1 hour season finale of CW11's "Girlfriends" and all I kept wondering was..is this the season or series finale? Hhmmmm..makes you wonder doesn't it?


I have been speculating over the last few episodes that this may be the final season of Girlfriends. While I have heard some rumors, there has been no definite mention of the sort but the way everything seems to have come together for Joan, Mya, Lynn and even Monica in these last few episodes speak volumes. I love how writers can drag a story line or issue out for months but when they are ready to tie up a show it can be done in a matter of an hour. I dont know how I feel about this. Sitcoms that have been on this long deserve a more solid ending vs. the "happily ever after" quick wrap up some of the longest running shows in history tend to give us. Let's look closely at this:


Monica (Keesha Sharp), who grew on me more and more with each episode, has been refusing to take William (Reggie Hayes) back after separating from him only minutes after saying "I Do." But for a "quicky" wrap up, she jumps William's bones after feeding him some food while working at the restaurant. And so for the balance of the episode, Monica and William get their freak on until she decides she wants him back. This happy reunion was rather anticlimatic if you ask me. But nonetheless, I enjoyed Monica as the replacement for Toni Childs this season.


Speaking of Toni..where the hell was she? Couldn't CW11 offer Jill Marie Jones a temp gig and allow her to be present for Joan's (Tracey Ellis Ross) engagement moment? But then again, I doubt Jones would even consider coming back to the show seeing how her 'girlfriends' supposedly stabbed her in the back.


But anyhoo, Joan was finally getting the proposal of her dreams and her husband-to-be invited everybody under the sun to celebrate. Am I the only one who thought Toni was going to be one of the familiar faces at the party?

The drama leading up to the proposal was great though. I particularly enjoyed the interactions between Lynn and Mya as they aided Aaron (Richard T. Jones) with the proposal.

As for Mya (Golden Brooks), my favorite of the bunch, she gets her dream house....yet again!


After getting knocked up, Mya and family packed up and headed back to LA where they stayed with Joan until they find the perfect home. Darnell (Khalil Kain) at the last minute is given a career oportunity of a lifetime which is to buy, own and operate his own garage. Not sure if he should make this purchase or if he should buy a house for his growing family becomes Darnell's plight for the show.


In the end, he buys the garage but was able to work out a lease-to-own deal with the owner of Mya's dream house making it possible for both dreams to be realized. Yet another perfectly wrapped ending. All I want to know is does this new house have a gym because Darnell is need of one. Im just saying, does the role of Darnell require that you be out of shape, with no muscle definition and have a slight gut? And if so, why the wife beaters? But in all fairness, this brother is 42 years old and can easily pass for 29 maybe even younger if he shed a few pounds.


And last but not least there is Lynn (Persia White)who last week finally got a real singing gig after damn near 8 seasons of being a struggling artist. Another anticlimatic ending if you ask me. I think Lynn should have gotten a record deal at some point during this show, and maybe even end up being dropped due to poor record sales. This is the way I would have developed her story line to keep it fresh and current over the last couple of years instead of giving her pointless relationship and job ventures.

So the verdict is still out. Season or Series Finale? I guess we will just have to wait until the fall to see if the "girls" will still be our "friends" for another season. But if not, I commend the creator and writers of this show for giving the black community exactly what the whites gave theirs when they created "Sex In The City". Too many times we see successful white sitcoms on TV that I know can be just as successful and just as entertaining had the cast been all black.

Black Monday: The Good!

So yesterday was what I like to call "Black Monday". CW11 gives us two primtime hours of nothing but good straight-up black humor. But is it all good?

Everybody Hates Chris was very good last night. The writing on this show can be hilarious but I have a friend who beleives the show is too over the top at times. For example, a teacher (Orlando Jones) coming to your home in the hood to give you an exam. How likely was that to happen back in the 80's? Well, maybe not. But the areas where the show is relatable is what makes this show a must see. For example, Rochelle's (Tichina Arnold) wardrobe is always on point! Everytime I see her I immediately get flash-BLACKS! (You read correctly...that was not a typo.)



Girlfriends last night was one of my all time favorite episodes! And I hate to admit it but I dont miss Toni (Jill Marie Jones) at all. At first I didn't think the show was going to last without the sassy one but I was wrong. The switch to 3 'girls' was as seemless as when Destiny's Child decided to ditch their fourth becoming the modern day Supremes.



Siderbar: Speaking of The Supremes...check out today's Black Watch!

Anyhoo...

Last night, my favorite character on the show, Maya, (Golden Brooks) suspects her newfound neighbor, Alicia (China Shavers), is being beat by her husband Ray (Carl Anythony Payne). But while her 'friends' dismiss her suspicions it turns out something was "going on up in the Haciendas"! The show ends with the battered wife turning to Maya and Darnell (Khalil Kain) for help after repeatedly denying and hiding the truth. So what happens now? If my TV Predictable Radar (TVPR) is correct, I sense the battered wife will take up residency with the couple until she can get back on her feet. But during this time, I foresee some sexual tension brewing when Darnell and Alicia end up living under the same roof. What yall think?



In closing, let me just say that this episode of Girlfriends embodied everything I hope to achieve while writing my script. Mixing humor with serious issues such as domestic violence is not easy. And I paid attention closely yesterday as the show transitioned us the audience back and forth from seriousness to laughter. All I can say is...well done.

Stay tuned later as I dish on Black Monday: The Bad!