Netflix’s Grace and Frankie screams brave feminity. A show about two women going through a divorce and coming out on top can be quite emotional but these two women do it with strength and poise. Our favorite BFF duo has been through a lot over the course of the show’s six seasons but with every episode comes independence and, of course, hilarious moments.
What was once a situation that should have broken these women down, actually built them back up to better versions of themselves. Along the way, these two women inspired women around them to be as strong and as capable as they. Let’s take a look at some of the strongest female moments in the show’s first six seasons.
ALLISON’S MOM STANDING UP TO HER VERBALLY ABUSIVE HUSBAND
We meet Allison’s parents a couple of times in the later seasons of Grace and Frankie. Allison warned Bud that her father Vince was obsessed with her brother and never seemed to appreciate her or his wife Goldie. We saw him belittle Allison in front of Bud—which triggered Bud to freaking out at Vince—and degrade his wife every time she spoke.
At Allison and Bud’s wedding, Goldie finally stood up to her husband and told him to pound salt (with a few curse words thrown in there). Fans were delighted to see such a sweet woman finally stand her ground against a man who treated her so poorly.
GRACE TAKING THE RYAN GOSLING CHAIR FROM ROBERT AND SOL
When Robert announced that he was leaving Grace for Sol, no one was more shocked than their wives. However, one could say it was easier for Grace and Robert to let go of their marriage than Frankie and Sol because the love left their marriage years ago.
Grace wasn’t happy but she was “happy enough.” Nevertheless, as Grace moved out of the home she built with Robert, it upset her that he got to live out his happily ever after, showing no signs of remorse. To get back at Robert, she took his prized Ryan Goslin chair because who else deserved to sit on his face than Grace?
CREATING VYBRANT TO HONOR WOMEN
As Grace and Frankie are getting to know each other more and becoming closer friends, Grace confides in Frankie that it’s hard for her to pleasure herself due to her arthritis. The two women realized that if they’re having troubles in the bedroom at their age then other women must be going through the same thing.
The two put their brains together and created Vybrat — a vibrator for women who had pains in their wrists and hands. They broke the stigma of talking about sexual health and encouraged other women to get to know themselves more in the bedroom and actually enjoy it.
WHEN MALLORY GOT DIVORCED TO FIND HER OWN HAPPINESS
With four kids and a busy husband, Mallory seemed happy in the earlier seasons of Grace and Frankie. But over time it was obvious that Mallory’s marriage was struggling and she was tired of being in a bland relationship.
Although it was scary, Mallory pulled the trigger and had a hard conversation with her husband. With four kids, it was scary for Mallory to leave the security of her husband’s job and presence but she chased her happiness and finally found what she was looking for: independence.
FRANKIE’S NATURAL LUBRICANT TO EMPOWER WOMEN
Can Frankie get any cooler? Before Vybrant caught on, Frankie sold her idea of a natural lubricant made out of yams to Grace, Brianna, and later on, Say Grace. Her natural lube was about to be in stores across the US.
As an artist and as a free-thinker, the thought of one of her projects coming to life and making a difference for women who were interested in a natural lifestyle projected Frankie into even more innovative ideas. She didn’t need her ex-husband Sol to bring home the bacon, she was doing it herself.
STEALING CIGARETTES TO MAKE A POINT
Grace and Frankie weren’t smokers but considering the bomb their husbands just dropped on them, a cigarette sounded pretty good to these besties. As they were at the checkout, the cashier completely ignored them as soon as a younger, more attractive woman showed up.
His dismissal of their presence sent Grace into a full-blown verbal attack on anyone who treated older people like they were already dead. Her tantrum was a little over the top but she stood up for herself and other women like her. Oh, and she stole the cigarettes on her way out of the store so she really got what she wanted after all.
HELPING BABE WITH ASSISTED SUICIDE
Babe was a mutual friend of Grace and Frankie’s and she was a real breath of fresh air. She was wise, unique, and had friends across the globe celebrating her name. But when she told Grace and Frankie that her cancer had come back and that she didn’t want to go through chemo again, she thought of a way to end her life in a peaceful and personalized manner: assisted suicide.
She thought of a plan and asked Grace and Frankie to honor her wish and help her kill herself in a peaceful way. The choice to help Babe or not was a hard one but they ultimately helped her because it was her body and her choice. Babe choosing how to end her life proved how strong of a woman she was and that bravery comes in all ages.
WHEN FRANKIE MET COYOTE’S BIOLOGICAL MOTHER
When Frankie’s son Coyote got sober, he decided to go on a hunt for his biological mother. His brother Bud was against the idea but supported his right to know. When the two finally had contact, Coyote gave his mother a head’s up that his biological mother would be in town and gave her the option to meet her.
Frankie is usually a brave woman but the idea of Coyote meeting his birth mom scared Frankie. However, she trusted him and their bond enough to know that he’d always be hers and to meet her for his sake. That took a lot of guts (and a lot of cheese) of Frankie.
WHEN BRIANNA ASKED FOR HELP
Contrary to the popular belief that asking questions or for help shows weakness, it actually shows great strength. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with asking for help when a person needs it most, which is what Brianna did when Say Grace was in trouble.
Out of all people we meet on Grace and Frankie, Brianna is normally the strong one who pities the weak. Her asking her mother for help when Say Grace was having financial issues was a huge act of strength for Brianna and took a lot of courage. Especially knowing how bull-headed her mother can be.
WHEN FRANKIE TOOK CONTROL OF HER FREE VIBRATORS AND DOUGHNUTS PROMOTION
Frankie and Grace are great business partners but there are times where their approaches differ. After a heated moment on Twitter, Frankie promised free doughnuts and vibrators on behalf of Vybrant.
This wasn’t the approach Grace would have went with, which led her to leave Frankie to handle the mess she created. When Grace came back from her trip, Frankie defied the odds and actually had an incredible plan that made sense and was a true shining moment for herself and for her character.
