Warning: “Grace & Frankie” spoilers ahead.
Good heavens!
Friday marked the series finale episode drop of Netflix’s golden years comedy “Grace & Frankie” — one of the most successful senior-centered shows on television since “The Golden Girls.”
With the series coming to an end after seven seasons, stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin have blessed fans with a guest appearance by icon and friend Dolly Parton.
The country queen joined her “9 to 5” co-stars for the ending of their beloved show, portraying “Heaven’s Gatekeeper.”
The finale sees Fonda and Tomlin’s characters (Grace and Frankie, respectively) party with their friends and family for Frankie’s son Coyote (Ethan Embry) and fiancée Jessica’s (Christine Woods) commitment ceremony.
However, while Grace sips away at her signature martini she drops it onto Frankie’s microphone, and fatal electrocution sends the two women straight to the pearly gates.
They come-to in a white, office-like space to the sounds of a doorbell ringing. “Are you supposed to knock on heaven’s door?” Frankie asks.
The two stroll over the door’s threshold and see an angel before them: their old pal Parton.
“Well, hi girls!” Parton says, welcoming the women to the Great Beyond. She introduces herself as a “working-class angel,” named Agnes (see what she did there?), who hasn’t “had a promotion in 250 years.”
Apparently heaven has a “list” — a memo full of names for people ready to enter eternal paradise. Grace tries to tell Agnes that there has been a mistake and she’s not supposed to be dead yet.
Agnes explains it happens “now and again” and all Grace needs is for a “RETURN” stamp to be inked on her paperwork. But Frankie must remain in heaven because her name is on the list.
“If I can’t be with Grace, I’ll be in so much emotional pain, all the cheese in heaven won’t help,” a worried Frankie sobs to Agnes.
But as God’s emissary, Agnes states she won’t bend the rules for anyone. She looks on as besties Grace and Frankie say their tearful goodbyes.
With their foreheads touching, Frankie laments to her friend: “I love you, Grace.” Her friend lovingly returns the sentiment.
That’s when ‘ole Agnes cuts-in to slyly suggest that if she turned her back for a quick minute and a person just happens to stamp Frankie’s paperwork, there’s nothing she can do to stop the mishap.
Grace and Frankie decide to emboss Frankie’s paperwork together and they give a heartfelt farewell to Agnes before waking up back to reality in front of their family. The crowd scrambles to see if they’re OK, with Frankie telling them: “A little jet-lagged, is all.”
The show’s co-creator Marta Kauffman told Deadline they always intended to end on a high note.
“It’s a show about how you could start your life over at any point,” explains Kauffman. “And we knew that the end of the show had to have that feeling that it isn’t about doors closing.”
