From drugs to sexuality, we see a lot of content surrounding teenagers. Even adulthood has its fair share of representation in shows like Virgin River or The Good Doctor. But, one demographic we don’t often see on our screens is that of old people. Grace and Frankie is one of the very few shows that showed us the harsh reality of old age in a wholesome setting. Before this Netflix series became popular, very few of us who aren’t in constant contact with old people would have considered the cost of prescription drugs one of the largest challenges of one’s life. Here’s what showrunner Marta Kauffman has to say about why the representation we see in Grace and Frankie was so important and difficult to bring to life.

Grace and Frankie- Netflix’s longest-running series that still wasn’t long enough

Grace and Frankie began with two old gay men coming to terms with their sexuality after their respective long-running marriages. After their separation, we watched Grace and Frankie go through a lot together. They rediscovered their goals and found a new, more exciting, and fulfilling life for themselves. The show had a mostly positive ending as both the successful walk toward the sunset, hand-in-hand, knowing they have a true friend by their side.

However, the ending of the Netflix series wasn’t entirely happy. The creators touched on a lot of dark topics. One of them is a weakening memory. Kauffman said, “people of a certain age do start dealing with memory issues.” While the show, being a comedy, could easily avoid it, Kauffman and the rest of the team had “we’ve always wanted the show to have an underpinning of being real.”

Hence, the showrunner talked about the necessity of showing the “heartbreaking” topic. But, the challenge was bringing it to life in a manner that was not dramatic. Grace and Frankie had always been largely light-hearted despite the numerous dark themes it has. Fading memory is another phenomenon that was a part of the script that needed to be executed in a manner that felt exactly like the rest of the wholesome show.

Clearly, Kauffman has done the job right as fans largely have only good things to say about Grace and Frankie and its finale. Stream on Netflix now!