GIRLFRIENDS on Netflix!

[lotussnow]

Just saw it on Netflix!

Watched this show a long time ago and I remember enjoying it, though can't remember everything about it. Never forgot the intro song though...just love it!

I know!!!! I've started watching it as I was too young when it aired the first time. Soooooo excited!

Just realised I have the same favourites from when I used to watch it. Joan still annoys me a bit. My surprise so far are Davis and Yvonne - I don't even remember them at all but find them really funny. Hope to see more of them.

I loved this show! Can't wait to watch it again

I just want to say I've watched it twice now. Really sad it was cancelled and season 8 ended so abruptly.

Made me want to watch the Game again as I actually didn't realise it was a spin off from Girlfriends.

Cried my eyes out when Joan finally got engaged.

Am astounded at how much has changed but nothing at all regarding all the issues being discussed on the show re: colourist, racism, police brutality, code switching and working in white spaces.

I love William but am iffy on some of his behaviour. Darnell and Mya really had great character development over the seasons but I feel like Lynn got the short end of the stick and they for laxy making her a running gag.

Was so sad to see Toni leave.

Rewatched the Black-ish Feminisn't episode and it was funny as I got the references at last.

Real big LOL at the President Clinton joke and free healthcare in like 2002 and the same discussion is still going on.

I'm a little huh at the obsession with marriage but it was a damn good show and very well written esp the first few seasons.

Loved It

Am I wrong or are all these actors seriously underappreciated? Also really wanted Joan to end up with William but it was not to be. I also loved their friendship so maybe they were better off as friends.

I never watched Girlfriends when it came out. I've just started season 8.

I've enjoyed watching Darnell and Maya's character development too. I do think since Toni left it hasn't really been the same for me, she irritated me so much, but I actually miss her.

I find William quite rude actually, but I dont know if that's because I'm thinking with 2020 brain. I also don't like their portrayal of all the gay men and comments about good hair. Youre right though a lot of the things they covered back then are still relevant discussions today.

Joan does my head in! I dont find her character strong enough to be the lead. For me her storyline aren't that great.

I loved Toni in it and Joan also, glad she has gone on to do great things. Can’t believe toni didn’t come back it did feel lack lustre after she left and then just ending the show like that, such disrespect. Great show (first time I’ve seen it) binged watched the whole thing!

Some of you have spoilt it for those of us who haven't finished. I know I watched it back then but I don't remember a lot of it. I don't really care though

Watching the show from a modern pov, A LOT of things they (all of them) said which flew over my head before, now made me so uncomfortable and some even pissed me off (eg: Good hair? wtf??) but I still see it as what it is: done when those things weren't seen as they are now.

I like William, he's really funny but I lol and smh at the same time at a lot of his lines because that shit wouldn't fly now. There's no way he'd get those lines in this day and age.

I also really like Toni and took her the same way I did William: not so seriously most of the time.

I like Maya on her own, though not keen on her reverse snobbery. I could take or leave her storyline with Darnell. It was a good one still, I agree. Great character development.
Spoiler (?): They changed her love interests twice, poor her or shall I say, go her? Darnell was played by 2 actors and Toni's brother was also played by two actors.

I like Joan but her constant drama and whining about relationships/marriage, etc drains me. (Same way I felt about Friends. Watched it again for the umpteenth time and the whinging about boyfriends/girlfriends, dates, valentine's, etc just does my head in).

I thought Lynn's character was interesting in the beginning and I really liked her but at some point, I agree it felt there wasn't much else of substance they gave her to do. I also note Lynn bore the brunt of the mixed race jokes when the actor who played Joan (Tracee Ellis Ross) is also mixed race. May have just been me but there seemed to be a bit of an awkwardness with Joan (or Tracee herself?) each time it happened. I noticed Joan never really teased Lynn in that way herself so they either didn't give Tracee those lines or she refused them?

Am I wrong or are all these actors seriously underappreciated?

@Dastardlythefriendlymutt No, you're not wrong. They are! They all did a fantastic job. Every single one. I think there were talks of a reunion sometime. It was on Youtube but I don't know what became of that plan.

Jenifer Lewis always steals the show whenever she's on a scene. I love that woman!

Was pleasantly surprised to see Malik Yoba (God I forgot so many people were in the show, even Idris Elba!) and her scenes with Joan were some of the most heartfelt I've ever seen in a show. Spoiler(?): When Joan was trying to break up with him in the middle of the night, I could almost feel the searing pain in his heart with that wince he did right before tears rolled down his face. God, my heart broke for him! even though I don't agree with how they started their relationship

Sorry I should have posted spoiler alert

I loved William but some of his behaviour was problematic and overlooked because he fit the biceps guy narrative but I found him controlling to ask Yvonne/Yavonne to quit her job and proposing in order to get his way but not really being genuine (I had a disagreement with a male relative when I said he was controlling and he said I was overreacting and over sensitive so maybe I was ?!), but the controlling thing came up again when he was dating the 20 year old and trying to make her his "ideal women".

All the same I did enjoy the writing esp early in the seasons. I think besides the problematic "good hair" references and cringeworthy portrayals of gay men, the obsession with marriage and Toni's attempts at gold digging it seems quite a progressive show for the noughties. (Well I don't cringe as much as when rewatching my favourite white shows from the same period).

I'm disappointed they didn't get more opportunities except Tracee. Despite Tracee's drama obsession and draining preoccupation with marriage (also 30 being the benchmark for old maid), I literally felt her heartbreak with Brock which was testament to the level of acting.

I also like how they dealt with the BBC hypersexualisation and fetishization of black men with Jabari and the domestic abuse issue with the new beighbours. It really did go from pure sitcom to dramedy but I did enjoy it.

I'm going to break out Soul Food next. Honestly the 90s and early noughties were the golden age of black TV. It was also nice to see some unambiguously black actors on screen not just the current aesthetic Hollywood thinks is normal '(yes Kenya Barris - I'm looking at you and your brown paper bag too).

The last 2 seasons they really started to tackle serious issues such as the domestic violence episode and the adoption one. Oh the thing that happens to Maya and Darnell (don't want to give it away).

It felt like the show was on the edge of becoming even bigger than it was, and then all of a sudden it just stopped. I was waiting for netlfix to skip to the next episode but it never did. Gutted. It ended with no real end at all. I would love to see a movie in the future. All the women look great in 2020 and would love to see them on our screens again.

I agree that it would seem they didn't get many opportunities. I have never seen any of the women aside from Tracey, anywhere before. Has anyone seen them in any other film/show?

Golden Brookes (Maya) did a reality tv show some time with Countess Vaughn (from the TV show 'The Parkers') and others like Malika Haqq. I saw some clips but never really watched it in full.

I haven't followed them so not sure if they've done anything else besides this (I'll say they possibly have but nothing major?).

Tracee seems to have good PR/agent because she's everywhere Being the daughter of Diana Ross, which she never ever fails to mention at any given moment, doesn't hurt either lol

I agree about William being controlling. I thought what he did (even hiring a fake mum. Who does that?!) was appalling! I wouldn't say his behaviour was overlooked though anymore than Joan and Toni's toxicity were. These things were touched on but not as much as I think it would be now if the show was made in this day and age. They weren't as apparent then as they are now, that's for sure.

And Kenya Barris...urrgh! Agree.

Yes it was definitely addressed esp the dating the 21 year old and Yavonne stopping the wedding even though she blamed herself but I think William was to blame as well.

Joan and Toni's co dependent relationship was just too much, and both quite toxic esp Joan's need to needed but I do like they showed the therapy sessions, the quitting prematurely when you think you have a handle on things and Joan going back, even Toni going to therapy because of her issues was great. So although it was funny it was made clear that their behaviour was not okay or normal or something to emulate.

Tracee is very fortunate in having a great publicist. I see her everywhere esp as a "fashion icon?!" (or trying to be, maybe if you call yourself one enough times it will be true?), and she sang her mum's song as a tribute at an awards show.

Jill Marie Jones has quite an extensive discography with recent roles in quite a few recent popular shows but they also seem like small roles and 1 or 2 episode features which is sad. I wonder if she regrets leaving a hit show to pursue movies? Although she can always say she tried and doesn't have to wonder "what if?"

Persia White has a band but not seen her since except for Black-ish.

Can I also just unashamedly plug Kings of Jo'burg and How to Ruin Christmas (The Wedding) on Netflix too, if you are looking for something to watch.

(Don't judge I'm an insomniac)

haha sure you can. Plug away, anyone who has more. Don't mind at all. Thanks for the mentions.

🤣🤣🤣🤣 I'm actually liking Netflix for black series and movies. I'd say the majority of what I've watched this year is black content. Happy to say.

filmography not discography...stupid autocorrect.

The show brings back to many memories. But there are things I found problematic then and now. Toni's characters- phew! I mean Jill Marie Jones played her well but my goodness what a bitch she was. So many short jokes about Todd. The obsession with money. Stopping the Jewish ceremony. Toni's mum Varetta and her obsession with Christianity.

Then the show making Joan almost saintly - saving everyone from themselves.

Lynn and those awful episodes where they tried to introduce her singing career.

But overall the show was so underrated. The acting is as stellar all round. I stopped watching when Toni got divorced since she was really working my nerves. I'll continue soon enough though now that I've had a break lol