Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce

"Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce" has been something of a guilty pleasure for me. I see its flaws, I get its limitations, I sometimes find its characters just too trying, and sometimes I'm just plain bored. But just like the characters who find Abby, the lead, lovable despite her all too apparent flaws, I've stuck with it and mostly enjoyed it. It's just "off" enough to be interesting.

The opening episode of season 5, the final one, has rewarded my dogged fealty with one of the best written season openers I've ever seen. It does everything you would want an opener to do--deal with the exposition in an interesting and innovative way, remind you of why you've been watching by reestablishing the characters and their storylines, but most importantly, setting up new directions for the show to go in order to justify yet another season. There's so much packed into this episode, so much is thrown at the characters (and us)--major life changes occur and major new conflicts are set up--and it pulls it all off with aplomb.

How do the writers pull this off? By using a formally innovative approach. Form is the way a story is told--the way it's structured, the way it's approached, in effect, the way it's composed.

This episode jumps around in time (something that's become very trendy and gimmicky these days and often doesn't really work) but in a very precise way and it also shifts the point of view among the main characters (This, in the writing biz, is called polyphony). So we have time-shifting and polyphony. (Only gifted writers need apply).

It opens at a glamorous media event complete with a red carpet and the whole gang's there. But then we see Delia in distress and Abby, Jo , and Phoebe drop everything to come to her aid.

Then, immediately we jump back to six months earlier. And Abby's in bed with--oops, no spoilers here, you'll have to watch to find out. We then go through the highlights of the previous six months of her life leading up to the glamorous media event. Step and repeat with each of the other main characters in turn. There are even a few of the very same scenes (where all the main characters are present) in each of the character's 6 month highlight reel so we eventually see that scene through each character's POV, and each time we learn something new.

Finally we circle back to the beginning and we're at the media event and now understand what's going on for each of the characters and why Delia is in crises mode.

But before this is fully resolved we jump to the next day (the present) and major life changes occur, new conflicts occur, new storylines develop and a new season is set up. And we've hit the ground running.

In one episode we see all this and somehow it all makes sense. This is great writing. Clearly, Girlfriend's Guide is going out in style.

Finally a show which speaks to an older demographic. Similar in genre to "Sex in the City". The dialogue was fresh and funny.The show started well, full of humour, sex and a good story line. But it's as if someone changed writers half way through and the tone changed to confusion anger and a very depressing tone. Abby's character as wishy washy, as she changes her mind about what she wants every few seconds. Lyla was a much better character than the neurotic Jo. Even happy Phoebe's funny character changes drastically. I was hoping for a comedic relief to escape to, but got irritated and depressed instead.The show has potential but needs to lighten up.

this show is delightful. witty, contemporary and wholesome. yes wholesome. suck on that. it is more wholesome to be free and a good person than a judgmental closet case. this show is an accurate portrayal of Angelinos into today's climate. thank you. finally.

Not only is it nice to see Los Angeles is an affectionate light (watch Los Angeles Plays Itself), but the acting is understated and pleasant. I'm reminded of the early days of Sex in the City, when people would host Manhattan drink parties and wait to see what Carrie would wear. Albeit, we've grown up. Sequin hot pants aren't going to cut it. The reality of home ownership, child rearing, wacky sometimes awesome friendships (old and new), and the demise, rebirth and creation of ideals, leaves a modern woman striped of certainty, often depressed, and in need of affirmation. This show is that and the top shelf bottle, without the fatty liver. Again thank you.

Remember Padawan, adaption is one of the seven traits that define life.

This Is THE most unrealistic show about women and divorce I have ever seen. There is not a character on there that is likable, including the kids. They're all contemptible! The adults, especially the narcissistic women, are all quite irritating/obnoxious, acting like slutty, temper-tantrum-throwing 13 year old girls.

Abby dancing around in her bra and panties in a house that is pretty much made of glass? Ridiculous.. She has a nice enough body, especially for a fifty year old, but it is not that nice. Watching her, I was reminded of Elaine's dancing on the Jerry Seinfield show ... only ... Abby is worse.

The male characters are OK, but the stereotypes are a bit old already.

Also everyone is decadently rich and hyper privileged. The kids are the parents and the parents are the kids. Their kids all go to a super privileged school for rich people, complete with a guarded, gated entrance.

Who lives like this? The ONLY believable character is Abby's editor, who explains to Abby what a "real" divorced woman is like, and she hits it dead on.

This show is designed to sell a lifestyle to a certain demographic. To think someone would relate or identify with these horrible characters, or worse yet, find themselves frustrated or feeling inferior because they can't meet the superficial standards portrayed by these creepy people, or even begin to think that they should, REALLY scares me.

The character of Abby is the worst, and the director shoves her down our throats. Are they married or something?

"Abby" is always posing and walking around with clothes best suited for her grandchildren. She is a beautiful women, but what is the costume designer thinking? Her character dresses like a 15 year old high school girl. She screws her boyfriend, (at the very beginning of their date) against a restaurant wall, her back end up, in an alley. Her lover is twenty years younger than her and can't keep his hands off her. OMG I think I just threw up in my mouth a little. Lisa E. is a beautiful "older" woman. However, as beautiful as she is, she needs to find a role more appropriate for her age, sorry.

The writing and dialogue is awful. Stop it or please get some new writers and a new costume designer.

No surprise that Janeane Garafalo quit. Talk about poor casting. She looks positively hospital-ready anorexic in a few of the first episodes

This show made me nauseous. I cannot believe there was or is a third season ... Continued dumb-ing down of mentalities here for sure. As a divorced woman in the same age range as these creepy people, I am offended and flabbergasted. No thank you.

I started watching Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce because of the comparisons some were making to Sex and the City (which I loved). I'm also a huge fan of Janeane Garofalo.

To be honest, the show is not at all what I expected, but I do like it quite a lot. The premise is clever, with each episode being named for one of the "rules" from Abby McCarthy's book. The relationships between the three women are different than those of the SATC girls, but they are at a different stage of life -raising families and navigating divorce. Much of the writing and characterization reminds me of Thirtysomething.

Is the show going to last beyond the first season? I'm not sure... I can see why the show wouldn't appeal to the younger, target audience of SATC, but more sophisticated viewers might find it entertaining. I am writing this after seeing episode #5. I'm starting to know the characters and really investing in their stories. I am hooked!