Grace and Frankie: The Final Wave opens five years after the series finale, finding our favorite frenemies-turned-soulmates, Grace Hanson and Frankie Bergstein, still living together in their beloved beach house. Now in their late 80s, the passage of time has only deepened their bond and, naturally, multiplied their eccentricities. Frankie, ever the free spirit, has begun a fervent new artistic obsession: creating massive, somewhat questionable driftwood sculptures that she insists are “statement pieces on the ephemerality of existence,” much to the chagrin of the local Homeowners Association, led by a newly retired and exceedingly stressed Brianna.
The central conflict ignites when a ruthless property developer announces plans to acquire their entire stretch of Malibu coastline for a luxury resort, threatening to tear down the iconic beach house that has become the literal foundation of their second act. This existential threat spurs Grace back into her formidable business mogul mode. She begins assembling a motley crew of resistance, including her skeptical daughters and Frankie’s endlessly supportive sons, Coyote and Bud, to fight a legal and publicity battle against a corporation that seemingly has unlimited resources.
Meanwhile, their ex-husbands, Robert and Sol, face their own challenges. Robert’s memory issues have become more pronounced, leading to some genuinely tender and heartbreaking moments as Sol desperately tries to anchor him to their shared life, often by recreating significant, silly, and poignant moments from their decades-long romance. This subplot reinforces the theme of enduring love in the face of decline, mirroring Grace and Frankie’s own journey of acceptance and unwavering support for each other, even when they’re driving one another absolutely mad.
The grand plan to save the house involves a classic Grace-and-Frankie scheme: a spectacular, star-studded benefit concert on the beach. Grace handles the logistics, using her old corporate contacts to secure endorsements, while Frankie focuses on the artistic direction, which, of course, involves her massive, semi-nude driftwood creations and a host of unexpected performance artists. The concert becomes a hilarious collision of their two worlds—Grace’s polished professionalism constantly undercut by Frankie’s spontaneous chaos.
As the “Final Wave” of the title suggests, the film builds to a dramatic climax that is both metaphorical and literal. A major storm rolls in on the night of the concert, forcing the women to choose between preserving the material structure of their home and embracing the profound, beautiful impermanence of life—the very lesson they’ve spent years learning. The physical house’s fate is left ambiguous, but the resolution arrives as the two women stand together, shoulder-to-shoulder, finally looking at the ocean with shared peace, understanding that their true home is the indestructible bond they share.
The film concludes with a flash-forward to a quieter scene, possibly just the two of them, a little older still, sharing a final, perfect margarita—or a joint—on a new porch, a balcony, or perhaps just a bench overlooking the sea. The message is clear: whether in a beach house or a retirement home, the essential spirit of Grace and Frankie, that spark of unlikely, defiant, and deeply loving friendship, will continue to shine. It’s a heartfelt, funny, and ultimately affirming farewell to two characters who taught us that the final chapters of life can be the most vibrant.
