S03.E05: The Gun

[OnceSane]

Quote

Furious about Grace's revelation, Frankie refuses to make up with her. In the wake of his fight with Sol, Robert decides to come out to his mother.

[Bastet]

So what broke the door glass, that woke Grace up and set this all in motion to begin with?  The dummy didn’t do that.

“What fresh hippie hell is this?”

Grace is right that Frankie needs to have a rational conversation; Grace should have told her from the beginning that she had a gun in the house (as I said in the previous thread, that is something everyone has a right to know about their home), but that ship has sailed.  They need to figure out how to sort this out now, and that can’t happen if Frankie just walks around doing her filibuster.  But Grace is awfully blasé about the fact she shot what she thought was a person, and dismissive of Frankie having a problem with that (or having a problem living in a house with a gun in the first place, when that's a choice many people - me included - make).

Frankie’s lie about where the money came from didn’t take long to bite her in the ass, which I like.  And the “I’m sick of you” fight was inevitable, and I like that it’s another scenario in which I see both sides.  Grace declaring they have to get dressed for the office to sit around a table in their own home is ridiculous, but her saying they need a dedicated time and space for work isn’t.  She does treat Frankie like a wayward child rather than an equal partner in the business, ordering her not to speak, but on the other hand Frankie says outlandishly inappropriate things during business meetings.  Etc.  Their different personalities are good for each other, but they also inevitably cause significant conflict in both their personal and professional relationships.

When I saw it was Lois Smith playing Robert’s mom, I thought, “She’s not remotely old enough to be his mother,” but then looked her up and she’s 86 years old.  Still not quite the right age, but I had no idea she was that old.

“I could have happily died never knowing you were one of them.”  Oh, ouch.  Just a horrible thing to hear (and Martin Sheen played Robert's reaction beautifully), but I like the symmetry with Grace having lashed out in the immediate aftermath by saying it would be better if he’d have died (and the asymmetry of Grace not having meant it, and thus apologizing for it later).

Oh, Mallory, take Brianna’s advice and get a room for the night; any man who refers to watching his own children as “babysitting” and wants his wife to come home because the kid shit the bed and he can’t figure out laundry deserves everything coming to him.

[Clanstarling]

2 hours ago, Bastet said:

So what broke the door glass, that woke Grace up and set this all in motion to begin with?  The dummy didn’t do that.

The wind. The boys replaced the pane using a youtube video, and they obviously didn't do a good job.

[OtterMommy]

In an earlier episode, there was a discussion about how much time in the world of the show had passed.  @Clanstarling wrote this:

Quote

Good question. A divorce in California takes 6 months, and Mallory's pregnancy and current age of twins is about a year. So that's a year and a half, at least. There's another milestone mentioned later in this season that makes me think it's been at least 2 years.

It was in this episode (I hope....) that Robert mentioned that he and Grace had been divorced for 18 months.  I think it is safe to assume that there was some separation time in there, so 2 years is probably a good guess.

This episode (and the one before) didn't work well for me.  In this one I just had it with Grace.  Look, Frankie's reaction is over the top, but I do really get her not wanting to have a gun in the house.  Just because Grace keeps it locked, doesn't mean that it is completely safe.  Also, if any two people should not have access to a gun, I would say it is Grace and Frankie.  Grace is clearly a shoot now and ask questions later sort of person and Frankie--well, who knows what Frankie would do with a gun in her hand.

So, while Frankie's expression of her anger of the gun was sort of out of bounds, her actual anger (in my opinion) was well-founded.  Especially after Grace looked her in the eye, lied to her, and then kissed her forehead.

[justmehere]

The think about Frankie is that she does expect to have her tantrums/outbursts/upsets indulged. The list of things that Sol went through to calm her down is absurd - pull on her pinkie toes? Yeah, they over-wrote it for comedic effect, but that also proves the point. Everyone has times when they need comfort, but Frankie is pretty much full of neuroses and expects to be indulged no matter what. She didn't care about Grace's point of view at all. She didn't care that she ruined Bud's evening and never got a clue from anything he said or the fact that his girlfriend was there. She didn't care that Grace couldn't sleep; she didn't want to sleep alone, so too bad. The world is supposed to stop when she's upset. Yes, Grace lied and it was a bad one.  But look how quickly it was all solved when Frankie took two minutes to listen to her. I'm not saying Grace doesn't condescend--she does--but by her conversation with Sol, she spends a lot of time soothing Frankie as well. She also called all over town trying to find her. Frankie is supposed to be this calm, Zen, creative person, but she's actually a complete mess who is afraid of everything and hasn't done much to try and face her fears. Some of that is Sol's fault for enabling her, of course, but it's also time for Frankie to take some responsibility.

--The scene with Robert and his mother was heartbreaking. I'd forgotten that Grace also said something about death being better than knowing the truth. Harsh. Parents can do damage at any age.

[debraran]

I'm glad they showed Robert's mother as someone who represents many people out there. Sure, many mothers love their gay children but many still do not. If she came around, it might have looked contrived at her age. I thought the light comedy about picking out a dress was funny and the woman who helped them. Martin did a great job showing an array of emotions.

I might have missed Mallory's background but wasn't she a happy mom before? The twin babies are young, young enough for her to have  postpartum depression also. I realize it's just a show with writers looking for angles, but showing a woman with 4 children giving up after some therapy and not considering she is just overwhelmed or depressed, isn't logical. Her husband's habits weren't there before? I'm sure the twins didn't turn him into a dufus overnight. I guess the "I'm doomed" angle isn't working for me, but others might like it.

The gun episode was food for thought. I'm afraid of them but also wish at times I had one. My husband needs one for his job but he tells me a lot of stories of shootings that went wrong, guns used on the home owner, stolen guns used for crimes. It's not something to decide lightly. Frankie always goes over the top, that is Frankie, but I wondered why Grace shot at someone without seeing well. I thought it was odd she went downstairs also. I would have called the cops and waited upstairs hiding.

[Clanstarling]

I agree that Frankie's anger was well founded - she was lied to, and Grace could easily have killed her without a thought. I thought that part of it was brushed aside by everyone except Frankie.

But the trouble with overly dramatic people is that their valid points get lost in the hysteria, which people who know them tune out after a while.

[DoubleUTeeEff]

I tend to sympathize with Grace over Frankie in most situations but I was with Frankie 100% on the gun.  It's completely reasonable not to want a gun in your house and the fact that Grace shot the decoy thinking it was a person was totally glossed over.  I mean, it was just sitting on the couch in the dark!  It could have been someone they knew or a drunk person in the wrong house, not that a thief deserves to be shot in cold blood but at least they know they are taking a risk.  Obviously Frankie handled it childishly with the filibuster.  Even so, Grace wasn't that concerned over the shooting even though it could have easily had a terrible outcome.

[Ina123]

I've been binge watching and the episodes are merging on me. Does anyone know which episode has the scene with Grace beating the hell out of the chicken with the meat tenderizer?

[ahisma]

Quote

Does anyone know which episode has the scene with Grace beating the hell out of the chicken with the meat tenderizer?

It's at the beginning of 3.06.

[OtterMommy]

2 hours ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

I tend to sympathize with Grace over Frankie in most situations but I was with Frankie 100% on the gun.  It's completely reasonable not to want a gun in your house and the fact that Grace shot the decoy thinking it was a person was totally glossed over.  I mean, it was just sitting on the couch in the dark!  It could have been someone they knew or a drunk person in the wrong house, not that a thief deserves to be shot in cold blood but at least they know they are taking a risk.  Obviously Frankie handled it childishly with the filibuster.  Even so, Grace wasn't that concerned over the shooting even though it could have easily had a terrible outcome.

It also could have very easily been Frankie.  Frankie had designed the decoy to look just like her (using her own hair?  Which, ewww, but whatever).  I think that my frustration with how this whole episode played out was that it seemed to want to show us how off the handle Frankie could be.  And, yes, her reaction was childish and over the top and....not that different from all her other weird behavior.  

But Grace lied to her--to her face.  Then instead of being the least bit remorseful for that, tried to tell Frankie that it was, essentially, her fault.  Grace had to have a gun because Frankie needs protection!  Frankie should be grateful, not angry!

I guess part of it is that we've had 2+ seasons of Frankie going off the handle like this about far more trivial things.  So, when it comes to a point where Frankie has a legitimate reason to be furious, it just looks like more of the same.   Honestly, I'm not sure what the show could have done about that at this point...but I wish they had handled Grace and her reaction differently.

ETA: This is the last episode I've seen as of writing this, so I'm hoping that something happens in later episodes that either puts this in a different light or redeems Grace in some way.

[Drapers4thWife]

I thought the whole fight would've played out much better had Grace just accidentally discharged the weapon, or shot out a window or misfired something. It's a 15 year old gun that's been sitting unused in a safe, I highly doubt Grace has had weapons training or regularly cleans it, etc. That would've added validity to Frankie's argument that the gun was dangerous, while the way Frankie got hysterical was still wrong. And it would've illustrated how Grace always goes off half-cocked and thinks she knows the answers to everything without preparing or thinking through the consequences. The fact that Grace just point black shot a figure that - from the back - was clearly Frankie sitting on the couch was disturbing (even though Frankie said on the walkie-talkie she was in her studio, you still don't shoot the thing that looks exactly like the person you live with). 

[debraran]

I thought it was disturbing she shot into the dark at a blurry figure..it could have been one of her kids too! Also the flippant remark (done in stress) that she would have went to prison if it was Frankie, wasn't really funny. Maybe I have heard about accidental shootings too often being a news hound at times, but someone thought it was funny, when it really isn't. A funny booby trap Frankie made that got someone tangled in, something odd, maybe, but hearing a noise, going down stairs and shooting without calling the cops, seemed an odd reaction.

[BusyOctober]

I liked the story between Robert and his mother.  It was handled well; Robert hoping his mother would finally give him some unconditional love and the mom remaining her uptight self.  As debraran noted, it would have been unbelievable if she had melted into a puddle of acceptance and tolerance.  Seeing Robert's mom as a cold fish really made me think that Robert married his mother when he married Grace.  She was basically as closed off and judgemental.  She obviously wasn't so warm n' fuzzy as a mom herself. 

The actress playing Robert's mother is great, but she looked like she could be a contemporary of Frankie, Grace, Sol & Robert vs. someone from the previous generation.  Wish my gene pool was as youthful as this groups'!

[hnygrl]

MINE IS (she says smugly while patting her 55 year old still fully brown hair)!!!

My grand mother was in her 80's when she died and still had only salt and pepper hair. She didn't look a day over 60.

People mistake me for 40 all the time. 

I never correct them.

[Inquisitionist]

On 3/24/2017 at 5:42 PM, Bastet said:

When I saw it was Lois Smith playing Robert’s mom, I thought, “She’s not remotely old enough to be his mother,” but then looked her up and she’s 86 years old.  Still not quite the right age, but I had no idea she was that old.

I think she was made up to look older.  It worked for me.

On 3/26/2017 at 2:36 PM, OtterMommy said:

This episode (and the one before) didn't work well for me. 

Same here.  I've watched Ep. 2.4 through this one over the last couple of days, and was disappointed that the high quality seems to have drifted in the most recent episodes.  I have trouble seeing Robert and Sol as a real couple, and Sam Waterston's acting becomes more and more grating, but I was willing to overlook that for the Grace/Frankie scenes, which felt very genuine to me.  Not so much in Ep. 3.4 and 3.5.

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, Inquisitionist said:

I think she was made up to look older.

She was.  I was just musing that Smith was somehow in my mind as being in her early 70s, so I was kind of laughing to myself at the idea that they took an actor Robert's age and slapped a bunch of spots on her skin (probably because not many actors Robert's mom's age are still alive, never mind working), and then I looked her up to see, no, still not old enough to be Robert's mom, but more than ten years older than I thought; where did the time go?

Edited April 18, 2017 by Bastet

[Inquisitionist]

I had looked up Smith after seeing her onstage at the Steppenwolf last fall, so I knew she was pretty old.

[txhorns79]

I did wish that they had made Robert's mother a little more complicated, instead of just having her have been an unpleasant, racist bigot for most of her life.  I thought it would have been more interesting if she had been a generally loving person, who just was unable to accept that her 70-something son had divorced his wife of decades and married a man.  I mean, it took Grace and Frankie a long time to move past the issue, so I could see a similar reaction from Robert's mother, if the writing had been a little stronger.  

I did like the scene between Robert and Grace.  It's nice she finally got a real apology and gift from him.   

[Clanstarling]

31 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

I did wish that they had made Robert's mother a little more complicated, instead of just having her have been an unpleasant, racist bigot for most of her life.  I thought it would have been more interesting if she had been a generally loving person, who just was unable to accept that her 70-something son had divorced his wife of decades and married a man.  I mean, it took Grace and Frankie a long time to move past the issue, so I could see a similar reaction from Robert's mother, if the writing had been a little stronger.  

I did like the scene between Robert and Grace.  It's nice she finally got a real apology and gift from him.   

For me, I think a warm loving mom wouldn't help explain Robert's basic nature (in terms of feelings, not his orientation). That woman, on the other hand, does.

[txhorns79]

Quote

For me, I think a warm loving mom wouldn't help explain Robert's basic nature (in terms of feelings, not his orientation). That woman, on the other hand, does.

I don't know.  I remember we also met Robert's sister a season or two ago, and she was perfectly pleasant.  It just seems kind of lazy to me.  Not that I don't enjoy the show, just this part I didn't love.    

[Bastet]

His sister (Lydia) wasn't so pleasant to Grace, when she uninvited her to the niece's shower.  They'd been having a nice talk until then, but Brianna also told Frankie she was a better friend to Grace than the Lydia has ever been, so I wonder how much of Lydia's life has also been about appearances.

Lydia doesn't have issues with Robert being gay, though, so that's a generational improvement.  And not just over the mother, but the father, too; Lydia told Robert it's a good thing their dad was already dead, or he'd have flipped.  So we can't blame Robert entirely on Ma Hanson.

[txhorns79]

Quote

His sister (Lydia) wasn't so pleasant to Grace, when she uninvited her to the niece's shower.  They'd been having a nice talk until then, but Brianna also told Frankie she was a better friend to Grace than the Lydia has ever been, so I wonder how much of Lydia's life has also been about appearances.

I kind of chalked that up to the idea that you can't really have an ex-spouse attending family events, particularly since they weren't too far removed from the separation at that point. 

[Bastet]

10 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

I kind of chalked that up to the idea that you can't really have an ex-spouse attending family events,

I think that's horrible, even given the fact not all that much time had passed since Robert asked for the divorce; Grace is family.  She's been Aunt Grace to the niece since the day that girl was born, and doesn't stop being her aunt just because she's no longer married to Robert, at least not in any of the ways that matter.  Which is why Grace was hurt.

[txhorns79]

Quote

I think that's horrible, even given the fact not all that much time had passed since Robert asked for the divorce; Grace is family.  She's been Aunt Grace to the niece since the day that girl was born, and doesn't stop being her aunt just because she's no longer married to Robert, at least not in any of the ways that matter. 

I don't think it's horrible.  I think it's reality in a situation like that, particularly when the divorce, in those stages, was not amicable and Robert was already attending events with Sol.  While I'm sure there are families where aunts and uncles by marriage continue attending all family events after a divorce like nothing has changed, I'm not sure I think that's the rule, rather than the exception.       

[Bastet]

It has been the exception, and an ugly, sad exception, in my experience where we're talking about decades-long marriages with grown children.  Grace was thoroughly blindsided by it, so she didn't think that was the norm.

Getting back to this episode, my mind continues to be boggled at how casually Grace's actions were treated.  She shot what she thought was a person!  A person sitting in a chair, with their back to her.  No ascertaining that it actually was a burglar (rather than, for example, Frankie ignoring instructions to stay put in the studio).  No "don't move or I'll shoot" warning, even if it was a burglar.  Just shot them in the head.  And that's pretty glossed over in all the discussion about having a gun versus not having a gun, which is a) disturbing and b) weird since one of the main arguments against keeping a gun in the house is the likelihood that if it's ever used, it will wind up accidentally being used against someone in the house rather than an intruder.

[txhorns79]

Quote

No ascertaining that it actually was a burglar (rather than, for example, Frankie ignoring instructions to stay put in the studio).  No "don't move or I'll shoot" warning, even if it was a burglar.  Just shot them in the head.  And that's pretty glossed over in all the discussion about having a gun versus not having a gun, which is a) disturbing and b) weird since one of the main arguments against keeping a gun in the house is the likelihood that if it's ever used, it will wind up accidentally being used against someone in the house rather than an intruder.

I don't mind the not giving a potential burglar a warning.  For all you know, the burglar is armed, dangerous and has better reflexes than you.  If they are breaking into a home, I consider them to have accepted the risk that they could be met with deadly force.  I agree though about the potential it could have been Frankie. 

[OtterMommy]

10 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

I don't mind the not giving a potential burglar a warning.  For all you know, the burglar is armed, dangerous and has better reflexes than you.  If they are breaking into a home, I consider them to have accepted the risk that they could be met with deadly force.  I agree though about the potential it could have been Frankie. 

But it wasn't as if Grace caught the "intruder" doing anything.  The dummy was sitting there and watching TV (and wasn't it a show that Frankie liked to watch?  am I imagining that?)--and, from behind, it DID look like Frankie.

[theatremouse]

10 hours ago, Bastet said:

No ascertaining that it actually was a burglar (rather than, for example, Frankie ignoring instructions to stay put in the studio).

She confirmed via walkie that Frankie was in the studio before going down, which is the only reason she did go downstairs. I'm not saying what she did was good by any means, but I don't think there was any question it was not Frankie.

[Bastet]

I know she called her on the walkie talkie, but she took long enough getting down there - and Frankie has such a history of doing the exact opposite of what she's told/is logical to do - that it wasn't ruled out so completely that one should just go ahead and shoot the "person" who looks just like Frankie from behind through the head; it was technically possible, at least as I'm recalling the events this far removed from seeing them, that Frankie had come back in the house while Grace was getting the gun and making her way downstairs (the studio is only a few feet away). 

Even if that was 100% impossible, it could have, as I said originally, been one of the kids, sneaking in for some reason.  Also unlikely, especially given the broken glass, but maybe one of them had an issue at home and decided to come spend the night but didn't want to wake anyone up in the middle of the night to announce they were there and hijinks happened trying to get in.

Lastly, even if it had been an intruder - sitting down, with their back to her - I'd have been turned off by turning burglary into a capital crime. 

But my big issue is that she had no idea who she shot, and did not seem to care that she wound up shooting "someone" who was zero threat to her, or even her property.  There was no, "Oh, thank god that was just a dummy!" second-guessing of her decision to play armed vigilante.  It was just, "Oh, pish - it was only a dummy."  She thought she was shooting a person in the head, and never once seemed to give a shit about that, or care (other than wanting her to shut up about it) that Frankie was freaked out by the whole thing.

[debraran]

4 hours ago, Bastet said:

But my big issue is that she had no idea who she shot, and did not seem to care that she wound up shooting "someone" who was zero threat to her, or even her property.  There was no, "Oh, thank god that was just a dummy!" second-guessing of her decision to play armed vigilante.  It was just, "Oh, pish - it was only a dummy."  She thought she was shooting a person in the head, and never once seemed to give a shit about that, or care (other than wanting her to shut up about it) that Frankie was freaked out by the whole thing.

Grace did say something offhand like she would have went to jail if she shot her, I think she knew it was wrong, it being a "comedy/drama" the writers handled it glibly, but I think wrong. Why she didn't wait upstairs where she could see better or call the police (did she and I miss it?) which would have been practical just seemed odd. The writers wanted the drama of the "gun" and made Grace act in a manner that was stupid so Frankie could be angry.

[txhorns79]

Quote

 

Even if that was 100% impossible, it could have, as I said originally, been one of the kids, sneaking in for some reason.  Also unlikely, especially given the broken glass, but maybe one of them had an issue at home and decided to come spend the night but didn't want to wake anyone up in the middle of the night to announce they were there and hijinks happened trying to get in.

 

I think this goes back to the maxim of hearing hooves and thinking that zebras must be nearby. 

[Bastet]

6 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

I think this goes back to the maxim of hearing hooves and thinking that zebras must be nearby. 

Yes, of course she thought horses; an intruder was perfectly logical as her first thought under the circumstances.  I don't want to belabor my point, but I do want to make clear what I'm arguing.  I have no problem with the fact she heard that noise, and then saw the glass, and assumed it was an intruder -- that's where most people's minds would go.  My problem comes with the fact she shot to kill based on what was only an assumption - personally, before I put a bullet in someone's head, I'd want to know it was an intruder,* given the possibility, however unlikely, it was actually someone I knew - and that she was so blasé about it when she realized it wasn't a burglar.

*Not that I'd shoot an intruder who was sitting in a chair with their back to me, rather than posing an immediate threat to my life, and not that I'd shoot anyone, period, because I don't have a gun.  But for purposes of putting myself in Grace's shoes.

And, now, I'll stop talking about it, because I still love Grace and the show despite the odd handling of this storyline.

7 hours ago, debraran said:

Why she didn't wait upstairs where she could see better or call the police (did she and I miss it?)

You're right that she should have called the police, and, no, I don't think she did; as far as I can remember, she only called Frankie (on the walkie talkie).

Edited April 20, 2017 by Bastet

[ProudMary]

On 3/28/2017 at 0:16 AM, Drapers4thWife said:

I thought the whole fight would've played out much better had Grace just accidentally discharged the weapon, or shot out a window or misfired something. It's a 15 year old gun that's been sitting unused in a safe, I highly doubt Grace has had weapons training or regularly cleans it, etc. That would've added validity to Frankie's argument that the gun was dangerous, while the way Frankie got hysterical was still wrong. And it would've illustrated how Grace always goes off half-cocked and thinks she knows the answers to everything without preparing or thinking through the consequences. The fact that Grace just point black shot a figure that - from the back - was clearly Frankie sitting on the couch was disturbing (even though Frankie said on the walkie-talkie she was in her studio, you still don't shoot the thing that looks exactly like the person you live with). 

Grace did say to Frankie, "Come to the shooting range with me."  I got the impression that Grace was keeping her skills current and that her gun had not remained in the safe the entire time.

Edited May 24, 2017 by ProudMary

[stillshimpy]

This the first time I've ever commented on an episode of this show and it was because it left me in such a "Whaaaa.....?" condition.   I do think Frankie was being very childish and refused to even try to make her point like an adult but for me that didn't obscure a really important distinction:  You really are only supposed to use a gun for self-defense, not "I've been wholly freaked out and someone who may have returned to steal our TV again should get a cap in their noggin."  The hell? 

I don't like guns.  When I married my husband we had to have a long discussion about two antique rifles and a shotgun that belonged to his grandfather.  He still has them but he doesn't have any ammunition for them, that was our compromise.  I wasn't going to make him get rid of the only possessions his grandfather had passed on to him, one of which was his great-grandfather's rifle from WWI.   This is how a gun control proponent ended up grimly marching two obvious guns (in soft cases) into one of the homes we moved to and I'm not a big person, so it must have made for a fairly hilarious scene.  Me, looking like the grimly determined, if less than pleased, spouse that I was took the guns from my car and into my house.  In broad view of the neighbors while my husband was at work.  The relocation company wouldn't take them because they are guns, but they are antiques ...and bleh...how I wish his grandfather had left him a coin collection instead of two rather giant guns.  I'm sure it made a marvelous impression:  Oh look, a strained and determined looking woman with not one, but two guns that are pretty freaking mammoth.  What could go wrong? 

Sometimes compromise is necessary but any point that Grace had about the gun predating the relationship with Frankie and what a responsible gun owner she is was sort of thrown out of the window when she attempted to blow someone's head off.  You don't get to kill people because your flatscreen is on the line.   Get the gun out, if you must have one, dial 911 and try to calmly assess the threat.  That's what responsible gun owners do.  

Grace went seeking the intruder (what the fuck?) without calling the police (another round of what the fuckery from me) and resolving a situation that might have been no threat to her.  I was really horrified by the assumption that a non-moving anything warranted a shot to the back of the head.  

It reminded me of a case where a young boy (I think he was 12) heard people breaking into his house in the afternoon.  He grabbed the phone, called 911 and hid in the closet.  The thieves were moving about the house, looking for things to steal and found him while he was on the phone.  He said, "Please don't hurt me" and the thieves, because they were thieves vs. murderers in the making, ran the hell away.  

Not that Grace needed to plead her case to someone coming to kill her or give them a chance to have a lengthy say, but maybe figure out if you're actually in danger?  Killing someone to protect your life is one thing.  It's not what Grace would have been doing even if that had been a real person.  

Since Frankie did exit with a bunch of good points, I'm assuming they will get around to addressing the "What the hell? That's not even close to a justified discharge of a weapon" but I was only irritated with Frankie because she was completely in the right and her behavior was obscuring that entirely.  Grace could have actually killed her.  What she did was insanely irresponsible and unwarranted.  Grab the gun, call the police, lock your bedroom door and wait to see if someone is actually trying to get to you.  Grace had already proved why she shouldn't have a gun.  She reacted fearfully with it, not appropriately.

Sorry, just had to vent.  I was so frustrated with Frankie's "I get my way by throwing strange tantrums" when she had a completely logical point and even Sol wasn't attempting to help her make it.    

Also, the cop who didn't even suggest:  Get an alarm company with an armed response.  I like this show and I know it's a comedy but jeepers.  

Edited September 16, 2017 by stillshimpy

[Yeah No]

On 4/20/2017 at 12:58 PM, Bastet said:

Yes, of course she thought horses; an intruder was perfectly logical as her first thought under the circumstances.  I don't want to belabor my point, but I do want to make clear what I'm arguing.  I have no problem with the fact she heard that noise, and then saw the glass, and assumed it was an intruder -- that's where most people's minds would go.  My problem comes with the fact she shot to kill based on what was only an assumption - personally, before I put a bullet in someone's head, I'd want to know it was an intruder,* given the possibility, however unlikely, it was actually someone I knew - and that she was so blasé about it when she realized it wasn't a burglar.

*Not that I'd shoot an intruder who was sitting in a chair with their back to me, rather than posing an immediate threat to my life, and not that I'd shoot anyone, period, because I don't have a gun.  But for purposes of putting myself in Grace's shoes.

And, now, I'll stop talking about it, because I still love Grace and the show despite the odd handling of this storyline.

I've been binge-watching this show and have to say I agree with you 100% on this and was thinking exactly the same myself.  I don't like the way the show handled it either.  Grace should have shown some regret for making a too-hasty decision at some point even if it wasn't until later.  Acting so blasé about it was even out of character for her.  The way the kids and even the ex's have been known to appear and disappear in that house without announcing themselves, how could she make such an assumption?  The broken glass could have been a coincidence unrelated to the person sitting there.  Plus I agree with you that it could have been Frankie herself.  Her behavior is so unpredictable that I would not want to assume it wasn't her before pulling the trigger, not that I would have one around to pull anyway.  I think the show missed an opportunity to make a point about that, and that's an important point to make given how many times this exact scenario has happened in real life with a loved one ending up shot dead.