Girlfriends: No Season Nine, Headed for a Disappointing Series Finale?
The long-running sitcom Girlfriends surprised many by returning for its eighth season last fall. The CW series was renewed for a full season of 22 episodes but, because of the writers strike, only 13 of those were completed. Now that the strike is coming to an end, the network is changing their plans. Would it have been better if the show had closed at the end of year seven?
The CW network has decided against putting the seasoned sitcom back into production for the remaining eight episodes. On top of that, they’re not bringing it back for season nine. Are this week’s episodes the last we’ll see of Joan (Tracee Ellis Ross), Lynn (Persia White), Maya (Golden Brooks), and the rest? Does this mean the fans will be left hanging?
Admittedly, Girlfriends’ season eight ratings haven’t been very good overall but it is the second most-watched sitcom among African Americans (bested only by Girlfriends’ spin-off, The Game). In late 2007, series creator Mara Brock Akil said she was hoping for the best but suspected that there wouldn’t be a ninth year. As a result, she conceived a contingency plan on how to end the show. She teased, “I think fans will be very happy.” Does that mean that Joan would get married? Akil would only say, “when we finally feel like Joan is really OK, I do believe the show is over.”
Unfortunately, with the network now cutting season eight short, it looks like she won’t be able to put that plan into action.
Though nothing is set in stone just yet, the network is currently considering putting together a special one-hour retrospective to close out Girlfriends. It would be made up of clips from past episodes. Though that sounds nice, it wouldn’t offer any kind of closure for the beloved characters – hardly a fitting send-off for a sitcom’s that’s been on the air for eight seasons. We’ll keep you posted on how this one develops. Stay tuned! 
June 11th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
I love girlfriends. Yall have to at least give them a proper season finale if nothing else. I have purchased the first two seasons and will be very dissappointed if there is no closure in the end.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:54 am
Wow! I thought Girlfriends was taken off the air. We should let Girlfriends stay on for two more seasons. It will be right because The Crosby Show is the only other African American show that stay on that long or longer. Let’s support one another instead of hurting each other. These actors and actresses entertain us. We should give them the respect to let them have closure with their characters and with us. First and foremost, the networks should consider given the cast a proper send off. Bring back Toni’s character let her make peace with Joan and her ex-husband. I hated how the network took off her character. Everyone could identify with a girlfriend, it didn’t matter about the race. Let viewers know, when, where, and what time this show is on. Let the viewers have the opportunity to say good-bye to our “Girlfriends”.
March 8th, 2009 at 6:47 am
girlfriends really touched home with me i had a similar situation with one of my friends that joan and toni went through and after 6 years we became friends again. I really loved that show it brought a side of me out i never new exist. whenever i was feeling down or mad i can always watch girlfriends and get a sense of confront. Im going to really miss that show.
February 26th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
I searched frantically through the channels trying to find my favorite tv show,girlfriends, when I could not find it I almost cried. You see(whoever is taking the time to read this) this sitcom made me feel like I had girlfriemds(which I do not) and I looked forward to seeing my girlfriends every week. I will miss laughing and crying with the most beautiful women on the TV Sceen!! sincerely yours,Mrs. McNeal
December 11th, 2008 at 11:10 am
I love the show Girlfriends. I continue to watch it today. I am still seeing episodes that I haven’t seen. I hate the fact that the show had to come to an end, but I love the fact that it has my 4 favorite characters on it. (Joan, William, Mya, and Lynn)