Episode
Girlfriends: The Mother of All Episodes (1)
Overview
Joan's mother makes a surprise visit and constantly criticizes her, particularly anything regarding her decision to open the restaurant. Joan grows fed up with her lack of support and tells her off, prompting Carol to leave. Joan also grows tired of fighting with William about the restaurant. She decides to buy him out to preserve their friendship, but he refuses to accept the check. They discuss his previous love confession, and William angers Joan by saying that he was ""desperate."" A ranting Joan winds up admitting that she tried to go to his New York hotel room to confess her feelings. They kiss and admit their love for each other, but Joan collapses when her mother emerges in a bathrobe. Meanwhile, Maya is concerned when she discovers that Jabari has been watching pay-per-view porn.
Details
- Series
- Girlfriends
- Season
- Season 5
- Episode
- Episode 7
- Air date
- 2004-11-08
- Runtime
- 21 min
Episode context
The Mother of All Episodes (1) is Episode 7 in Season 5 of Girlfriends. It aired on 2004-11-08. The runtime is 21 min.
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Episode 6: Too Big for Her Britches
After learning that her agent has secured her a three-book deal, Maya becomes even more negligent in her duties as William's assistant. He finally ends up firing her. Maya then learns that her publishing company is being bought out and her deal is not going to happen. William refuses to re-hire her because he cannot bear to let go of her incredibly efficient replacement. Maya turns to Joan for help, but isn't too happy about becoming her assistant again. Meanwhile, Toni frets about her weight and her friends' seeming indifference to her concerns; and Lynn joins the ranks of the paparazzi.
Episode 8: When Hearts Attack (2)
Joan believes that she has had a heart attack, although the doctor insists that the episode was only an arrythmia. Joan's mother explains that she did not sleep with William; she had gone to his house to talk, and was in a robe because she needed to shower before her flight. (William had called Joan, but Lynn erased the message because she was expecting a call about a kangaroo.) Although the misunderstanding is cleared up, Joan begins to have second thoughts about William...and then has second thoughts about her second thoughts. Meanwhile, Maya goes on Lynn's public access television show with the belief that she is going to promote her book, only to be ambushed.
More episodes from this season
Episode 5: Maybe Baby
Toni repeatedly tries to seduce Todd when he returns to L.A. for her three-month check-up. He instead tells her that he has consulted a lawyer and wants a divorce. Joan suggests that she re-consider her priorities and face the fact that she may be a single mother. Toni instead begins to question whether she wants to have the baby at all. Meanwhile, Joan learns that William is seeing more than one woman and does her best to try to sabotage the situation. William accuses her of jealousy.
Episode 9: Who's Your Daddy?
Lynn is excited about a visit from her birth father, Ken, and his wife. Her adoptive father fears that he is losing his daughter and flies into town at the same time. Lynn grows frustrated because Ken doesn't spend any time with her, as his wife has planned the entire trip and is only interested in seeing celebrities. Meanwhile, Joan and William try to plan their first date, with limited success. Toni dodges Todd's divorce lawyer, who is trying to serve her with divorce papers.
Episode 4: The J-Spot
Joan decides to open her own restaurant. William is offended when Joan fails to share the news with him, as he instead hears it from two junior partners at the firm. Joan responds by taking William to task for reuniting with Monica so soon after declaring his love for Joan. They get into a heated argument and decide to end their friendship. Joan finds the perfect space for her restaurant, but doesn't have the money to lease it immediately. Toni suggests that she get an investor, then tries to arrange a truce (for business purposes only) between Joan and the one person she knows who can supply enough capital for the restaurant: William. Meanwhile, Joan and Maya grow concerned by Lynn's behavior after she begins performing on the streets while painted up as a robot.
Episode 10: Porn to Write
With her bills piling up, Maya is forced to consider a job writing for a porn publisher (which already employs Lynn). She turns down the position due to moral objections and resumes selling her book on the street. When she has little success--due in part to bootleg sales--Maya decides to give up on her dream and go back to working as a legal secretary. This does not work out, and she winds up accepting the job at the porn publisher. Fortunately, she is soon able to quit after her writing aspirations get a boost from a surprising source. Meanwhile, William and Joan quarrel after he goes home for Thanksgiving without her; and Toni vows to not talk too much about her pregnancy.
Episode 3: A Mile in Her Loubous
Maya's cousin Ronnie is offended after she hires an agent. Upset that Maya refuses to acknowledge his role in her success, Ronnie demands ten percent of her $25,000 advance for writing the book. Joan has an awkward run-in with William and Monica at the cafe. She mistakenly believes that William is bringing Monica to Maya's birthday party, and tries to retaliate by bringing her own date, a boring shoe salesman. Meanwhile, Toni battles constant morning sickness.
Episode 11: All the Creatures Were Stirring
William surprises Joan with a romantic Christmas getaway in Puerto Rico, but they wind up stuck at a seedy motel after a blizzard strands them in Cincinnati during a layover. Meanwhile, Lynn, Maya and Toni take advantage of Joan's absence to enjoy the holiday at her house without all of her strict Christmas rules and other demanding behavior.
Episode 2: The Rabbit Died
Toni's friends refuse to believe that she is pregnant, as they are certain it is all part of a ploy to win back Todd. Even after Toni shows them an ultrasound and experiences morning sickness, they still believe that she is lying and insist on tagging along to her doctor's appointment. After her pregnancy is confirmed, an apologetic Todd comes home to help care for her, but remains unsure about their relationship. Meanwhile, William grows fed up with Maya's poor performance at the office and places her on probation after her antics with client Rev. Al Sharpton (including giving him a copy of her book) prompt Sharpton to give William a lecture.
Episode 12: P.D.A. - D.O.A.
Maya and Toni question William and Joan's relationship because of their refusal to show affection in front of others. The couple gives holding hands in public a try, but soon runs into Joan's ex Brock. William is perturbed when Joan fails to tell Brock that they are dating, and suspects that she still has feelings for him. Maya and Toni back up this theory, and Joan is forced to admit this is true. Joan later gets into an argument with Brock and reaffirms her relationship with William. Meanwhile, the mother of Lynn's ex-boyfriend Lenny goes all out to try to reunite him with Lynn.
Episode 1: L.A. Bound
Joan tries to confess her feelings for William, but knocks on the wrong door and winds up on the run from a crazed lesbian who thinks that Joan stole her girlfriend. Joan is repeatedly thwarted in her efforts to try to share her feelings with William, and gives up after he ignores her to have a tryst with Monica in the airplane's bathroom. Lynn returns to her birth father's house and admits that she is his daughter. Todd refuses to believe that Toni is pregnant unless she takes another test. She refuses, and orders him to be on the plane back to Los Angeles the next day. When he does not show up, she tries to hold up the plane to make everyone wait for him.
Episode 13: All in a Panic
Toni reluctantly signs her divorce papers, and accepts a date from a persistent ex-flame after he kisses her. Maya, certain that Toni isn't over Todd, asks Todd to intervene in the hopes that they can give their marriage another try. Meanwhile, Joan hires a chef who turns out to be an ex-girlfriend of William's. Joan is upset until William tells her that the sex wasn't that good. William is forced to reveal that Lynn was the best sex he ever had--but Lynn doesn't feel the same.