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‘Grace and Frankie’: Fans Want to See Robert and Sol’s Problematic Behaviors Confronted

Grace and Frankie might be mostly about the title characters, but Robert and Sol play an important role in the series, too. That's not to say they are beloved, though. Some fans think the duo was kind of awful to their ex-wives and each other. Could the final season explore their less-than-positive personality traits?
by Andrea Francese
Published on
2 min read

Netflix Original, Grace and Frankie, might be categorized as a comedy, but the show, now entering its final season, tackled some tough issues. Season 1 dealt with the breakdown of two marriages and the entanglement of two different families. While fans were mostly happy to see characters, Robert Hanson and Sol Bergstein, finally living the life they wanted together, it doesn’t absolve them of all of their problematic behaviors. Over the course of six seasons, Robert and Sol were terrible to their wives and terrible to each other. Fans would love to see season 7 finally tackle all of the ways Robert and Sol were actually kind of awful.

Grace and Frankie fans still can’t forgive Robert for acting like his marriage to Grace never mattered 

In the series opener, Robert and Sol take their wives, Grace Hanson and Frankie Bergstein, to dinner to explain that they love each other and want divorces. Fans of the series found Grace throwing seafood hilarious. Still, they weren’t laughing at the way Robert described their marriage in the following episodes. 

Jane Fonda as Grace Hanson and Martin Sheen as Robert Hanson in season 2 of 'Grace and Frankie'
Grace and Robert in ‘Grace and Frankie’ | Netflix

Robert acted as if his 40-year marriage, which resulted in two children, didn’t mean much to him at all. Sure, he was in love with someone else, but the callous way he approached the end of the marriage, claiming he thought Grace would be “relieved,” did not sit well with viewers. Their relationship has changed and morphed over six seasons, but fans would love it if season 7 addressed why Robert was so emotionally detached. 

Fans think that Sol forcing his way into Frankie’s life over and over again was selfish 

While Robert emotionally detached from Grace immediately, Sol didn’t have such an easy time disconnecting from his wife, Frankie. While Sol was more in-tune with Frankie’s feelings, his behavior wasn’t all great, either. In fact, you could argue that Sol’s behavior was worse than Robert’s behavior toward Grace. 

Frankie Bergstein and Sol Bergstein sit on a bed in season 1 of 'Grace and Frankie'
Frankie and Sol in ‘Grace and Frankie’ | Netflix

While Robert detached, Sol hung on to Frankie and forced his way into her life repeatedly. He showed up over and over again, knowing he was doing more harm than good. Grace and Frankie fans argue that Sol had serious issues respecting boundaries and was pretty selfish. While both Frankie and Sol insisted their marriage was a happy one, it would be nice to see the final season explore the boundary issues that may have existed there. 

Grace and Frankie viewers hope season 7 will address how Robert and Sol regularly lied to each other 

Robert and Sol both treated their exes poorly. Sadly, they didn’t treat each other much better, point out Reddit users. One user noted that Robert and Sol’s relationship was built on a lie. They continued that even after they came clean to their wives. The duo regularly lied to each other or avoided sharing important information. 

Robert Hanson and Sol Bergstein sit on a couch together in a scene for 'Grace and Frankie'
Robert Hanson and Sol Bergstein | Netflix

For example, Robert didn’t bother to tell Sol when he used their savings; Sol lied about Carl. Both Robert and Sol seemed to lie to avoid conflict or problems. Regardless of the reason, that certainly isn’t the foundation of a healthy relationship. If the final season were to show the total breakdown of Sol and Robert’s marriage, Grace and Frankie fans wouldn’t necessarily be upset. 

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