Grandfathered finale recap: The Cure

[This post contains details from the Grandfathered episode that aired Tuesday, May 10]

After last week’s episode-ending kiss between Jimmy and Sara, it looked like the first season of Grandfathered might end right where most of us predicted it would back in September, and I don’t think anyone was complaining. And while the season finale certainly appeared to keep heading in that direction, it actually ended closer to where things began…27 years ago.

At first, Jimmy and Sara try to pass the kiss off as a big mistake and deny the meaning behind it. Jimmy, naturally, apologizes for his sexy vulnerability, and they come to the logical conclusion that, especially since they’re both now in stable relationships, the best thing to do is forget it ever happened. (Like anyone could forget kissing Jimmy Martino. Have mercy.)

But after a heated argument about not kissing ever again, they somehow end up in the bedroom (totally understandable). “If we make a kid, you better let me know this time,” Jimmy says while getting undressed. But Sara comes to her senses (which I think we can all agree are senseless) and shuts it down right before she gets to experience Jimmy’s new moves (which apparently includes a “slap and tickle thing” that I’d like to hear more about, but sadly, no one is asking). Jimmy’s solution? They get back together! Well-played, old Jimmy. But after hearing him apologize for his earlier transgressions (standing her up at the Cure concert back in 1989 “messed me up bad,” she tells him), Sara softens. She sees how he’s changed, and although she’s terrified of being hurt again, she agrees to give it another shot.

While we’ve seen this dance with these two all season, this is really the first time they’ve been in sync, even though they both seem to still be fighting it. When Jimmy first saw Sara again after Gerald introduced himself, we saw that she’d always been more than a casual hookup to him (remember the old photo of her Gerald found in Jimmy’s apartment?). Sara, on the other hand, was hilariously repulsed by Jimmy from day one (SMH). However, when her feelings seemed to soften toward him later in the season, Jimmy was comfortably back to his old, playboy ways, and she knew better than to fall down that rabbit hole again. It’s been the classic “will they or won’t they” all year, which made their new agreement — however tentative — all the more satisfying.

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But the big question remains: Has Jimmy Martino really evolved? We’ve certainly seen evidence of it over the past few months: He’s in a committed relationship; he’s proved that he cares deeply about his family; he’s even admitted his age. But Jimmy isn’t so sure about it, either. Using baby Edie as his sounding board, he questions his choice to make things work with Sara, worrying that he’ll just hurt her again.

However, Sara is all in and breaks up with Craig right away. But Jimmy can’t seem to end things with Catherine and lies to Sara by telling her he did. Blame it on the gift of nut-free cookies or Catherine’s scheduled declaration of love or simply Jimmy’s refusal to go all in with his vulnerability — no matter how sexy it makes him — but not surprisingly, the lie proves to be a big mistake.

Speaking of evolving, let’s talk about Gerald and Vanessa. Sure, we’ve seen Gerald pine for his baby-mama from day one, but the end-of-season Vanessa is almost unrecognizable from the fly girl we met in September (and I’m not just talking about the drastic change to her hair length). Happily, she’s still full-of sass, but she’s softened around the edges, and the finale finds her and Gerald happily engaged (who would’ve thought Vanessa would be the one to propose?). They make absolutely no sense together, and yet it works.

Something that doesn’t look like it’s going to work? Jimmy and Sara: The Sequel. After realizing Sara has always been the one for him and running to the airport to break up with Catherine in a classic — yet backwards — rom-com declaration of love moment, he’s finally ready to commit. But after finding out he lied — yet again — Sara realizes she’s an idiot to think he’s changed. With his sexiness and vulnerability clothed in a Cure T-shirt and black leather jacket, Jimmy happily heads off to the Cure concert to meet up with Sara. But this time, he’s the one who’s stood up. How’s it feel, Jimmy? With a season 2 of this funny, heartwarming show still up in the air, I sure hope we get to find out.

We wrote a react for this episode, which means we’ll just be checking in occasionally, but if this is a show you’d like to read about each week, please let us know! You can email chat@ew.com with your feedback and suggestions.