It's Not All Downhill From Here

Loretha spends the first days after Carl’s death in a depressed haze. Her friends and family answer phone calls and address visitors to explain why Loretha cannot answer. She regularly wonders why Carl is running late; it takes a few more days before she can accept that Carl is gone and that she must get out of bed.

Many relatives, including Odessa, Jalecia, and Peggy (a distant relative through Loretha’s first marriage) attend Carl’s celebration of life service. Odessa gives Loretha a check as a form of sympathy, while Jalecia apologizes impersonally for Loretha’s loss. Cinnamon sings a song for Carl, which everyone tries to respect despite Cinnamon’s lack of singing ability. Before she leaves, Peggy approaches Loretha and informs her that Jalecia is not doing well; she says that Loretha could help her daughter by repairing their relationship.

After the service, Loretha discovers how dependent she has become on Carl to manage their lives. She remembers when she and Carl exchanged their wills. One of Carl’s primary requests was that Loretha find love again and not be constantly miserable after he dies. Loretha does not know how to do that.

A few months later, Odessa visits and asks Loretha not to deposit the check, which Loretha had forgotten about. Odessa asks when she can move into their mother's house. Loretha has been caring for the house, though their mother said Odessa would inherit it. The sisters begin to argue because Loretha thinks the house is too large for Odessa to live in alone.

In a first effort to improve and support her health, Loretha joins her friend Korynthia on a 3.3-mile walk around Rose Bowl Stadium. While they walk, they discuss life regrets; Korynthia laments that she did not get a college degree when she had the chance. After the walk, Cinnamon visits her grandmother and asks for Carl’s car because it is a safer vehicle and she is pregnant with twins. Loretha does not hesitate to give Cinnamon the car; though she has reservations, she is content seeing Cinnamon happy. Cinnamon leaves and Loretha receives a second visitor—a young man named Kwame, whom she always thought was Carl’s estranged cousin. Kwame reveals that he is actually Carl’s son, and Loretha offers to let him stay with her since he wants to move to Pasadena.

While eating lunch at a waffle house with her friend Lucky, Loretha is questioned about Kwame, whom Lucky believes wants to exploit Loretha. Loretha assures her friend that Kwame is a good kid. She then reflects on her most recent visit with Dr. Alexopolous, her primary care physician. The doctor informed Loretha that she officially has diabetes and will need to take medication or have a regular injection to manage it, neither of which Loretha wants to do.

Kwame is supposed to be at work, but when Loretha returns home from lunch, she discovers Kwame in the pool with a young man, Parker, whom Kwame admits is his boyfriend. Kwame explains that the boss fired him from the construction company because Kwame is gay. Loretha offers to get him his job back, but Kwame declines because he wants to work part-time and take classes to finish his associate’s degree.

Loretha and her mother flip through a photo album; Ma looks at the pictures but cannot remember who everyone is. She then tells Loretha that when she got pregnant with twins, she chose to sleep with two separate men to feel the power men have in their sex lives. The conversation shifts, and Ma encourages her to make amends with Odessa. She believes Loretha expects too much from people and does not accept who they are. A phone call interrupts their conversation—Jalecia is in jail for a DUI and needs Loretha to bail her out. Ma says Loretha should leave Jalecia in jail, but Loretha drives to retrieve her daughter. As Loretha leaves, Ma promises to send Loretha letters with words of wisdom.

It is a one-hour drive to bail Jalecia out, and bail costs Loretha $5,000 rather than $500 because she does not want a lien on her house if Jalecia does not appear in court. Loretha then helps Jalecia get auto insurance and recover her car from the impound. Jalecia does not want to hear Loretha’s advice about turning her life around but thanks her mom for the ride and help.

Loretha encounters Lucky’s husband, Joe, at the grocery store and asks him about the floor remodeling. When he does not know what she is talking about, Loretha realizes Lucky lied about her home being renovated but chooses not to call her friend out.

Loretha and her friends convene for their first monthly dinner since Carl’s death. Poochie attends via FaceTime from Vegas, and Sadie arrives late due to her affair with her pastor. Once everyone finishes eating, Poochie encourages them to take their regular doctor’s appointments seriously because they are approaching the age when health-related issues become more serious. They plan a trip to Vegas to visit Poochie and attend a Celine Dion show. Loretha admits that she still grieves Carl’s death, and her friends comfort her. When asked about Jalecia, Loretha cannot answer because she has not heard from her daughter recently. Korynthia encourages patience, letting Jalecia live her life and trusting she will reach out if she genuinely needs help.

While Loretha spends the afternoon in the dog park with her dog, B. B. King, Dr. Alexopolous’s office calls. The doctor recommends that Loretha see a specialist and then asks for updates on her glucose numbers. When Loretha admits she has not been checking, she and the secretary plan Loretha’s specialist visit and schedule a bloodwork appointment and an appointment with Dr. Alexopolous to make a realistic health plan.

The following morning, Cinnamon calls Loretha to tell her she’s a great-grandmother to Handsome and Pretty. Cinnamon mentions that Jalecia was at the hospital to see the babies and says her mom looks better. Loretha’s feelings are hurt because Jalecia has not contacted her. Later that day, Loretha uses FaceTime to talk to her son, Jackson, who wants to know when Loretha will visit them. She explains how difficult life has been but promises to visit. Jackson then asks about Jalecia; Loretha provides little information before saying she must hang up because she has a hair appointment.

While driving to her hair appointment, a police officer pulls Loretha over for swerving. He checks her license and does not believe the picture is her because it is old. When she arrives home, Loretha checks herself in the mirror and does not like the person she sees. She swims in her pool for the first time and then checks the mail to find two advice letters from Ma. The first tells her to travel the world; the second warns her that beauty products are overrated.