It's Not All Downhill From Here

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses addiction, depression, and suicide.

Loretha Curry does not want her husband Carl to throw another “surprise” birthday party because she believes the parties are boring. Though she tries to stay young, she cannot deny that she and her best friends are all getting older. Additionally, Loretha struggles with familial estrangement: Her son, Jackson, lives in Tokyo with his wife and twins; Loretha does not get along with her twin sister, Odessa; and Jalecia, Loretha’s daughter, blames her mom for being an absent parent.

Loretha takes the day off at Carl's request and closes her beauty shop, The House of Beauty and Glamour. While Carl travels to renovate one of their rental properties, Loretha plays the DVD from her 67th birthday party. All the speeches that felt heart-warming at the time now feel depressing because everyone focuses on their declining health and increasing age.

When the DVD finishes, Loretha receives text messages from her granddaughter, Cinnamon, who tells her she cannot attend the birthday party. Loretha is angry, but Carl surprises her the following day by revealing he planned a getaway trip to Palm Springs, Florida. The only catch is that he had to make promises to Loretha’s friends, who were upset that they could not celebrate Loretha’s birthday with her.