Girlfriends

Joan Clayton, a successful attorney, prepares to celebrate her 29th birthday (although she claims to be 26 to make her achievements seem more impressive). Toni, Joan's best friend, begins dating Charles, a venture capitalist with a propensity for toe-sucking who dated Joan until he freaked out at the prospect of marriage. Toni tries to hide the truth, but their friend Lynn forces her to confess to Joan. Joan claims she has no problem with Toni bringing Charles to her birthday party; but then brings her friend and colleague, William, to try to make him jealous. Joan is furious to learn that Charles is now interested in settling down, and the evening comes to a screeching halt. Meanwhile, Toni constantly clashes with Maya, Joan's sassy assistant.

After Joan reveals that she hasn't had sex in a year, her friends push her to go for a one-night stand. Joan is reluctant because she generally doesn't sleep with anyone until she has been in a relationship for three months, but tries to make a move on Davis Hamilton, a handsome man who owns the restaurant the girls frequent. She convinces Davis to drive her home and makes a pass at him, only to learn that he is engaged. Although nothing happens between them, Joan tells Toni and Lynn that she slept with him. When the girls blab the news around town, Davis' fiancée dumps him, leaving Joan to struggle for a way to clean up the mess.

Toni and Maya get into another argument before an evening out, in part because Toni refuses to believe that Maya can get the girls into an exclusive club. Toni tries to gain admission to the club and fails. Maya shows up and easily gets herself, Joan, Lynn and William past the doorman. Joan convinces the reluctant Maya to also get Toni into the club. When the doorman waves to Toni, another woman believes the wave was meant for her, and they get into an argument. Joan tries to play peacemaker, but the situation turns into a brawl. Maya and Lynn jump into the fight, but Toni is hurt by the fact that Joan fails to back her up. She begins to question their friendship, so Joan searches for a way to patch things up.

Joan, Toni and Lynn set up dates with men they met over the Internet. Lynn's guy never shows up (his parole was denied), while Toni rejects hers because his skin is too dark. Although conspiracy theorist Maya warns that he will turn out to be a serial killer, Joan is pleased with her date, Marcus. Joan freaks out after discovering that Marcus wears a girdle because he has large hips, prompting Toni (who had taken heat from the girls over her treatment of her date) to take her to task for her behavior. Meanwhile, William also uses the Internet in an attempt to find love. He finally gets a date, but the woman seems to be completely crazy.

Joan grows tired of the clingy Marcus and plans to break up with him, but only winds up complicating the situation by having ""pity sex"" with him. The girls try to help her out by bombarding Marcus with negative facts about Joan in the hopes that he will dump her. Meanwhile, Maya gets involved in a get-rich-quick scheme.

Joan plans an elaborate scheme to get revenge on William for the latest in a series of Halloween pranks. Toni is put off when her date asks her to engage in a threesome--with a stuffed animal.

Joan forgives Toni for slapping her in Jamaica and trying to seduce Sean, much to the shock and dismay of Maya and Lynn (who has returned from Jamaica). When Joan's hair begins to fall out due to stress, she sees a therapist, who recommends that she cut Toni out of her life for good. However, this proves difficult when Toni seeks Joan's shoulder to lean on after a setback at work. Meanwhile, Darnell is upset by Maya's bixini wax, and accuses her of changing as the result of her association with the girls.

Joan lies to Dr. Bales about ending her relationship with Toni, but he runs into them having lunch together. Toni is furious to learn that Joan has been talking to a therapist about her, and orders Joan to end their sessions. Joan continues to keep her appointments, and Dr. Bales suggests that she be more assertive with her friends. Lynn's boyfriend, Vosco, arrives from Jamaica, and Lynn hides him in Joan's house. William suddenly becomes more attractive to women after becoming engaged. Maya is upset by his insistence on flirting with all of his new admirers.

Joan takes shots from her friends and is labelled a ""sell-out"" by the black community after she and William represent a beverage company suing a basketball star for accusing it of racism. Joan faces a larger moral dilemma after uncovering disturbing information about her client. Meanwhile, Lynn reluctantly takes a waitress job and moves with Vosco into a garage apartment managed by Maya's mother.

Darnell is upset with Maya for buying an expensive dress at her friends' behest, and again when she returns it. He sees this as a sign that she doesn't trust him to provide for her financially. Sean has difficulty battling his sex addiction. Joan tries to help him out over the phone, and ultimately flies to New York to see him. He says that having sex only a few times a month is too difficult for him in his condition, and asks her to move to New York. Joan cannot do this, so they break up. Yvonne finally placates William by quitting the police force.

After learning that Toni has shared details of her private life (her break-up with Sean and his sex addiction) with her boss, Mr. Swedelson, a fed-up Joan ends their friendship. Toni, who has just been fired, continually pleads with her to re-consider. Meanwhile, Vosco frustrates Lynn by refusing to get a job.

Yvonne panics when William seems hesitant to set a wedding date, as she fears that he is getting cold feet. A very reluctant Joan finds herself caught in the middle of the couple's relationship problems. After a chance meeting at a restaurant, Toni declares her love for Greg and manages to win him back. Lynn and Maya try to arrange a friendship between Darnell and Vosco in the hopes that their good qualities will rub off on each other.

Joan fears she has hit an all-time low after she holds a ""Bring Your Ex"" party, but doesn't get a single phone number. She eventually winds up swearing off men to train for a marathon. Maya still struggles to get Darnell to talk to her after a month apart. William threatens to throw Lynn out of his house unless she lands another job. Toni laments the lack of drama in her life.

Maya and Darnell seek marriage counseling from their minister. They find the counseling pointless, but engage in an afternoon tryst that has an overly enthusiastic Maya convinced that they are going to reunite soon. Lynn finds work as a bartender, despite the fact that she has no idea what she's doing. William tries to prove to Swedelson that he has the toughness required to be a partner in the firm.

Toni objects when Joan plans a birthday party for her. In the midst of their argument, Toni inadvertently reveals that she has been lying about her age for years. Joan and company tease Toni relentlessly about being older, and she grows insecure about her looks. After a disastrous Botox session, Toni seeks the advice of a plastic surgeon--whose only suggestion is therapy. Meanwhile, William winds up falling for a woman who was only supposed to be a one-night stand.

Joan has several run-ins with an actor at the gym, but finds herself attracted to him. However, she re-considers her decision to date Ellis after discovering that he has lied to her. William's sister comes out to him, then asks him to become a sperm donor so that she and her partner can have a child.

After Lynn's unpaid loan has a negative effect on their credit, Lynn's parents pressure her to get a job and pay them back. Lynn's friends ""help"" her prepare for her interviews--by wrestling her to the ground and forcing her into a wardrobe change, as well as offering emotional support. Meanwhile, Maya hides the truth about her separation from Darnell from her mother.

The girls instantly detest William's demanding girlfriend, Monica. Joan in particular is up in arms after Monica convinces William to renege on a promise to make her co-counsel for a big case because he would look better in the partners' eyes if he handled it himself. Joan seeks revenge on William, and the girls later confront Monica. Toni keeps running into plastic surgeon Dr. Todd Garrett. Although the two seem to have hit it off, Toni refuses to date him because of his lack of height.

Joan enjoys relative peace in her relationship with Ellis. However, she establishes a strong connection with a stranger whom she meets when they duck into the same doorway during a rainstorm. She is later surprised to find that the man is Ellis's agent, Brock. Brock meets with Joan outside a play when Ellis is called away to a meeting. They begin kissing, and end up back at Brock's place, where they declare their love for each other. Brock feels it is wrong to sleep together while she is still Ellis's girlfriend, so Joan promises to break things off. However, Ellis surprises her by finally telling her that he loves her. Sivad pressures Lynn to move out of William's house. He initially doesn't want to live with Lynn, but soon changes his mind. Toni grows annoyed with all of Todd's habits. After he reveals that he is deep in debt, she leaves him and shows up at Joan's house. William continually tries to get Maya to actually do her job, but she spends all of her time reading se

Toni refuses to speak to Todd because she is up in arms about his debt and feels betrayed by the fact that he failed to disclose this information sooner. While at the spa with Joan, Toni's ring is apparently repossessed by a woman on behalf of Harry Winston. A furious Toni plans to divorce Todd, but seems to soften as she discusses the situation with William. However, she still tries to throw Todd out of the house. After she explains that her greatest fear is becoming poor again, Todd says that he is afraid of losing her, and points out that he accumulated his debt trying to court her. Toni learns that Todd did not buy her ring at Harry Winston; the woman simply stole it after overhearing her conversation about debt. Todd gets Toni to agree to work on the marriage, and they reach a compromise about the insurance settlement for the stolen ring. Meanwhile, Joan confides in her new assistant, Peaches. She says that Ellis is away in New Zealand working on his movie, but she has dec

After nine months of celibacy, Lynn becomes fed up and grows suspicious of Sivad. She contacts his ex-girlfriend in the hopes of gaining some insight into his behavior. Meanwhile, despite her debt, Toni is determined to acquire a $17,000 bag. Joan and William try in vain to convince her to moderate her behavior and live within a budget.

Toni's brother Antoine comes to town for a weekend rendezvous with Maya, but soon spooks her by declaring his love and announcing that he will not return to Boston. When she rejects him, he locks himself in the bathroom and refuses to leave. Meanwhile, William orders Lynn to leave his house, but continually sabotages her efforts to find a roommate. Toni agrees to help Joan clean out her house, but insists that Joan's love life is what actually needs to be purged.

Joan finds herself in a bind when she is forced to agree to a dinner with both Ellis and Brock. She does not know how to handle the situation, although she insists that she is going to stay with Ellis. Joan winds up sharing a passionate kiss with Brock. Ellis nearly catches them in the act, and her friends witness the whole scene from the laundry room. Joan finally confesses her actions on the night of the play to Ellis. He is initially furious, but later visits her and lets her off the hook. They admit that they cared about each other, but were never really in love. Joan dashes off to give Brock a call. Meanwhile, William tries to cut a deal with Maya to get her to actually do her job, but she continues to outwit him.

Maya learns that tuition has increased substantially, and she doesn't have enough money to cover it. William tries to give her the money by pretending she has received it from the firm's continuing education plan, but she turns him down. Lynn housesits for Joan so that her DSL can be installed while she is away with Brock. Lynn claims that she is going to work on a grant proposal for another documentary, but gets nothing done. Joan refuses to let her stay at the house, and Toni and William also reject her. Maya agrees to let Lynn move in for a month if she pays rent. Lynn proceeds to lie around and do absolutely nothing. Maya pays her tuition, but learns that her credits do not transfer and she must start over again as a freshman. She is unbelievably frustrated and breaks down in tears. Lynn annoys Maya by complaining about her own plight and claiming to be depressed. William tells Lynn what Maya is experiencing and convinces her to be more sensitive, and also to take action

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Maya remarries, Toni demands a divorce, Lynn gets engaged and Joan freaks out. After a passionate reunion, Maya asks Darnell, "Now what?" The pillow talk is even more delicate at Joan's place. Having wound up in bed with William, Joan is unable to relax and consummate their On-again, off-again romance. William fears her reticence is "physical proof we don't belong together."

Maya learns love isn't easier the second time around, Their Vegas honeymoon is supposed to be romantic, yet Maya and Darnell gɛt into an argument that causes Maya to leave in a huff. Back in L.A., Lynn Vows to call off her engagement to Jennifer.

Todd takes action when Toni has difficulty handling her motherly duties. Meanwhile, Joan becomes fed up with her friends' freeloading at the J-Spot.

Darnell moves into the apartment across from Maya as they deal with control issues. Toni begins breastfeeding to help her case with Todd.

William heads home for his mother's operation and faces childhood memories along with his emotionally distant father.

Considering a return to her legal career, Joan interviews at a law firm, where one of the partners — a much older man — pursues her.

After volunteering in New Orleans, Joan returns to LA determined to repair her relationship with Maya, Lynn, and most importantly, Toni.

Joan returns to work at the J-Spot only to find that William has put Monica in charge of managing the bar.

Joan starts to realize Maya’s house has become the hangout spot and she is no longer the center of the friendship.

Lynn sets out to perform at a local club during open mic night. Joan and William discover a large amount of money is missing from the J-Spot.

Joan learns Maya and Lynn kept a recent outing they had with Toni secret, then later insists on bringing Monica into the circle of friends.

When Maya discovers Jabari has been skipping school and plagiarizing work, Lynn suggests Jabari may be acting out because of his new environment.

Joan causes a dispute between herself and Aaron after purchasing an expensive kitchen range for their new house and not discussing it over with him. After they defuse their feud, Aaron receives unexpected news. Meanwhile, Lynn begins to flaunt her success with her progressing music career. Golden Brooks, Reggie Hayes, Keesha Sharp and Khalil Kane also star.

Joan runs away to Mexico with Aaron in attempts to keep him from leaving to Iraq. While in Mexico, Aaron realizes that he cannot run from the war and the two of them decide that they should get married before he departures. Meanwhile, Maya automatically assumes that Jabari has been using marijuana when she finds it in her home. Also, Lynn reaches another milestone in her music career, but she doesn't feel comfortable celebrating because of Joan and Aaron's problem.

Lynn must decide whether to perform at a rally to raise awareness to save the environment; requested by a student she met at UCLA, named Xander (guest star Quddus Phillipe) or perform at the House of Blues, where her manager booked for her to perform. Meanwhile, After hearing Jabari use the \"b\" word, Maya gets upset with him and Joan enlists William assistance when she hears strange noises coming from her crawlspace. Keesha Sharp and Khalil Kane also star.

While experiencing writers block, Maya avoids her manager as her deadline approaches to complete her second book. Later, Maya learns that there may be some complications with her pregnancy and the doctor advises her to take it easy, but Maya doesn't comply. Meanwhile, Joan has a hard time getting Lynn to rent her apartment. Also, William and Monica realize differences in their relationship. Khalil Kain also stars.

After having her miscarriage, Joan and Lynn worry that Maya is in denial and not dealing with her grief when Maya suspects Darnell of blaming her for it. Also, William and Monica prepare for their first dinner party. Meanwhile, Joan tries to persuade Lynn to finally open up a bank account.

After still being convinced that Maya is not dealing with her loss, Joan decides to take Maya on a shopping spree to help her recover but surprisingly, Joan realizes that she is the one who needs therapy because of Aaron departure to Iraq. Meanwhile, Monica tells William that she is pregnant but his reaction is unlike she expected.