In 2017, BET announced that instead of a fifth season of Being Mary Jane, they’d be offering us a two-hour finale movie. I remember being sad that it was coming to an end. In addition, I was skeptical. Even though it seemed fitting, as the show began as a two-hour movie. After high ratings, it was later turned into a series. Nonetheless, I have been a dedicated fan for four seasons, so I had to see it through.
I questioned how BET would reconcile Mary Jane’s hot-messy life in two hours. On Tuesday night, it turns out I was right to be skeptical. The attempt to give a proper ending to Mary Jane - her career, quest for love, and journey to have a baby, felt rushed.
Last season ended with Mary Jane heartbroken after Justin (played by green-eyed Michael Ealy) left angrily after finding out Mary Jane chose Kara for the executive producer position. He took it as a sign she didn’t really love him. However, at the beginning of the finale movie, we find Justin down on one knee proposing to Mary Jane.
Sounds great, right? Except during the 48 hours he was gone (Yep, only 2 days), Mary Jane made the snap decision to utilize the embryos she had frozen and gets one implanted via IVF. Of course, she doesn’t tell Justin. She accepts his proposal and ring – but two weeks later, he walks in on Mary Jane taking a pregnancy test which confirms she’s pregnant.
Not sure how this was all going to work, Justin leaves…again.
Six months later, enter Beau (chocolate-dipped Morris Chestnut), an ex-boyfriend from college that has conveniently moved to New York City. Despite Mary Jane being very pregnant, the two begin dating and it seems like he could be the one.
In between Mary Jane’s mess, we see wrap-ups with Niecy and Kara. And we’re supposed to believe that Mary Jane has gotten out of her own way and found what she’s always wanted. If you’re like me, you could see where this was going miles away. In pure MJ fashion, she finds herself in a love triangle.
With two proposals, she decides to marry Justin – “the unicorn”
“I guess what I feel most in this moment is relief. Relief in having finally come to the realization that all the online checklists and all the how-to books, all the poems and the post-its and the positive affirmations are just...chatter," she says in a voiceover. “I realized the only affirmation you need is let go and let love because the second you get out of your own way and stop orchestrating, it just happens. The moment you stop saying me and without thinking say us, that’s the moment you’re finally able to allow the love you want in.”
Come on BET. It was corny and predictable. I wanted to see Mary Jane evolve…like, for real evolve. I wanted to see her receive a more layered, less predictable ending – something realistic that reflected the experiences of single Black women, which has been the heart of this show since it began. That is what made us fall in love with MJ and keep tuning in.
What she got was a gorgeous baby, hot man, and incredible wedding. This is exactly how Mary Jane would've wanted it to end. Despite all of her flaws and messiness, for four seasons, all she really wanted was to have it all—love included. And she got it. For Mary Jane Paul, her ending was perfect. But for me, not so much. What did you think of the finale?