Mia's Presence In The Best Man: The Final Chapters

In the 2022 Peacock series The Best Man: The Final Chapters, Mia, played by Monica Calhoun, is notably absent from the festivities as she passed away from cancer in the previous film, The Best Man Holiday. Despite her death, Calhoun reprises her role as Mia in a dream sequence in Episode 2, where she and her husband Lance, played by Morris Chestnut, relax in a cabana by the pool. This sequence highlights Lance's grief and his struggle to move on from Mia's death, even as he connects with a hotel manager named Jasmine.

Mia's death and Lance's grief

The series begins with Lance still mourning his wife's death and struggling to cope with his grief. He tries to bury his feelings through a series of one-night stands and finds himself constantly reminded of Mia, especially during his friends' wedding celebrations. At the ring ceremony for Quentin and his fiancé, Lance's mind drifts to his own wedding day with Mia, triggering a flashback of their kiss.

In the second episode, Lance dreams of a perfect moment with Mia, relaxing by the pool, only to wake up and realise it was just a dream. The upcoming wedding serves as an agonising reminder of his loss. Lance's grief is further explored as he navigates his retirement from football and his eldest child's journey of self-discovery.

Lance eventually finds solace in Jasmine, a hotel manager, who helps him open up and begin processing his grief. This marks a turning point in his journey, as unresolved grief could have led to depression. Lance's character arc highlights the personal nature of grief and the various ways people cope with it.

Despite Mia's absence, the show finds a way to bring back Monica Calhoun and pay homage to her beloved character. In the final scene, which jumps ahead two years, Mia makes an appearance to celebrate her father Harper's Pulitzer Prize win, bringing the story full circle.

Lance's new love interest, Jasmine

Lance Sullivan, a retired NFL star, has been grieving the loss of his wife, Mia, who passed away from cancer. To cope with his grief, Lance has been engaging in casual relationships and one-night stands. However, his friends call him out on this unhealthy method of dealing with his loss.

Lance's life takes a turn when he meets Jasmine, a hotel manager, while celebrating his friend Quentin's impending nuptials at an island paradise. Jasmine captivates Lance's attention, but there's a catch: she's engaged to someone else. Despite this initial hurdle, Lance keeps in touch with Jasmine from a distance. Their reconnection is further facilitated by a social media mishap, and they reconnect as friends.

As fate would have it, Lance and Jasmine cross paths again at the ceremony for his jersey retirement. This time, their encounter is more than just a coincidence, as Jasmine is working at the hotel where the event is taking place. Their chemistry is undeniable, and Lance even introduces her to his children.

In the final moments of "The Best Man: The Final Chapters," viewers see a huge engagement ring on Jasmine's finger, indicating that Lance and Jasmine are headed towards matrimony. Their relationship serves as a heartwarming conclusion to the series, providing Lance with a new love interest and a chance to move forward after Mia's death.

Lance's career crisis

After an unsuccessful attempt at becoming a sports analyst, Lance decides to return to football. He also throws himself into training his eldest child, who is following in his footsteps. Lance's return to football is likely an attempt to cope with his grief over his wife Mia's death and to find a new sense of purpose.

Lance's struggle with his career path is a reflection of the larger themes explored in the series, including midlife crises, personal identity, and the challenges of adulthood. It highlights the difficulty of navigating career transitions and the search for new sources of fulfilment.

Lance's journey in "The Best Man: The Final Chapters" serves as a reminder that career crises can be opportunities for self-discovery and exploration. It also emphasizes the importance of finding meaningful pursuits and the impact of losing a long-connected identity.

Lance's child's gender identity

Lance's eldest child, LJ, is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. Initially, Lance struggles to accept LJ's gender identity, leading to LJ running away from home. However, by the end of the series, Lance learns to accept LJ for who they are. In the final episode, Lance is shown supporting LJ during a celebration for his jersey retirement.

Lance's response to LJ's coming out is informed by his character's traditional and religious values. As an NFL star, Lance is used to being in control and achieving his goals through hard work. However, he is unable to prevent his wife's death and struggles to come to terms with LJ's gender identity. This leads to a crisis of faith for Lance, who has to learn to let go of his desire for control and accept the things he cannot change.

The exploration of Lance's journey as he grapples with his child's gender identity adds depth to the series and highlights the challenges faced by transgender and gender non-conforming individuals, particularly within communities that hold traditional views of masculinity and gender roles.

Lance's coping mechanisms

In "The Best Man: The Final Chapters", Lance Sullivan (played by Morris Chestnut) is grieving the death of his wife, Mia, who passed away from cancer at the end of the previous instalment, "The Best Man Holiday". Lance is struggling to cope with his grief and is seen burying his feelings through a string of one-night stands and random hookups. He also struggles with his identity as he is no longer a professional football player and has retired.

Lance's journey in "The Best Man: The Final Chapters" is one of self-discovery and acceptance. He starts coaching for the NFL team he once played for and eventually finds love again, getting engaged to a woman he admires. Lance's coping mechanisms are a central part of his character arc and development throughout the series.

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