"Mary Jane's Last Dance" is the thirteenth and final episode of Cougar Town's sixth season, and the series finale.
It's Jules' birthday, and as usual, she enforces very high standards on the gifts her friends give her. This year, she says she would like to know what it's like to attend her own funeral and find out what everybody would say about her, an idea that Grayson dismisses. However, Ellie and Andy need to move to the next town over for Stan to go to a better elementary school; Laurie and Travis are moving to South Carolina to grow Travis's winebulance business; Chick is going down to the Florida Keys with his cousin Pootie; Tom says his new girlfriend, Mary, doesn't like him hanging outside her window, and wants him to stop.
Andy gives Jules the "gift of Bobby" on his tablet. Jules shows Ellie and Andy a house, but begs Ellie not to leave. At her party, Jules drops and breaks Big Chuck when she finds out Travis is moving, and wants to go home, where Ellie and Andy are already packing up their things. Travis and Laurie head to South Carolina. As Jules vents to Grayson about how everyone in her life is leaving right at that moment, Grayson reveals that it was all part of her birthday gift: to attend her own funeral and know what everyone would say about her. Throughout the day, everyone had told her how they really felt about her. He reveals the cul-de-sac is decorated with lights for her party and that nobody is really leaving; Andy and Ellie aren't really upset about Stan's school, and there's nobody investing in the winebulance. Travis and Laurie also reveal they're moving into Grayson's old house, with Chick and Grayson helping them with the down-payment. The next day, Jules and the rest of the gang enjoy a day of doing nothing and drinking wine around her kitchen island.
This episode contains examples of:
- Alliterative Title: The show's new title, Sunshine State.
- Back for the Finale: Bobby shows up via video call on Andy's tablet.
- The Bus Came Back: Sort of; Bobby is still in Georgia, but he appears in the episode by video call on Andy's tablet.
- Call-Back: Several, as expected of a series finale:
- Phrases like "Kicks ass", "Eat the sword", and "Slap out of it" return.
- Jules' love of new baby smell returns.
- Jules asks Travis to find a way to shrink her down so she can live in his blood.
- Everyone shudders at the thought of Trav and Laurie having sex.
- Couch Gag: "Thank you for watching SUNSHINE STATE. Finally got the new title!!"
- Informed Attribute: This is the first we hear of Jules' habit of self-sabotaging her own happiness.
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Post-Release Retitle: The show's name is finally changed to "Sunshine State", and not a moment too soon. - Running Gag: Some new ones, and several of long-running ones return for the finale:
- Everyone says "what" every time someone says something awkward.
- Ellie does the imaginary hat gag one final time; as usual, nobody gets it, and Jules responds with "imaginary confetti".
- She also does an imaginary knife bit as well.
- Jules breaks one last giant wine glass, this time deliberately dropping Big Chuck after finding out that Travis is leaving too.
- Jules changes "Déjà vu" to "Déjà view". Once again, Ellie approves the change and Grayson objects to it.
- The show's title gag where they make fun of their title even gets one last joke: the title card finally renames the show as "Sunshine State".
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Ann and Norman, the couple that bought Grayson's house several seasons ago, haven't shown up since, but apparently they've since vacated the house and Jules is now selling it again.
- With a Foot on the Bus: Everyone but Grayson is seemingly leaving "Jules Island" just after her birthday, but it turns out it was all a birthday prank surprise organized by Grayson. Nobody actually leaves (although Bobby still isn't coming back, but shows up on andy's tablet throughout the episode).
