In Survival of the Thickest, Mavis Beaumont’s perfect life crumbles, pushing her down and requiring her to start at the beginning. The series is now streaming on Netflix.
Plot summary
Mavis Beaumont, a plus-sized Black woman, is a successful stylist whose impressive work often gets noticed by her clients. She is in a long-term relationship with Jacque, a photographer working with her, and has been moving up the ladder in her career.
Jacque even recommends Mavis to Sydney Dubois from Essence so that Mavis can have her first lead styling gig. Sydney says Mavis is ready for it, and everything seems to be going fine until Mavis catches Jacque cheating on her.
With the help of her best friend, Khalil, Mavis moves out of Jacque’s luxurious apartment and now finds herself sharing a shabby apartment with a roommate named Jade.
Mavis also walks out of the opportunity at Essence after learning that she will have to work with Jacque. Basically, she will now have to start at the bottom as a stylist again after years of hard work.
Peppermint, a drag queen working at a restaurant called CC Bloom’s, offers Mavis a gig, which turns out to be for the ’90s model Natasha Karina.
While styling clothes for Natasha, Mavis realizes that Natasha is not comfortable with her size. She wants a dress but doesn’t want to give her measurements.
Mavis always dreamed of designing clothes for women like her and Natasha. She aims to make Natasha comfortable in her own size by giving her the right dress. She promises Natasha that she will make this happen, and Natasha won’t have to rely on a corset.
Mavis gets hired by Natasha, and she successfully designs a dress that makes Natasha feel confident. What Mavis didn’t know is that Natasha wanted this dress for her ex-husband’s funeral.
Natasha’s resentment towards her husband makes Mavis realize that she doesn’t want to live like that. She doesn’t want years of resentment and anger towards Jacque.
Natasha had put on a show during the funeral, and Peppermint had gone live on Instagram. Everyone noticed Natasha’s clothes and Mavis’ part in the video and began applauding Mavis for her work.
During a show at CC Bloom’s, one of the performers faces a wardrobe malfunction. Mavis had designed her clothes. Mavis, with her spontaneous thinking, asked a random man for his tie and fixed everything to keep the show going.
Impressed by her quick thinking, this man named Luca approaches Mavis and asks her out. Somehow, Luca knows what to say every time. He leaves Mavis flattered. They end up spending the night together before Luca flies away to Rome, Italy.
On the wedding day of Natasha’s dog, Kristin, Mavis is forced to work with Jacque, who admits he came chasing her. Mavis agrees that she didn’t communicate with Jacque like she could have, but she doesn’t deserve to be humiliated or betrayed. Jacque wants her to come back, but Mavis can’t do that.
Back home, Luca surprises Mavis with a visit. The next day, Mavis’ mother surprises them and makes it clear that Luca and Mavis can’t end up together.
After Luca leaves, Mavis gets an opportunity to work for Nicole Byer, who is launching a line of lingerie for thick women. Nicole needs help with the final touches for her models, and Mavis is perfect for this job.
Mavis later learns that she and Natasha are getting a Webby Award for their viral video. The event falls on the same day as Nicole’s lingerie launch.
Natasha forces Mavis to choose her by offering a lucrative contract to be her stylist exclusively. Mavis chooses her happiness over Natasha’s and backs out of working for Natasha.
However, she regrets this decision later upon realizing that Nicole’s lingerie launch is a one-time thing, whereas Natasha’s contract could have made her life. She faces an acute anxiety attack, which alerts her that it’s time for her to make some hard decisions for her life as time is running out.
Amidst all of this, Mavis’ best friends face challenges of their own. Khalil, for the first time, gets serious about a relationship as he starts dating India, one of his art students. He shows genuine interest in knowing her and her son.
Marley, on the other hand, starts discovering her sexual identity better as she begins enjoying intimate relations with women.
Survival of the Thickest ending explained in detail:
Why does Mavis accept Jacque’s proposal?
The anxiety attack works as a wake-up call. Mavis is reminded that she wants to do a lot of things in her life. She wants to travel the world, be a mother, and keep building her career. She is getting older, and she may not get to do all of these things.
Mavis’ parents, on the other hand, want her to settle down with Jacque once and for all. Mavis’ father, especially, talks about how even though he cheated on Mavis’ mother, they didn’t let that mistake break them.
Mavis’ father reveals that Jacque asked for his blessing to marry Mavis. Mavis’ father saw the same man who made the mistake that he did. He assures Mavis that this man truly loves her. Therefore, Mavis’ father said yes to Jacque.
Mavis’ concerns for her future grow. She looks at this practically and lets Luca know that the relationship they are planning to have can’t happen if they are going to stay far away from each other.
That same night, Jacque visits Mavis and proposes marriage to her, and she says yes.
Does Mavis end up with Jacque?
Mavis and Peppermint plan to have a prom of their own at CC Bloom’s. This will be a prom where there will be no such gendered dress code. Everyone can wear clothes in which they feel comfortable.
Things start coming together as Natasha returns and reconciles with Mavis. However, Mavis still sees Luca sometimes when she comes close to Jacque.
Luca soon calls Mavis. To prevent Jacque from seeing her talk to Luca, she throws her phone and breaks it. At the mobile care center, Mavis is asked if she wants to fix this phone or upgrade it.
She then realizes that she doesn’t want to fix her old relationship, but wants to upgrade. She lets Jacque know that she can’t be with him anymore. They are broken, and moving on together isn’t going to fix it, no matter how much they have changed.
Mavis admits that she has been telling herself that this is it, but this isn’t it. Mavis says they are missing the thing that makes them soulmates. She then hands Jacque his ring back.
After the prom at CC Bloom’s, Mavis video calls Luca and lets him know that she is ready to take a chance on their relationship. Luca tells her that he needs time to think about this. Someone rings the doorbell of Luca’s home, and he finds Mavis outside. They kiss and reconcile.
What happens to Khalil and Marley?
Khalil gave his all to the relationship he has with India. He gets close to her son, Cooper, and teaches him several things. Now, Cooper’s father, Henry, as in India’s ex-husband, wanted to meet Khalil. They have this arrangement that they should meet whoever comes close to Cooper.
Khalil goes on lunch with India’s family. Though he doesn’t have the best time, he still tries. However, what disappoints Khalil is that Henry doesn’t want Khalil to be at Cooper’s birthday party.
Khalil fails to understand the compromises that India is making. Therefore, he doesn’t join India when she leaves the prom.
Meanwhile, Marley explores her identity and finds herself dating Dr. Britta, whom she met at the hospital Mavis was admitted to.
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