Survival of the Thickest is about getting over a messy breakup and figuring life out in the late 30s. Mavis Beaumont works as a stylist, and her incredible fashion sense makes her an instant favorite. She was in a long-term relationship with Jacque; he was a photographer, and the two made a promising team. Life was almost perfect for Mavis, but soon she was forced to rethink every decision she made. She walked in on Jacque cheating on her with a model. He promised it was just one time, but Mavis had enough. She was insulted and humiliated by the event and decided to leave the apartment the very next minute. Her best friend, Khalil, assisted her in moving out and helped her get over her insecurities. From living in a posh apartment to moving to a cramped space in Brooklyn, life was far from easy, but Mavis was not ready to give up as easily.
Spoilers Alert
Plot Summary: What Is The Series About?
After moving to Brooklyn, Mavis bumped into an old acquaintance who happened to have a crush on her. While she barely remembered the many embarrassing moments from the night, she knew it was a big mistake as soon as she woke up in the morning. He was glad that, unlike most women, he hooked up with, Mavis did not ghost him but instead comforted him and made him feel worthwhile. Soon after dealing with him, Mavis realized that she was late for the meeting with the editor of Esquire magazine, Sydney, but she struggled to find the willpower to make it to the office. When Khalil found Mavis lazing around, he encouraged her to leave the sofa and work hard to make her dream of becoming a lead stylist a reality. After a terrible breakup, Mavis was not ready to give up on the job she had been dreaming about for years. She dabbed on some makeup and made it to the Esquire office. While Sydney was impressed by her portfolio, she expected Mavis to work with Jacque. But that was not what Mavis had in mind, and since the magazine would not get rid of its best photographer, Mavis knew she did not have a chance.
Mavis started to frequent a drag club and became friends with the drag queens, particularly Peppermint. It was through Peppermint that Mavis received an offer to style a celebrity. The celebrity turned out to be Natasha Karina, a 90s supermodel who is afraid of not being relevant anymore. Mavis soon realized how uncomfortable Natasha was about her size. She had stopped measuring herself and insisted on wearing a corset. Mavis had always wanted to dress thick women, and she aimed to make them feel comfortable with the way they were. She said no to the corset and expected Natasha to replace her, but instead, she was hired. With just a day in hand, Mavis managed to get together as many options as she could, and even though Natasha was not confident about Mavis’ choices, the dress fit her like gloves.
Quite unexpectedly, the event turned out to be a funeral, and Mavis was embarrassed about agreeing to dress Natasha for it. As it turns out, Natasha wanted to dress elegantly for her ex-husband’s funeral. While Mavis was initially hesitant about Natasha’s plan to walk up to his casket in a glittery dress, she realized that it was the way Natasha wanted to bid her ex-husband goodbye. The dress made her feel confident, and she wanted to not miss the opportunity to shine, even though the event was not glamorous. She owed a lot of her success to her husband, a talent agent who had discovered her. Even though she resented him for divorcing her, it was only after his death that she regretted how their relationship had worsened over time. Peppermint was live streaming the entire event, and Natasha walking into a funeral in a glamorous dress and dropping a strap-on into her ex-husband’s casket immediately became an internet sensation. Since Mavis was also mentioned in the video, over three thousand people started following her online. After spending a month in a smelly, clumsy apartment, Mavis finally experienced the joy of doing something right. Even though life was better than before, she often caught herself thinking about Jacque and their perfect life.
Who Was Luca?
Mavis met a charming stranger at the drag club in the most bizarre way. She had styled the performers that night, and accidentally Divinity’s top snapped, and Mavis had to come up with a quick solution. She noticed a stranger wearing a tie and requested that he lend it, and that was how she met Luca. Luca was impressed by Mavis’ spontaneity and asked her out. He had to leave for Rome the next day, and he decided not to waste a minute. Mavis was fascinated by the man sitting across the table. She did not know that the night would turn romantic, but she was glad it did. Mavis was all the more impressed when she found out that Luca worked at a non-profit and helped refugees resettle. While the night was going perfectly, it soon got a little messed up. With ice and peanut butter, Mavis tried to solve the emergency at hand, and even though it worked out, she was extremely embarrassed. But Luca decided to make the night better instead of leaving on a painful note.
The two made love that night, and Luca left early in the morning. They barely knew each other, but somehow saying goodbye was difficult. When Mavis met Marley and Khalil, she announced that she was going to marry Luca. The two stayed connected even though the distance sometimes bothered them. They had the best time when Luca came for work and stayed with Mavis for weeks. He met her friends and even her mother. He showed eagerness to be a part of her life, and Mavis was quite impressed. Her mother was not too glad about Mavis’ choice. She believed it was time for her to settle down, and Luca did not seem like a viable option. It was true that they did not know each other for long and stayed far away from each other, but Mavis could not deny the connection that she felt with him. Even though they did not know what their future held, they decided to stay in touch and give themselves a chance.
Why Did Mavis Reject Natasha’s Offer?
Natasha wanted Mavis to exclusively style her, but Mavis was focused on building a brand. When she was offered the opportunity to style Nicole Byer’s lingerie launch, she readily agreed. Natasha believed that she had launched Mavis’ career, and therefore, she deserved to be her first priority. Mavis promised to handle both of her clients and give them equal importance. Even though Natasha was not completely on board with the idea, she settled for it. But the problem was not resolved, and Natasha desperately tried to seek Mavis’ attention when she was busy working on the launch. The work conflict started to affect Mavis’ relationship with Luca as well. She barely had time for video calls, and his decision to send her air tickets right when she was completely swamped with work made her feel all the more irritated. It was finally the day of both events, and Mavis decided to first cater to Natasha and then work on the lingerie launch. While styling her, Natasha offered Mavis a three-year contract with a handsome salary. While it was a lucrative offer, Mavis declined it. She made it clear that she wanted to grow her brand, and that was impossible by working with just one client. It was Mavis’ dream to dress thick women, and Natasha somehow never tried to understand her goal. Natasha warned her that the moment she left the room, she would lose the opportunity to ever work with her. Letting go of such a proposal was tough, but Mavis knew what she wanted from her career, and if that was something that bothered Natasha, she decided it was best that they stopped working together.
‘Survival Of The Thickest’ Ending Explained: Whom Did Mavis Choose?
Mavis suffered from an anxiety attack the night of the lingerie launch. Her mother came to visit her after she returned from the hospital. She advised Mavis to settle down and have kids since her biological clock was ticking. She did not believe Mavis had any real future with Luca, but she had faith in her relationship with Jacque. Mavis’ father discussed how he, too, cheated on her mother, but instead of choosing to go their separate ways, they decided to stick together. Her parents wanted Mavis to give Jacque another chance. And Mavis was all the more shocked when she found out that Jacque had already talked to her parents about marrying her. Mavis did not have any intentions of marrying Jacque, but she did believe it was time for her to make some serious decisions regarding her personal life. Meanwhile, Luca apologized for the air tickets; he admitted that it was silly of him to assume that he knew what would work best for her. His intention was to show his life to her, and so he decided to record bits of it. Mavis could not stop smiling as she saw the video; it was thoughtful and romantic. But after spending her morning at the clinic, she was all the more determined to find a way to start a family because all her life, she had dreamed of having children, and she truly looked forward to motherhood. With Luca, it was uncertain, but she was not sure about Jacque as well. She explained her situation to Luca, and she made it clear that she was looking for a serious commitment and was not ready to waste time on something she was not too sure about.
That night, Jacque came to her house, and when he kneeled with a ring in his hand, surprisingly, Mavis said yes. Marley and Khalil were not impressed by Mavis’ decision, but they loved her and agreed to be there for her. Jacque promised to commit to her for life and not make the mistake he once did. Her messy life was finally coming together, but deep down, Mavis was not truly happy. While making love to Jacque, all she could think about was Luca. When Luca called her one morning, she gladly accepted the call, but unfortunately, Jacque followed her from behind. Mavis freaked out, and clearly, Luca could figure out what had happened. After dropping her phone to avoid the awkward situation, she and Jacque went to the store. The woman behind the counter offered a choice between repair and an upgrade, and Jacque instantly responded to repair. Mavis realized that she did not wish to repair but wanted to upgrade. Standing right in front of the counter, Mavis made it clear that it was impossible for them to work out their relationship. Even though they had changed as individuals, as a couple, they were not meant to be. Jacque left the store offended, but Mavis had never felt better.
Mavis styled the prom party at the drag club, and it turned out to be an exciting event. She was in a happy place, doing what she loved. She no longer cared about living her life a certain way and wanted to take chances. At the end of Survival of the Thickest, Natasha and Mavis reunite. Natasha realized that she missed Mavis, and nobody understood her better. Mavis was more than happy to have Natasha back in her life. After returning home from the party, Mavis called Luca. He was visibly in a bad mood after he figured out that Mavis was back with her ex-boyfriend. Mavis explained her entire situation. She added that after getting engaged to Jacque briefly, she realized that even though Luca might not get every word she said, he understood her, and at the end of the day, that is what matters. She decided to take her chance and admitted that she was in love with him. Even though their relationship might not make sense to others, she wanted to be with him. Luca needed some time to process it all, and Mavis showed complete consideration.
During Survival of the Thickest‘s ending, there is a knock on Luca’s door. As he opened the door, he found Mavis standing on the other side. She used the ticket he had sent and decided to give love a chance. Luca was pleasantly surprised to see her, and they were clearly head over heels in love. Survival of the Thickest ends on a happy note for Mavis and Luca, but it is not the same for Khalil and India. Khalil had bonded with India’s son, but her ex-husband was not fond of him. India believed she needed to come to a compromise with her ex, considering that they were both going through a challenging time. Since Henry did not want Khalil to be at Cooper’s birthday party, India decided not to invite Khalil. Khalil felt humiliated; he had built a relationship with her son and enjoyed spending time with him. Khalil thought it was unfair that Henry still made the calls, and India chose not to fight for him. He wanted to be in a committed relationship, but with the recent conflict, he was not too sure. Their conversation in episode 8 indicated that they might decide to go their separate ways. Survival of the Thickest can return with another season. We might get to find out what happened to Khalil and India and also get an update about the happy couple in Italy. The next season will probably focus on Mavis’ pregnancy journey, with an interesting take on the hurdles of becoming a mother. Whatever the case, we surely will not mind another season with Mavis Beaumont and her friends.
