This was definitely a tear-jerker. In the beginning scenes we see Lisa preparing to commit suicide, and then eventually taking her own life by purposefully overdosing on pills.
David tries to get in touch with MJ to let her know, but she's ignoring (and eventually blocking thanks to Mark) his calls. He even tries going to her house, but she doesn't answer the door. Finally, Niecy gets a hold of her. David is at the house with Niecy and MJ's parents and has shared the sad news with them. Niecy asks MJ to come over, but MJ insists that she tell her what happened. So Niecy tells her Lisa committed suicide.
In a small scene, but possibly worth a mention for future episodes, Mark offers to stay with MJ in the office after having to remind her they all signed a memo that they wouldn't drink at the office and that included removing the tequila from her desk when she says she needs a drink and looks for a bottle in her desk drawer. But she tells him she'll be fine and he should go meet up with his French beau who's in town for 48-hours. Later, MJ ignores a call from Nichelle, and looks through her missed/ignored calls, including 4 from Lisa...1 of which seems to be from the night she committed suicide.
In a later scene at MJ's house, MJ, Mark, Kara, and Nichelle share memories of Lisa over drinks and discuss plans for her funeral. It eventually leads to a conversation about Black people not being known for suicide, suicide being an illness (as opposed to a weakness), and the relationship medication has with suicide. Then Nichelle reveals to MJ that it was David who found Lisa's body after asking MJ if she had spoken to him.
So in a later scene MJ is speaking to David in front of her house. He offers to pay for the funeral, but she tells him it's taken care of. She asks him what he was doing at Lisa's house in the first place. He said he went to check on her since she hadn't been answering his call since the accident. He then asks MJ how she's doing, and she tells him she's fine all things considered. He begins to say, "If you need anything..." but she cuts him off and says, "I won't. Thanks." Then she walks into her house.
Later, MJ goes to talk to her mother about the funeral arrangements, and her mother starts the conversation by saying she and MJ are responsible for Lisa's suicide. This frustrates MJ, who tells her mother she came to discuss arrangements not to have a pity party. Her mother then informs her that she reached out to Lisa's family and they would likely be doing the arrangements. This further upsets MJ, who is furious that her mother would contact Lisa's family given she hadn't spoken to them in 15 years! She adds that Lisa's family planted the seed that ultimately led to her suicide. She storms out of the house, ignoring Niecy's question about whether she still wanted her help.
When MJ is in Lisa's house, Lisa's mother and stepfather (played by Richard Lawson, aka Queen Bey's stepfather, aka Ms. Tina's new husband) comes to the house. MJ and Lisa's mother are in Lisa's bedroom, and MJ is less than welcoming, even being slightly confrontational about the grade she and Lisa were in in a picture Lisa's mother was looking at. Lisa's mother asks Mary Jane to do the eulogy, and Mary Jane agrees to do it. But when Lisa's stepfather yells up for Lisa's mother to come on so they could leave, MJ tells Lisa's mother it's either her or him at the funeral. So it becomes clear he's the reason Lisa no longer spoke to her family. In the car, Lisa's mother asks the stepfather to not come to the funeral, because it would look bad if MJ wasn't there. He pushes back by saying he hates it when she acts so weak (interesting, since by MJ's reaction, Lisa's mother may have acted weak when it came to protecting her daughter from her stepfather), and he throws in that she knows Lisa was bipolar with a vivid imagination (I suppose that was his excuse when Lisa's mother got wind of what he was doing to Lisa). But eventually he agreed not to go to the funeral. Another interesting note was MJ's comment to Lisa's mother about posting to Facebook, noting it sounds insensitive but is the best way to inform as many people as possible in this day and age. Though I wonder, is it the best way because it's Facebook, or because we simply do not keep up and stay connected with others as well as we used to? I mean, they had funerals before Facebook. But I digress....
At the church...wait let me backtrack a little for a sweet moment between MJ's parents as they got ready for the funeral. MJ's father saw her mother reaching for something in the closet that was just out of her reach. So he went into the closet to get it for her, and after going back into the room he looked back at her in the way I hope my future husband will look at me someday. They may be my favorite couple on tv right now.
Okay...so back to the church. David and MJ are talking before the funeral begins. MJ does most of the talking. She talks about procrastinating on writing the eulogy by trying on 8 different black dresses, including one Lisa told her was too expensive. She said Lisa was right, because the next week she found the same dress at another store for much less. She also said that was the last time she and Lisa did something fun as friends, noting they hadn't really talked in a year. David tried to share words of encouragement, like telling MJ she'll do fine because she always knows what to say. But then things started to not come out so right, like when he followed up saying Lisa was in a better place by saying that was a cliche that may not be true and they don't know if she's in a better place. At which point he admitted it was hard for him to know what to say, understandably so. But he soon learned what NOT to say, when he told MJ it wasn't her fault. Then things went left! MJ took it as him trying to put the blame on her, instead of taking any responsibility in it or even sharing in it with her. So yea...that conversation doesn't end well (MJ throws in things about David screwing Lisa and wanting Lisa's money). Though I found it surprising that MJ basically tells David the same thing she told Lisa, that she has nothing to give him. I guess I found it surprising since I would think the death of a friend you just told that to would make you reconsider having said it as well as saying it to someone else in the future.
Then MJ nearly has a fit before the processional when she sees Lisa's mother brought Lisa's stepfather after all! The pastor had to remind her that everyone is welcome in the house of the Lord. When MJ does the eulogy, she focuses on the need to make sure the people we love know we love them no matter their ugly truths (also announcing the fact that Lisa's stepfather molested her from the age of 9 to 16, as well as the fact that she suffered from depression, unrequited love, and the silent treatment too many times).
Love your loved ones while they are here....love them unconditionally and be the person they can share their ugly truths with.