The Big C

The C Word is a half hour comedy for Showtime starring Laura Linney about a woman living in Minneapolis who gets diagnosed with terminal cancer. Knowing she may not have more than a year to live, Cathy starts living her life the way she wishes she’d been living it for the last forty years. She’s determined to have more fun, be more honest, and make every moment count. It’s a show that will ...

After being diagnosed with melanoma, a woman tries to juggle the demands of her life.

Cathy begins to appreciate her body; Paul wants to see a couples therapist; Adam tries to run away to soccer camp.

Now that she has rid the house of her slovenly husband Paul, Cathy sets her sites on reforming their son Adam. So, on the eve of his departure for a month-long soccer camp, Cathy uses the hole that's been dug for her backyard pool to burn all of Adam's dirty clothes. Meanwhile, as she takes Andrea to task for actually gaining two pounds on her new diet, Cathy learns of a woman who has been...

Cathy plans a dinner party and signs up for a support group; Paul makes a romantic gesture; Marlene discovers Cathy's secret.

While fending off Paul's demands that she return to marriage therapy and pressing Marlene to keep her aging dog Thomas at home, Cathy tries to persuade her son Adam to join her for a ride on a tandem bicycle that's been gathering dust in the garage. When he refuses, Cathy is left to pilot the bike on her own to visit Sean. Unable to convince her brother to get some ice cream with her, Cathy is...

Cathy cashes out her retirement savings and buys a convertible; Paul loves rugby; Marlene helps Adam.

Following a trip to the credit union to withdraw all her retirement savings, Cathy finds Paul during his rugby game to register her displeasure at his buying Adam a video game over her objections. And after a brief and uncomfortable run-in with Tina, a sexy middle-aged woman who's tagging along after Paul and his rugby-playing pals, Cathy heads home to share some very expensive champagne with...

Arriving home from the gardening store with a carload of blue-eyed irises, Cathy is looking for help unloading them when she walks in on Adam looking at porn on the Internet. After a failed effort to talk to their son about sex – especially what women want from a relationship – Cathy summons Paul to dinner to tell him about the embarrassing encounter. Now sporting an eye patch as a result of a...

Cathy tries to feel sexier by meeting someone new; Adam is caught watching pornography; Paul is injured; Sean fights for his building.

When a new lump reveals that her cancer is getting worse, Cathy decides to call off her affair with the school's handyman as she looks to reunite her family for an annual charity race.

Cathy calls upon Lenny for help; Sean moves to his sister's backyard; Paul and Adam compete in a bathtub race.

After revealing details of her family situation while Marlene dresses her surgical incision, Cathy turns to Sean to discuss their father's upcoming birthday. Noting that he hasn't been in contact with their dad for years, Sean insists he couldn't care less. But even though he initially refuses her invitation to surprise Dad with a birthday visit, just as she's about to leave he decides to join...

Sean reacts badly to Cathy's news; Adam gets drunk and vomits on Marlene's lawn.

On her 43rd, and possibly last, birthday, Cathy takes matters into her own hands, celebrating with Marlene – and a wedding cake that an ill-fated bride and groom aren't going to use – before donning a sexy red cocktail dress at school to teach her students about taking control of one's life. After Lenny surprises her with a beautiful scarf, she accepts his invitation to celebrate with an...

Lenny invites Cathy to the Bahamas for her birthday; Paul throws a surprise party; Sean and Rebecca start a fling; Adam finds a disoriented Marlene.

While teaching her underage son to drive and dealing with the domestic fallout from her Bahamas getaway with Lenny, Cathy admits to Dr. Todd that she hasn't told Paul about her cancer. After her insurance company cuts back on her coverage and her application to a clinical drug trial is turned down, Cathy looks to cope by asking Lenny to join her in taking some Ecstasy a student inadvertently...

Dr. Todd tells Cathy she has been rejected from the clinical trial; Sean sets up Marlene; Adam and Andrea fight; Paul makes a discovery.

Facing divorce and the loss of her best friend, Cathy looks to make amends with those around her.

Cathy visits Andrea's home; Marlene gets help around the house; Rebecca and Sean call it quits; Adam apologizes to Andrea; Cathy confesses to Paul.

Paul's spontaneous display of solidarity prompts Cathy to seek out a cure for her cancer.

Cathy, Marlene and Rebecca have an unusual lunch; Paul seeks support from his co-workers; Rebecca dooms her relationship; Adam meets someone.

Now that he knows the truth about his wife's cancer, Paul eagerly takes over the household chores, including the ones that Cathy enjoyed doing. As she tries to get her husband to back off, Cathy not so innocently stumbles upon some text messages that Adam has been exchanging with a classmate named Mia. After calling to leave a message warning Mia not to do anything that would break her son's...

Dr. Todd and Cathy look into non-traditional treatment; Paul is overly supportive; Sean gives Adam relationship advice.