The outstanding season finale of Girls, “Together,” was filled with unrestrained, honest conversation, people cutting through bullshit to share their innermost thoughts, fears and hopes. Marnie’s ultimatum to Charlie could have been yet another disappointment for her, but her raw confession unearthed a heartfelt reciprocation from her ex-(now-current)-boyfriend. On paper, I don’t know that I…
Reflecting on the tonal shift that characterised “On All Fours,” Girls’ darkest episode yet, it occurred to me that the show has been a generally optimistic show. Its characters haven’t always shared that positive outlook, but the overall feeling has been hopeful, that these crazy kids will sort out their problems. That’s why the relentless…
I’m still not quite sure how to feel about “It’s Back,” an episode that’s equal parts messy and compelling. It reminded me of a later-era Sopranos episode, gently pushing against the boundaries of traditional television storytelling; feeling like no other show on television. It’s full of sharp writing: I loved how the show contrasted Shoshanna’s…
In the middle of a brilliant season, it’s telling that a melancholy, drifting episode like “Video Games” is easily the weakest episode so far. It’s certainly not a terrible episode, shifting from the usual setting of New York City to the quieter, pastoral regions upstate. There’s a gentle, half-asleep feeling here, and this is reflected…
For an episode titled “Boys,” it’s unsurprising that the strongest section of the episode focuses on the men of Girls, and the episode gets a lot of value about exploring the thoroughly weird dynamic between a couple of manchildren: Ray and Adam. Their pathetic little adventure to Staten Island, spurred by a search for Little…
“I want everything. I want all the things.” Tonight’s episode of Girls impressed me with the show’s ability to capture those unreal, fleeting moments where things just happen, one after the other, extraordinary events, moments that seem unreal and make a great (if slightly unbelievable) story a year later. It might be a whirlwind marriage…
Girls is the perfect title for a show featuring characters who spend most of their time in a kind of arrested development: twenty year-old adolescents, unfettered by and uninterested in responsibility. The latest episode flipped that on its head, with each character in “It’s a Shame About Ray” coming across as a child play-acting as…
Essays about drug-taking are rarely compelling: they read as a kitchen list of “crazy” events that the author has experienced, undoubtedly profound when experienced but lacking resonance on paper. Hannah sets out with the express goal of trying to write such an essay, having a cocaine-fuelled night on the town with Elijah. This episode narrows…
For a show that just won a Golden Globe for Best Television Series – Comedy, it’s easy to forget just how funny Girls can be. Well, until you watch “I Get Ideas,” which is filled to the brim with laugh-out-loud moments. Most of which involve Hannah (who was largely sidelined in the premiere) – whether…
The premiere of Girls’ sophomore season (arriving roughly the same time as its Golden Globes win) is smart to set most of its action at a hazy apartment bash, since the episode matches the meandering, feverish feel of a drunken, crowded party. It feels a touch rushed compared to the careful pacing of Season 1…
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