“You can work anything out, if you just talk about it.”

I don’t pretend to be very good at this. I mean, what is this? My third review? Really. I’m trying my best to be coherent, not make too many grammatical mistakes, and get my thoughts out without sounding like an idiot. I find this whole thing terrifying, actually. Writing down words that can be judged and scrutinized is fucking scary. Especially because I’m an adult woman who has told the world – hold on a minute – I’m not ready for you. I want to spend years learning and writing, you know, that whole academia thing. So here I am, opening myself up to you and your judgment and your criticism. All I ask is that you’re kind and that you don’t remain silent. Try opening up your veins and pouring your passion out on a keyboard. It’s scary, yes. But it’s also the most empowering kind of risk.

I have to be honest. I could barely make it through the last two episodes the one time; I sure as hell wasn’t going to re-watch them before writing about them. Reviewer rule number one? Always re-watch the episodes. I’m breaking the rules already. Obviously.

If you haven’t already watched the episodes, I won’t fuck you over by including any spoilers. But let’s just say that the past two episodes dealt with death. Yes, dark and dim, these episodes were a package deal. A story arch from the beginning of episode four extended to the end of episode five. While excruciating to watch, for the most part, the intense feelings of discomfort were masterfully created. I couldn’t watch these episodes more than once, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t function incredibly well within the series. Good art is not about whether you liked it or not, although that seems to be the only thing that’s discussed when talking about TV. Did you like it? Which character are you? I’m a Jessa. No, you’re a Marnie. Who the fuck cares. “Do you like it” pales in comparison to “What did it mean?” or “How did it work?” Tell me how it made you feel, and how that feeling made you question the world around you. Did I like these episodes? Not particularly. Did they make me stay awake all night and think about death and love and the axis on which my world revolves around? Fuck yes.

We’re not even halfway through the season, dear friends, and we’ve already had some wild cameos and guest appearances. Shout-outs this week to Jennifer Westfield for her ingenious portrayal of a grieving wife and Gaby Hoffmann for the immediacy she continues to bring to every role she plays. There is so much more to look forward to. Will Adam’s redemption continue? He is being written as the moral compass of the show these days. He is acting as ‘us’, the audience. Adam is challenging Hannah’s behavior in the same way we do – he’s asking the questions that we’re yelling at the screen. Will Jessa continue to be the most deplorable character on contemporary television? As someone who used to consider her the most faceted and compelling, her character is becoming monotonous. Maybe it’s a direct narrative strategy for what is to come, hopefully. Also — seriously consider watching these episodes for no other reason than to see some long-overdue sexual tension get released by Marnie, the girl who is wound so tight that sex becomes the best way for her to relax. This scandal is a fun little story line that we all know will end terribly. So fun. And Shosh? Well, we’re also waiting on her. These episodes were dark and hard and beautiful and hilarious and light, all at once. That is the brilliance of the work. Sunday night can’t come soon enough.

#girlongirls

“I’ve already fixed everything”

It’s upon us, folks. Season three of Girls landed on Sunday night at 10pm with a fucking hilarious bang. Episode one begins the way all the premieres have begun on Girls, with feet. We see two pairs intertwined in a comfy-cozy horizontal spoon, in what we’ve come to know as Hannah’s bedroom. As the camera pans up past knees and stomachs, the owners are revealed. Hannah is always little spoon. In season one, big spoon was Marni. Season two, Elijah. Season three, the other pair of feet and legs and arms belong to Adam. Hello, Adam. You’re right where we want you to be. Now squeeze a little tighter, will you?

The other characters are introduced to us this season in the same way – sleeping. Mari and Shosh are sleeping in unfamiliar settings. Marni on a couch in a pre-fab condo and Shosh in a dorm room with a random dude passed out on her chest. The only one who isn’t sleeping when we see her again in Jessa, who is scraping an unknown substance off a plate in a seemingly industrial kitchen. They’re all placed in unfamiliar rooms, anywhere but home. Except Hannah, who is comfy in relationship bliss. Hannah and Adam are so intertwined, physically and emotionally – clearly, as Adam literally feeds her meds every morning (and check to make sure she swallows). This, combined with Hannah’s baby talk to Adam throughout the episode leads us to believe that they’re deep in hibernation mode. They live together and don’t really see the need to have any type of life outside the relationship. Why would they? I especially loved Hannah’s speech to Adam at their coffee table. So spot-on with our generation’s obsession with being glued at the hip and codependent – “You’re my partner in life and love and I want you to be a part of everything I do on this earth”. Boundaries have never been Hannah’s strongest attribute, no? Clearly, Adam’s redemption is well on its way. He’s back in our hearts and we can (almost) forget he’s an off-the-wagon sociopath. #inagoodway

This episode, while incredible funny (I seriously can’t remember another episode that has made me laugh out loud like this one) was written to clean up the messes that were made last season. Can we talk about Natalia’s incredible confrontation in Ray’s new coffee spot? Last season’s storyline with Natalia and Adam was painful and necessary and sparked an incredible public conversation about rape and consent. To see her come back (WITH AMY SCHUMER!!!) and say all the things every ex-girlfriend has ever dreamed to say to her ex and his new gf was the most rewarding five minutes of television I’ve seen. Maybe ever. I basically jumped up from my couch and clapped at the end. I re-watched it so many times just to have the one-liners in my back pocket. Shiri Appleby is a fantastic actress and I seriously hope we get more of her throughout the season.

The other cameos throughout the episode were amazing. Kim Gordon as a meth addict? Too good. And can we talk about how insanely amazing Danielle Brooks (Taysee from OITNB) was as the closeted lesbian in the peace sign fleece shirt? If these characters are any indication, this season is going to be full of great talent.

The most painful parts of the premiere were the ones with Jessa in rehab. Her character is sympathetic because she’s so authentically herself in contrast to Hannah’s anxiety. Their relationship is one of the great love stories in the show. Hannah and Jessa need each other in a way the other characters don’t, and the scenes between them show the ease that the two women have for one another in real life. Dunham and Kirke are best friends and it feels that way. While Jemima Kirke doesn’t consider herself an actor and had to be persuaded by Dunham to star in Girls, her acting is the most effortless on the show. She’s exposed in the premiere – physically and emotionally. She’s not wearing a stich of makeup throughout. Does this mean we’re beginning to see her for who she really is? A method actor? Another sociopath? Or just a lost fucking girl who loves chaos and just can’t help herself. Her scenes while in rehab were beautifully hideous. Her character is so deplorable at this point that even I’m squirming in my seat, and I consider myself her biggest fan. I’m fascinated to see how her arc will play out.

Shosh and Marni are providing some comic relief, thankfully. Shosh is studying and fucking her way through her senior year of college. As one does, really. The evolution of Shosh’s style is particularly interesting. The girl is about to graduate from college and is sporting some seriously badass black ensembles. No doubt Zosia (pronounced Sashia, but with a Z) is happy about that. Also, Marni’s scenes with Rita Wilson were incredible – Wilson, in her khaki suit and leopard print blouse, portrays on off-island mother with zest and exuberance. So fun to watch.

Episode two, which aired right after episode one, was slightly boring and kinda forgettable in contrast to episode one. Both directed by Dunham, they felt completely different. Episode two was slow and peaceful. On a road trip to pick Jessa up from rehab, Adam and Hannah and Shosh are in a rented car driving upstate for what feels like for-fucking-ever. With pit stops at a motel and what can only be assumed is a Cracker Barrel (chicken-fried-steak!!), the miles rolled on and on and reminded us that Hannah is a real writer now and is actually doing some writing. Shocker! Five pages a day? This book might actually happen. Mazel Tov! Just as in episode one, where Adam gives a monologue on what it’s like to really know someone to Marni, the most interesting interaction was between Adam and Hannah’s friends. Shosh is right – Adam’s one liners really do help sometimes. And the way he talks about Hannah to Shosh is beautiful and sad all at once. Hilarious spots include Hannah lying on the ground listening to This American Life and a weird game of truth or dare. Also, can we talk about Adam needing to cum every night so he can fall asleep?  That scene was weirdly endearing. Confused, conflicted. Episode two sets the stage for Jessa’s redemption, which may parallel Adam’s. The two of them have more in common than any of us realized before last night. No wonder Hannah loves them both. No wonder we all do.

There’s a long-running curse in the television industry about season threes. Most of the time, they kinda suck. Story lines get boring, or weird, and in long-running shows they’re often forgotten or laughed about in hindsight. Here’s hoping that Girls can break this curse. If the premiere is any indication, we’re in for some laughs, some sex, some intimacy and a whole lot of fun. The show seems to be held to a higher standard than others – is it because Dunham writes, directs, stars and produces it all herself? So it’s hard for us to distinguish between Dunham the person and Hannah the character? Are the strong reactions to her nudity overblown because we feel extra intimate with her? More on that in a later post. But for now, anyone else craving tacos?!

#GIRLONGIRLS

If you haven’t seen the first two episodes, HBO has kindly put them up on YouTube here:

Episode 1 on YouTube: http://itsh.bo/girls301 
Episode 2 on #YouTube: http://itsh.bo/girls302