HBO's GIRLS Season 2 Finale Discussion

–> It’s not a surprise; I am a big fan of Girls, despite my occasional frustrations with it (you addressed the issue of lack of minorities in your show by including a token black boyfriend for like 2 episodes?) HBO just premiered Season 2 Episode 10, which is the Season 2 finale of the series. The name of this episode is “Together”.

The theme of the finale was “finding yourself through others/almost getting it kind of together”.

Hannah: Hannah, what is wrong with you? You are in your midtwenties and you mentally cannot get it together. You keep calling your parents every time you need help, and when your father (who was the most sympathetic of the two) finally put his foot down, you called your exboyfriend because you were looking for some sympathy. You cutting your hair was a cry for attention. You don’t have mental issues; you are just mentally self-absorbed and cannot take up any responsibilities for yourself. Oh, so you are scare that you’re publisher is going to sue you? Its called deadlines and consequences.

If you do not meet deadlines, then you meet consequences. Its one or the other, always.

I sympathize with Hannah in the beginning. She grew up in a bubble were her parents took care of everything, and she wanted to be in New York to be somebody. She wanted to publish short stories and be recognized for that. But the unfortunate thing about Hannah is that Hannah expects her short stories to be loved and her novels to be written out without thought or concentration. But that’s not real life. It takes hard work to get anywhere, and Hannah is realizing that. So she’s emotionally, mentally and physically breaking down. The sad part about her is that her subconscious has realized it, like the OCD brewing, but her conscious self has not. She evades hard work by eating cool whip and reading magazines. It was your brilliant idea to cut your hair because you wanted to look like Carey Mulligan. Just because you ended up looking like a mental patient when you screw up cutting it does not give you creative license to see yourself as a mental patient because of it. Stop crying wolf so much and get it together.

Adam: Adam continues to be portrayed as a poor, tortured soul who’s kind of sweet and awkward. I wanted him to move on from Hannah, to get it together with that girlfriend. But sex is a significant part of who Adam is. Adam thrives on submission/domination as long as both parties are into it. The new girlfriend? Yeah, she is not into that. In the end, Adam just wants someone who is more sexually compatible to him. I mean he did what the new girlfriend asked; he just would rather be with someone who enjoys rough sex and dirty talk. I don’t think that makes him an asshole. Hannah implied that she didn’t really like it, but as soon as he called her “girlfriend”, she changed turn and was okay with it. They are both fucked up in their own ways, so maybe they do deserve each other. Adam running to Hannah at the end was such a romcom cliché though.

Marnie: Marnie was laid off after her art gallery downsized, and took a job as a Hostess. That did not end well. She dated that artist because he was a “dream catch” and that did not end well. Now she has gotten back with Charlie, and this will not end well either. I laughed when Marnie told Charlie that she wasn’t with him for his money. I can’t wait until she breaks up with him again. Maybe then he’ll finally grow a backbone. A few episodes ago she was complaining how she couldn’t find work as a curator and how the world owes her because she “has her shit together”. When Charlie and Marnie were together, she was disgusted at even making eye contact with Charlie. When her life was on track she didn’t want him. Now that she’s desperate and the singing is not panning out, she wants him. Never mind that she compared kissing him to kissing a creepy uncle and that she once broke up with him in the middle of sex. I feel like Marnie doesn’t even realize how much she manipulates Charlie. I can’t even be happy for Charlie/Marnie because she’ll probably get sick of him now that she has him back. She made no growth so I don’t see why anything will be different this time around. Did he become desirable now and worth her time now that he has money?

Charlie: I wouldn’t be surprised if he loses his money as hipster internet companies go under all the time. I want him to test her and lie next season, saying that he’s lost all his money and his job, and then watch how quickly she dumps him. You know she totally got back with him for money… like, the moment she found out Charlie got his own company, she started stalking him! She didn’t have that “epiphany” when you realize that you love someone. Oh Charlie, when will you learn…

Shoshanna: Lets summarize: Ray to everyone is a loser and he knows he’s a loser. The only thing he’s semi-got going for him in his life is his college girlfriend who is way too young/naive/recently devirginized to have that kind of burden on her. So she “acted out” cause of her unhappiness in his dual dependency on her, not to mention mocking of her lack of life experience.
Shoshanna needs to just be 21 and have fun, and not to be tied down to some guy who’s dependent upon her for his living situation and has contempt for just about everyone and everything.

Ray: I still don’t know what to think of their break-up. I’m fucking pissed that Shoshanna cheated on Ray and she still hasn’t admitted it… but she made a really good point about “needing to grow as a person” because she’s still so young. However, I also feel like Shoshanna is living in LaLa Land where everything is rainbow and ponies, and Ray made a good point about knowing the difference between negativity and critical thinking.

Should she have told him that she cheated?

I feel like if she told him she cheated, Ray might have just acted like he needed to be with her all the time. The problem wasn’t the cheating. The problem was his negativity. He didn’t want to hang out with her friends (rightfully so). So I’m glad the argument was about his negative attitude and not the cheating that happened because of it. The doorman wasn’t the problem. She had a problem with Ray’s negativity. It’s not like she was just going through the motions with Ray while banging other guys.. Her feelings for him had changed. If she tries to get back together, she will have to tell him though.

I feel like the summary of this episode is “I need a man to be OK and figure out who I am”. The motto of this season is “almost getting it kind of together”, but does “getting it together” imply that you need a man in your life? This is why I love Shoshanna, she is getting it together. All by herself.

All the images above are official posters for each character, which is funny, because they all failed (except maybe Shoshana who is trying).

xoxo,

Emmy