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| Left to right: Alex Karpovsky and Adam Driver |
Welcome back to the TV Recap column for the Golden Globe-winning HBO series Girls. Join me as I capture the exploits of the Lena Dunham-penned series as it ventures through another season of scandal, accidents, and life in general. Will it be another great season for the Tiny Furniture director and her growing cast of friends? Tune back every Friday to find out more.
The one thing that I can say about this season is the inconsistency week to week. In the past few episodes, we went from their worst ("Bad Friend") to their best ("It's a Shame About Ray") to a divisive entry ("One Man's Trash"). With "Boys," we continue the awkward trend of bad, good, bad, good. Of course, even if the show keeps this up, I feel like they are at least starting to branch out and do exciting new things. They are giving characters new chances to develop and most of all create a wider texture to the story. While it isn't always fascinating, it is ambitious for a second season, especially one with such a limited episode run. This week, we look at another side of the coin with "Boys" in which there is possibly an introduction to the emotional decline of the show.
This wouldn't be entirely suspected from the opening. At a diner, Hannah (Lena Dunham) is at a meeting with a publisher (John Cameron Mitchell) talking about a book deal. Actually, it is an e-book deal. The two are enthusiastic about the deal and the publisher, having read her previous work and considering it raw and unique, decides to give her a chance. Of course, this chance means that she has to have a book ready by the end of the month. She says goodbye and then vomits in a nearby bush.
Meanwhile, Booth (Jorma Taccone) and Marnie (Allison Williams) are together in bed naked talking about their lives. Suddenly Booth's assistant Soojin (Greta Lee) walks in to discuss plans. Booth talks about a missing chunk of ice cream from groceries that Soojin bought. This leads to an entire argument over Soojin invading private property, which causes her to quit. Booth introduces the idea that he is having a party at his house and needs a hostess and that Marnie is more than acceptable for the part.
At work, Ray (Alex Karpovsky) and Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) are talking about seminars at the Learning Annex and waiting for Hannah to show up. When she does, Ray hounds her for his copy of "Little Women," which is significant to him because his nana wrote down important shit in the back of the book. When it is revealed that it is at Adam's (Adam Driver) house, Hannah insists that she cannot see him, so Ray, as the man, has to go and handle it.
Of course, it doesn't go over entirely well at first. Adam is suspicious that Hannah sent him for some reason. Then when it is discovered that there is a violent dog in Adam's bathroom, things get even weirder. Adam claims that he took the dog because he was sitting outside of a coffee shop and his owner was yelling at him. Ray doesn't dig that and demands that once they calm him down that they take him back to his owner. This just happens to be on Staten Island.
After taking the ferry over, in which they have a long conversation about the right age for dating women (the younger and the older ones are the best), they begin to bond over their weird nature. Ray drops a few Normandy Beach jokes and Adam somehow comes across as vulnerable.
Meanwhile, Marnie is getting ready for the party and getting advice from Shoshanna. Hannah is busy writing the book and dealing with a manic depressed Jessa (Jemima Kirke). Nothing is going groovy. Hannah's story "Room for Cream?" hasn't even gotten past the first sentence.
As Adam and Ray begin talking about their relationships while walking around Staten Island, things begin to come clear. Ray loves Shoshanna slightly because he sees himself as a father figure who can guide her. Adam hates Hannah because she is like a carnival prize that he would be burdened to carry around all night. However, when Ray begins commenting on how he doesn't get Adam's fascination with Hannah, things go crazy. First, Adam is overly defensive that Ray called Hannah unattractive. Adam thinks that Hannah is weird and difficult, but not unattractive. When he retracts the statements and calls her nice, Adam begins suspecting that he wants to sleep with her, or has. It eventually leads to the two parting ways with Adam insisting that Ray's relationship is a sham. Also, Ray is stuck with the dog.
At Booth's party, Booth is talking to people and having a good time. Hannah shows up wearing a rain coat on the basis that she thought it was going to rain. The party goes well, though a little awkward when Hannah is mistaken for a girl that had her period at Dairy Queen. Behind the scenes, Booth and Marnie begin talking. Booth is frustrated because he believes that nobody likes him for him. That they use him to display what they want. He destroys some bottles while revealing that he didn't see Marnie as more than a person to sleep with, similar to that of Soojin. The two depart ways. At this point, Hannah is at home claiming to write and Marnie is calling her, claiming that she is having a good time.
Ray reaches the house that the dog belongs to according to its collar. When he gets there, an angry woman (Amirah Vann) begins yelling at him. She doesn't want the dog and that apparently Ray is a faggot kike. Nope. He's Greek Orthodox from Brooklyn. Still, he is left with this dog and a sense of despair. The episode ends with him crying on a bench in Staten Island with the dog looking at him. He is alone and confused.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
On the bright side, I have long been anticipating the moment when we would be returning to Hannah the writer's journey. True, we had her brief stint at jazzhate, but nothing too in depth. Right off the bat in this episode, we get her having an e-book deal. Exciting news, even if it would be a month to completion. It gives us a chance to see her in action, or lack there of. It also doesn't help that Jessa's walk on role this week is to criticize Hannah for being moody and not a very good writer. It is just like "Leave Me Alone" in which Hannah takes the smallest criticism and keeps it from her doing what she's passionate about. In many ways, lying to Marnie at the end of the episode about her venture is only a sign that the two are separating and not in a trustworthy way.
In fact, Marnie is probably going to be in a downward spiral. I predicted that it would take longer for her and Booth to break up, though at least it happened in a way that I would have expected it to. Booth is full of himself and doesn't care that he's talking to people from the band Vampire Weekend. He just wants to be liked for being himself. It is also great to see that Marnie was so willing to please him that she would play hostess and pretend to have fun, even if that meant that Hannah would feel isolated at the party. In fact, who does Hannah have in her life to turn to? If this book doesn't go through, the whole rant in "One Man's Trash" may come across as more honest and true. She is really lonely and wants someone to love.
It is also weird, but this may be the episode where Shoshanna becomes a justified character. In the past, there was the issue that she was just a virgin wanting sex. Here, she actually is still isolated from everyone else's world, but is simultaneously so supportive that it is possible that she will become an important character in a few episodes. The way that she encouraged Ray to go to a seminar at the Learning Annex or help Marnie pick out outfits. She may seem inessential at the moment, but she is beginning to feel like she is part of the conversation instead of just a punchline. The whole rant on "Little Women" early in the episode may be familiar to the Sex and the City rant from "Pilot," but it feels more developed and to the characters as opposed to just a reference that only made Girls feel like a knock-off.
Adam is probably the most fascinating character of the show's run to date simply because he started out a little despicable. By "Weirdos Need Girlfriends Too," he was becoming vulnerable and likable. Then after "She Did," he has been getting weirder and weirder until "I Get Ideas" when he just snapped, got arrested, and forever sought to keep Hannah out of his life. It has been over three episodes since we last saw him, and here he is just as upset as he should be. After all, Hannah did technically get him arrested, even if it was for different crimes than what he was doing at the moment. He hates her for being stuck in jail and making him feel useless. Most of his behavior is justified, though it also feels like he just wants to leave this world behind. He wants to be complicated, and when he's angry, he does dumb stuff like steal a dog.
Of course, the bigger question, and one that I feel is never entirely address is how did he get a hold of a dog from Staten Island? Maybe it is because I have never been to New York, but even the sheer basis of taking a boat an island would insist that he had some motives on the island, or the owner was fine going long distance for a walk. This will never be addressed, I am sure, but I do find it peculiar that somehow Adam stole a dog from Staten Island. To me, that just seems to be the shadiest thing that he has done.
Of course, yelling at Ray about insulting Hannah is an interesting remark. True, Adam and Hannah have had a complicated relationship, but it is still fascinating to see that Adam essentially still has feelings for her, even if he can't say them himself. While I get the impression that Adam is going to move on, it also feels like after a cooling period, he may make a cameo here and there. Maybe with a new girlfriend, maybe someone closer than you know. Maybe he will do an art project with Booth. Who knows, but I feel like he is officially below secondary on the show now.
And then there is Ray, who has had the greatest arc this whole season. Consider "It's a Shame About Ray," in which he mentioned that he was homeless. Now look at this episode where he gets insulted for loving Shoshanna and having it considered a hopeless love. The fact that he is also stuck with a dog is also problematic, though may be used later on as symbolism. Still, it is nice to hear Ray wax poetic and bond with Adam, even if it is briefly and on a surface level. We get a stronger sense of both as individuals from a male perspective. I worry that Ray is becoming too emotionally fragile, but so far, he is just becoming more and more interesting.
This is a fascinating episode simply because it is setting up a very bleak last run of episodes for the season. Somehow, Shoshanna is coming out the winner in all of this. Marnie set for a downward spiral, and Hannah to fall into severe writer's block, it doesn't seem like the next batch of episodes will be too happy. Maybe seeing Jessa's family next week will bring some joy, but for now, we cannot help but feel that Girls has officially met its thesis statement on the aimless, desperate feeling of being 20-somethings in New York in the modern age.
This wouldn't be entirely suspected from the opening. At a diner, Hannah (Lena Dunham) is at a meeting with a publisher (John Cameron Mitchell) talking about a book deal. Actually, it is an e-book deal. The two are enthusiastic about the deal and the publisher, having read her previous work and considering it raw and unique, decides to give her a chance. Of course, this chance means that she has to have a book ready by the end of the month. She says goodbye and then vomits in a nearby bush.
Meanwhile, Booth (Jorma Taccone) and Marnie (Allison Williams) are together in bed naked talking about their lives. Suddenly Booth's assistant Soojin (Greta Lee) walks in to discuss plans. Booth talks about a missing chunk of ice cream from groceries that Soojin bought. This leads to an entire argument over Soojin invading private property, which causes her to quit. Booth introduces the idea that he is having a party at his house and needs a hostess and that Marnie is more than acceptable for the part.
At work, Ray (Alex Karpovsky) and Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) are talking about seminars at the Learning Annex and waiting for Hannah to show up. When she does, Ray hounds her for his copy of "Little Women," which is significant to him because his nana wrote down important shit in the back of the book. When it is revealed that it is at Adam's (Adam Driver) house, Hannah insists that she cannot see him, so Ray, as the man, has to go and handle it.
Of course, it doesn't go over entirely well at first. Adam is suspicious that Hannah sent him for some reason. Then when it is discovered that there is a violent dog in Adam's bathroom, things get even weirder. Adam claims that he took the dog because he was sitting outside of a coffee shop and his owner was yelling at him. Ray doesn't dig that and demands that once they calm him down that they take him back to his owner. This just happens to be on Staten Island.
After taking the ferry over, in which they have a long conversation about the right age for dating women (the younger and the older ones are the best), they begin to bond over their weird nature. Ray drops a few Normandy Beach jokes and Adam somehow comes across as vulnerable.
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| Left to right: Zosia Mamet and Allison Williams |
As Adam and Ray begin talking about their relationships while walking around Staten Island, things begin to come clear. Ray loves Shoshanna slightly because he sees himself as a father figure who can guide her. Adam hates Hannah because she is like a carnival prize that he would be burdened to carry around all night. However, when Ray begins commenting on how he doesn't get Adam's fascination with Hannah, things go crazy. First, Adam is overly defensive that Ray called Hannah unattractive. Adam thinks that Hannah is weird and difficult, but not unattractive. When he retracts the statements and calls her nice, Adam begins suspecting that he wants to sleep with her, or has. It eventually leads to the two parting ways with Adam insisting that Ray's relationship is a sham. Also, Ray is stuck with the dog.
At Booth's party, Booth is talking to people and having a good time. Hannah shows up wearing a rain coat on the basis that she thought it was going to rain. The party goes well, though a little awkward when Hannah is mistaken for a girl that had her period at Dairy Queen. Behind the scenes, Booth and Marnie begin talking. Booth is frustrated because he believes that nobody likes him for him. That they use him to display what they want. He destroys some bottles while revealing that he didn't see Marnie as more than a person to sleep with, similar to that of Soojin. The two depart ways. At this point, Hannah is at home claiming to write and Marnie is calling her, claiming that she is having a good time.
Ray reaches the house that the dog belongs to according to its collar. When he gets there, an angry woman (Amirah Vann) begins yelling at him. She doesn't want the dog and that apparently Ray is a faggot kike. Nope. He's Greek Orthodox from Brooklyn. Still, he is left with this dog and a sense of despair. The episode ends with him crying on a bench in Staten Island with the dog looking at him. He is alone and confused.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
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| Left to right: Allison Williams and Jorma Taccone |
In fact, Marnie is probably going to be in a downward spiral. I predicted that it would take longer for her and Booth to break up, though at least it happened in a way that I would have expected it to. Booth is full of himself and doesn't care that he's talking to people from the band Vampire Weekend. He just wants to be liked for being himself. It is also great to see that Marnie was so willing to please him that she would play hostess and pretend to have fun, even if that meant that Hannah would feel isolated at the party. In fact, who does Hannah have in her life to turn to? If this book doesn't go through, the whole rant in "One Man's Trash" may come across as more honest and true. She is really lonely and wants someone to love.
It is also weird, but this may be the episode where Shoshanna becomes a justified character. In the past, there was the issue that she was just a virgin wanting sex. Here, she actually is still isolated from everyone else's world, but is simultaneously so supportive that it is possible that she will become an important character in a few episodes. The way that she encouraged Ray to go to a seminar at the Learning Annex or help Marnie pick out outfits. She may seem inessential at the moment, but she is beginning to feel like she is part of the conversation instead of just a punchline. The whole rant on "Little Women" early in the episode may be familiar to the Sex and the City rant from "Pilot," but it feels more developed and to the characters as opposed to just a reference that only made Girls feel like a knock-off.
Adam is probably the most fascinating character of the show's run to date simply because he started out a little despicable. By "Weirdos Need Girlfriends Too," he was becoming vulnerable and likable. Then after "She Did," he has been getting weirder and weirder until "I Get Ideas" when he just snapped, got arrested, and forever sought to keep Hannah out of his life. It has been over three episodes since we last saw him, and here he is just as upset as he should be. After all, Hannah did technically get him arrested, even if it was for different crimes than what he was doing at the moment. He hates her for being stuck in jail and making him feel useless. Most of his behavior is justified, though it also feels like he just wants to leave this world behind. He wants to be complicated, and when he's angry, he does dumb stuff like steal a dog.
Of course, the bigger question, and one that I feel is never entirely address is how did he get a hold of a dog from Staten Island? Maybe it is because I have never been to New York, but even the sheer basis of taking a boat an island would insist that he had some motives on the island, or the owner was fine going long distance for a walk. This will never be addressed, I am sure, but I do find it peculiar that somehow Adam stole a dog from Staten Island. To me, that just seems to be the shadiest thing that he has done.
Of course, yelling at Ray about insulting Hannah is an interesting remark. True, Adam and Hannah have had a complicated relationship, but it is still fascinating to see that Adam essentially still has feelings for her, even if he can't say them himself. While I get the impression that Adam is going to move on, it also feels like after a cooling period, he may make a cameo here and there. Maybe with a new girlfriend, maybe someone closer than you know. Maybe he will do an art project with Booth. Who knows, but I feel like he is officially below secondary on the show now.
And then there is Ray, who has had the greatest arc this whole season. Consider "It's a Shame About Ray," in which he mentioned that he was homeless. Now look at this episode where he gets insulted for loving Shoshanna and having it considered a hopeless love. The fact that he is also stuck with a dog is also problematic, though may be used later on as symbolism. Still, it is nice to hear Ray wax poetic and bond with Adam, even if it is briefly and on a surface level. We get a stronger sense of both as individuals from a male perspective. I worry that Ray is becoming too emotionally fragile, but so far, he is just becoming more and more interesting.
This is a fascinating episode simply because it is setting up a very bleak last run of episodes for the season. Somehow, Shoshanna is coming out the winner in all of this. Marnie set for a downward spiral, and Hannah to fall into severe writer's block, it doesn't seem like the next batch of episodes will be too happy. Maybe seeing Jessa's family next week will bring some joy, but for now, we cannot help but feel that Girls has officially met its thesis statement on the aimless, desperate feeling of being 20-somethings in New York in the modern age.
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