TV Recap: Girls - "Iowa"

Left to right: Lena Dunham, Adam Driver, Kathy Baker and Peter Scolari

Welcome back to another round of Girls TV Recap. Following the amazing third season, this series will focus on season four and the perils that Hannah (Lena Dunham) and her friends face as she goes to Iowa. What new experiences will she face? What will everyone else do while they wait for her inevitable return? Come back every Friday for the latest recap including thoughts and predictions for each episode. Will it remain one of the best comedies on TV? You'll have to read to find out.

Hey everyone! It's so great to be back here recapping Girls for you once again. As the flagship series in my TV Recap venture, I have enjoyed doing it and eagerly await each season. This year was no exception, especially following the harrowing heights of season three, which topped my Best of 2014 Listmania entry. In this episode, we begin by saying goodbye to beloved characters in a move that is very endearing and full of typical Girls charm. There may even be a smudge of maturity thrown into the mix.

The episode opens up with Hannah at dinner with her parents (Becky Ann Baker and Peter Scolari). They are discussing her future move to Iowa, where she will be attending graduate school. Walking in late with a leather jacket is Adam (Adam Driver), who is sad to find out that he has been rejected from an audition as a biker. He gives Hannah a toast in which he gives his deepest condolences to her. However, things aren't looking too good for the relationship, as Adam is still mad at Hannah for moving in the first place. He also is very mad that he starred in a really awful TV commercial.

Meanwhile, Marnie (Allison Williams) is still seeing Desi (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), who chooses to have kinky sex with her. They are now performing as a duo, unsure if they will be called Marnie and Desi or Desi and Marnie. Their first show is going to be held at a jazz brunch show where everyone, including Marnie's mother (Rita Wilson) will show up. Meanwhile, Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) has graduated from college and we meet her parents, both named Mel (Ana Gasteyer and Anthony Edwards), who don't seem to get along. Jessa (Jemima Kirke) is trying to live life after almost accidentally killing Beadie (Louise Lasser) with pills. She meets her daughter Rickey (Natasha Lyonne), who wants to move her to Connecticut. 

Left to right: Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Allison Williams

At the jazz brunch, everyone shows up. Things start off fine and Marnie makes peace with Clementine (Natalie Morales) over her fling with Desi. Shoshanna runs into Ray (Alex Karpovsky) and makes peace with him, too despite clearly having some affection still left for him. Jessa badmouths Hannah and reveals her vulnerability that she is upset that she moved back to New York just to see Hannah move away. The second song goes horribly, leaving Marnie distraught and forced to receive advice from Elijah (Andrew Rannells) about being tough.

Hannah and Adam have their last few private moments together where they discuss leaving her stuff behind. On top of discussing phone sex, they go through their feelings of why they may or may not be right for each other. Things quickly devolve into sex. While she finishes packing, Marnie shows up to help her and wish her luck. In the morning, everyone leaves for the airport, leaving Hannah uncertain if she made the right decision.

Rating: 4 out of 5

While the first reaction is to feel like this would have been better suited to a season three finale, there's a lot of hints of things to come in this episode. For starters, there's a sense of everyone drifting apart. The most literal is Hannah, who is moving away and leaving behind a boyfriend who may or may not be right for her. Jessa is losing her friendship with Beadie. Everyone is moving on in their own way, and it doesn't seem like the old gang has much reason to hang out together. Shoshanna doesn't really seem interested in Marnie's life and even goes so far as to claim that she is her least favorite friend.

The real question now is what is going to happen with this pin thrown out. For better or worse, Hannah has seemed like the glue to the group. While they haven't really hung out together since "Beach House," they have been drifting apart and not caring about each other. In fact, Hannah seemed to be the only reason that they did so. With her meeting new people in Iowa, what's to stop her from abandoning her old friends? While Jessa seems good intentioned, she does feel betrayed by Hannah's departure. Nobody really has an excuse to see each other anymore.

Nonetheless, it is a great start to the season if just on a character level. Everyone seems to be moving forward in their own ways. What's most impressive is how the opening sequence recalls "Pilot" three  years ago. Imagine how sloppy that occasion was in relation to this one in which Hannah thanks her parents for challenging her. She is more polished and isn't socially unaware of the situations around her. 

In fact, the whole episode feels more focused within the context of the series. Where each season has felt like a series of vignettes thrown together, this one feels like there will be continuity and a lot of deeper subject matter explored. It could just be that it fits in with Hannah's mindset that as she becomes more focused, so does the show. Still, it is interesting that everyone seems to be starting off on the right foot, save for Jessa. I do like her, but she has become a problematic character, as she feels steps behind everyone else, what with robbing stores and doing drugs. She is fine, but the one wild card in the series right now.

It is also interesting to note that this season didn't open with a moment that felt like a commentary on a bigger subject. Where season one had the "A voice of a generation" angle, season two had interracial casting and season three addressed the "rape" scene; it didn't feel like there was much of anything to complain about other than that the characters are growing. Sure, Marnie and Desi have a much talked about sex scene, but there wasn't a moment where Girls felt like a soapbox episode. At most, it continues to embrace casting Orange is the New Black characters in supporting roles, but that seems coincidental after two seasons.

I am curious to see what happens with everyone when Hannah leaves. I do believe that the New York that we knew for three seasons is about to rapidly change. The dynamics will not feel familiar and by the end, we'll be in a different boat. I worry the worst for Adam and Hannah, but I remain optimistic on being proven wrong.  More than any other show, this one expertly has done that to me. I just wonder who will end up where and what that will mean for season five, which has already been announced. Either way, I am happy to be back and talking about Girls. Such a strong episode to start with.