Girls – Season 2 Episode 1 – Premiere – Recap and Review – It’s About Time
TVHBO’s Girls is finally back with it’s season 2 premiere, “It’s About Time”! I’ve decided to recap and review a bit differently this season. Season 1, I did a straight-up recap, and I realized that there’s nothing more unfunny than trying to tell you what was funny, especially after you’d seen the episode. This season, I’m going to divide the recap by the girls, and then I’ll do my best to review their respective situations.
The episode began shortly after the season 1 finale. Hannah (Lena Dunham) is loving life with Elijah (Andrew Rannells), Adam (Adam Driver) is still in a massive, immobilizing leg cast after getting side-swiped by a truck, and both Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) and Marnie (Allison Williams) are dealing with life as single girls. Oh, and Jessa (Jemima Kirke) was there for a hot minute near the episode’s close.
HBO “Girls”
Shoshanna: First things first, season 2 is already more promising on the Shoshanna front. The quirky breakout star of season 1 wasn’t even meant to be a series regular, by Zosia Mamet impressed Dunham so much that they added her to the full-time cast. Nothing could top a tipsy Shoshanna singing Sean Kingston’s “Beautiful Girls” except a drunk Shoshanna playing DJ on the stovetop.
After getting deflowered but not devalued by Ray (Alex Karpovsky), Shoshanna was on a mission to rid her life of any remnants of her former suitor. Starting off the episode cleansing her apartment with sage and thanking the heavens for her mathematical prowess and kind-of-fast growing hair, she made her way to Hannah’s first theme party ready to “avoid” Ray. Fascinated with her presence, but detached when he’s not actually face to face with the anti-hipster, Ray found himself once again infatuated.
Ray and Shoshanna have great chemistry. I love that Shoshanna is secure in her awkwardness while surrounded by Brooklynite hipsters and pretentious city-folk alike. I like that Ray appreciates that even more. Her handling of Ray was straightforward and aggressive, and that’s exactly what he likes about her. No pretenses.
HBO “Girls”
Marnie: Within a few seconds of her opening scene, Marnie was “downsized” right out of her job at the gallery. Her wacky boss chose her partner (some guy she’d slept with) over Marnie because she didn’t want a lawsuit. No boyfriend, no job, and a mother (Rita Wilson) looking to be a girlfriend to her.
Marnie’s Mom: “You look like you’re thirty years old.”
Marnie really took her hits this episode, which was kind of refreshing to see considering the fact that she’d spent much of last season passing her Top Shop brand of judgment over Hannah’s out-of-whack life. She was more relatable during this premiere, especially when we were faced with Charlie’s (Christopher Abbott) most definitely awful girlfriend. Girls like that give hipsters a bad name. She was much better as a harmless moron at the Bushwick Party last season than as Charlie’s plus-one to Hannah’s party.
After the crowd (Hannah included) left the apartment, Marnie ended up attempting sex with Elijah (!) out of desperation. Elijah had been drunk and trying to prove that he was bisexual, only to “underperform,” leaving the duo mutually humiliated. Marnie ran straight to Charlie for a cuddle session.
HBO “Girls”
Hannah: Lena Dunham’s Hannah is on a mission this season. Her goal; to avoid guys who treat her heart like monkey meat no matter how attracted she is to them. Also, Hannah’s dating a new black boyfriend, Sandy (Donald Glover)! Will the accusations surrounding white-saturated casting finally be dismissed now that an African American has been cast as a reoccurring character? I hear rumors that Girls has created an interesting character here. Think Republican…
Hannah’s conflict surrounded her relationship with Adam. Still guilt-ridden over the fact that Adam was hurt while arguing with her in the street, Hannah felt tethered to him. Out of a relationship (and out of love), she found herself in a sticky situation when Adam admitted that he considered their relationship steadfast yet label-less. Relying on Hannah for nearly everything, including cleaning his bedpan, things came to a head when Adam forced her to leave her own party to stop at the pharmacy. Hannah broke up with him for good (?).
On the plus side, Hannah’s loving her roommate Elijah, but (Spoiler Alert!) he’ll be written out after episode 4, leaving Hannah to fend for herself for once.
Jessa: We only caught a glimpse of Jessa bum-rushing ahead of a line of folks waiting for cabs outside of the airport. Apparently, Jessa’s normally charming brashness now comes coupled with a side of douchery courtesy of her new white-collar hubbie (Chris O’Dowd).
Favorite Funny Moments: Any karaoke moment was great, but nothing beat the first performance by Shoshanna. Also, I loved watching Hannah dump Elijah’s sugar daddy outside.
Hannah: “Sorry, George!”
What did you all think of the season 2 premiere “It’s About Time”? What are your thoughts on the four leading ladies going into the second season?
To View Lena Dunham’s Acceptance Speeches from the 2013 Golden Globes, Go HERE!
Congrats, Lena Dunham and the cast and crew of Girls!
