Season 2 Finale of Girls: Here’s to Looking Forward to Better Writing in Season 3?

So I just finished watching the season finale of Girls, and I’m left with a disappointed feeling. I’m not disappointed in the characters’ decisions ( their horrible, awkward mistakes are kind of what the show is all about), it’s more of a general confused feeling.

Charlie is rich and successful now? We didn’t even know he had a career! Random and annoying. A little context and a little setup can go a long way in believability, but we are not given either for this plot point.

Marnie wants to be a singer? I get what we are supposed to see here- Marnie is “flailing” and has no direction in life, but that is just too random for me. No setup, whatsoever.

And they are back together. That I’m okay with, though it is heartbreaking as I have a soft-spot for Charlie. Marnie has hit a low point, so she is trying to take comfort in the familiarity and ego-boosting Charlie provides. Charlie is a sweet love-puppy for Marnie, and though it would be better for him to be rid of someone that isn’t truly in love with him, he’ll take what he can get from her. Them getting back together at this point totally makes sense. Thank you.

Shoshanna and Ray- Shoshanna makes out (at the very least) with that doorman, and she acts accordingly weird with Ray. Then they break up because Shoshanna says she is tired of his “black soul” a.k.a. negativity. So was it the chicken or the egg? Did she cheat on Ray because she wanted to break up with him, or did she break up with him because she cheated? Personally, I think it was her guilt that made her break up with him, I hope so at least. Otherwise, we didn’t get enough context to really make that plotline work either...

Hannah is becoming just plain cringe-worthy. Her obsessive-compulsiveness (also, where the did that come from?) is really uncomfortable to watch. I do wish they spent less time torturing us with it, and more time progressing the story. Not much has happened with her character past say, episode 3 or 4.

My favorite storyline of the last two episodes was Adam’s. I have such a better understanding of his character seeing him in a new, normal relationship. He can’t handle it! The poor guy is so screwed up that he needs Hannah (he must be REALLY screwed up). He needs someone that is damaged like he is. A normal girl like the new girlfriend is not a good fit at this point in his life, and woe to the girlfriend who takes him on. He is creepy and traumatizing to a normal girl. What Hannah thinks is weird and kind of amusing, the new girl thinks is degrading. When Adam runs to Hannah’s rescue, it is sad and sweet, but best of all, understandable.

Jessa is still M.I.A. and I am fine with that.

SIDEBAR

Season 2 was just not as good as the first season, but still a great and innovative show. I really appreciate the dialogues we are having because of it- Namely the fallout following the episode with Patrick Wilson, where Hannah has a brief affair with a “super-hot” successful man. I read a few articles reacting to that episode, and they were... enlightening. What type of man is an “appropriate” partner for Hannah/Lena Dunham? Well, according to many, many bloggers, Patrick is way too attractive and wonderful for either Lena or the character she plays because, obviously, she is not beautiful. It was so unrealistic! Hopefully the viewers that took that message away from the episode, will someday realize that the joke in Girls is on them.

Another highlight of the season for me was the Cocaine episode. I LOL’d more than once, and that is not a common occurrence. Girls can be many things done very well, but I do especially enjoy when it chooses to be hilarious.

Anyway, it is at least an interesting show even when it is not entertaining. So what if this season was only entertaining half of the time? That’s okay. Though I prefer last season, I do still admire Girls. I hope it continues to at least be interesting.