I’ll be honest, I tried to write this blog last year, but for whatever reason I just couldn’t get my thoughts to make sense on paper. I’m sure Hannah would understand. But hey, no time like the present, right? The sixth and final season of Girls premieres on Sunday February 12th at 10pm. And I for one and looking forward to the show’s last chapter.
Like many other people, I tuned in during the buzzy first season and despite wavering interest over the last few years I’ve remained a loyal viewer. There’s just always been something that’s kept me coming back for more. And no, I wasn’t hate watching the series. In the age of peak TV, who the hell has time for that?
For me, there’s usually a few reasons I’ll stick with a show: It’s an escape, I like the characters, or there’s some sort of personal connection to the storyline. In the case of Girls, it’s most definitely the latter. The problem however, is that most of the stories aren’t very flattering.
If you relate to Hannah or most any other character on this show’s it’s probably not because you share her passion for writing or Marnie’s interest in music. It’s because you see something in them, that you see in yourself. And unfortunately most of their defining characteristics are not of the redeeming variety.
Their personal and professional lives are usually a mess, and that’s relatable. It’s just not very cool, or comfortable, to admit how relatable they are. No one wants to admit that they’re selfish, or that their relationship isn’t working out, or that their friendships aren’t as strong as they once were, or that they’re struggling with mental illness or addiction, or more broadly that they aren’t where they thought they’d be in life by now.
But Girls lays it all out there, sometimes quite literally. The show hasn’t ever backed down from showing us who Hannah, Marnie, Jessa, and Shoshanna really are, warts and all. And that’s equal parts admirable and infuriating. These characters make the same mistakes over and over again. And while I think each of the girls have made some baby steps over the last five seasons, I don’t expect this final season to include any come to Jesus moments, nor would I want it to.
My hope for Girls is that it continues to deliver the relatable and unflattering moments of life amidst the more dramatic truth bombs the characters level at each other. Because if there’s anything we can count on, it’s that Hannah, Marnie, Jessa, and Shoshanna aren’t going to concern themselves with niceties or tact.
