Girls Recap (Season 1, Episode 10): Finale

HBO’s controversial comedy finishes strong.

Girls Girls Girls. The season finale of this show may have been the best episode to date. You might recall, at the start of my recapping for this seaso,n my reaction could best have been described as “hesitant.” After seeing other people weigh in on the finale, I was surprised to see I was one of the few who thought it was near-perfect. The show has finally grown into its shoes, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next. And seeing as how Donald Glover is involved now in some capacity, I’m even more excited.

The “climax” of one of the least-action packed shows to ever grace television (but it’s not TV, it’s HBO) begins with Marnie moving her things out of the apartment and leaving it to Hannah and Adam. Adam says he wants to move in. This initially pleases Hannah, but later in the episode, this devolves into further conflict, when she realizes she’s not ready for emotional commitment. Jessa invites all of the main characters to a secret party.

At the party, Jessa ends up marrying the creepy guy from a few episodes ago (Bridesmaids’ Chris O’Dowd), who tried to have a three-way with her and Marnie on a whim. She tells Hannah she’s happy, though something tells me that in later episodes it will be revealed that she’s grifting him. As they informally say their vows, Jessa says it’s her new husband’s unique financial sense she finds so appealing.

Across the room, Marnie sees her ex-boyfriend (who I still strongly suspect is gay). He tries to have sex with her at the party but she rightly turns him down. Later at the end of the night when she’s properly sloshed, Marnie ends up sleeping with the chubby, endearing best man at the party.

Moved by the stupid wedding vows, Adam tells Hannah he wants her in his future. They slow dance and she tells him that she’s afraid to commit. He calls her selfish, etc etc. If you’ve seen one fight with Hannah on this show at this point, I feel like you know how they’re all going to play out. This particular one ends with Adam getting grazed by a car. Hannah falls asleep on the subway and her purse is stolen. The episode ends with her eating a piece of left over wedding cake on the beach, alone.

So why did I like this? It was funny. The characters did surprising things. They acted impulsively and realistically. Adam is almost Emmy-worthy, he’s so good on this show, though I wouldn’t be surprised if Lena Dunham herself was nominated in a few categories. Last week, I expressed my distaste for Hannah’s character, so of course I was satisfied seeing her “paying” for her bitchiness by being stranded in the end of the episode. She truly does represent everything “bad” about the female personality. She can’t make up her mind, she gossips and she’s selfish, but at least she gets a come-uppance. In the end it’s Adam, not her, whom you end up feeling bad for.

The longevity of this show is still questionable, but I wonder if HBO will can it after a couple seasons ala How to Make it in America.

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