The Book of Rannells: Girls: Season 4, Episode 3 – “Female Author” (2015)

Multiple storylines this time, dividing screentime between Iowa and New York.  Lot of people making bad decisions, along with other people trying to talk sense into them about their bad decisions (relationship spoilers.)

Hannah continues to have a hard time with her program – despite having ample space in which to write, she’s struggling to motivate herself, and she doesn’t make any friends among her fellow writers when she decides it’s hard-truth time.  Back in New York, Adam gets pulled into some of Jessa’s drama after an AA meeting, Shoshanna has her first post-college interview, and Marnie, who’s been sneaking around with Desi, is finding it difficult to reconcile their music, their sex life, and her place as his “mistress.”

I’ll start with the New York stuff, since the Iowa plot is where Andrew Rannells’s screentime is.  Adam and Jessa as friends are interesting to me – I like how both relate to one another as addicts, and since Adam is usually the loose cannon in any given relationship, it’s a change of pace to see him attempt to be the voice of reason.  I also appreciate seeing him open up to someone about the current state of his relationship with Hannah, and it’s good to see Jessa’s Teflon act drop a little bit.

Less interested in the Marnie/Desi plot.  I continue to not be a fan of Desi, and while I feel for Marnie in the issues that let her be used by Desi like this, I don’t find it all that compelling to watch, not really dramatically-engaging or darkly funny.  I do like a scene of her discussing the situation with Ray, particularly when she asks Ray if he thinks it’s karmic payback and he resents that she’s injected “witchcraft” into a heretofore-grounded conversation – ha!  Shoshanna’s bit grabs my attention more, but she’s in the episode very little.

As for Iowa, it’s frustrating to watch Hannah flounder in what was supposed to be her dream program, but her struggles are relatable while the specifics of it are very in line with who she is.  She’s often been her own worst enemy, both personally and professionally, and it’s no surprise that, away from New York and the supposed things that have kept her from thriving creatively, she’s found new excuses for what’s standing in her way.  As for her dropping a grenade on the other students in her program, that’s also an incredibly Hannah thing to do.  These are people she’s felt threatened by, and when they challenge her, she responds by getting petty instead of rising to it.  Not that the other writers are all saints, by any means, and some of what Hannah says has merit – I like the thread she begins about male authors being historically granted more accolades and credibility than female authors.  Overall, though, she lets her insecurity get in her own way and doesn’t do herself any favors.

Elijah’s function in the plot today is twofold.  First, he and his attitude about Iowa stand as a contrast to Hannah.  While she complains about the “one-horse town” they’re stuck in, he’s already flush with friends and packs his days with social engagements.  As he rather ineloquently points out to her, “Wherever you are, there you go!  (Is that the quote?  Does that sound right?)”  In other words, Hannah pulls back from engaging and looks for things to grumble about while Elijah jumps in headfirst and has the time of his life.  Hannah’s big scene with the other writers takes place at a “poets’ party” where Elijah is an endless source of fun in the background; having gotten so good at selfies that he’s no longer “challenged” by them, he’s decided “to turn the camera around” and spends his time taking pictures and enjoying himself.  (I love that Elijah, despite being older than the college kids and not even a student there, has been so readily accepted by them.)

Second, he acts as Hannah’s sounding board while she frets over her program.  Elijah’s advice isn’t entirely good or bad and leans heavily on his own relative aimlessness – it does include the delightful line, “Do you think Dakota Fanning wants to be Dakota Fanning?”  He has a point about not agonizing over something that’s not making you happy anyway, but he’s hardly a role model for any sort of professional life, and his outlook is equal parts stop busting your ass to be miserable and quit as soon as it gets hard.  I appreciate the ambiguity there, because Elijah otherwise gets a little “gay BFF” in this part of the plot, the one who’s there to listen to Hannah’s problems and offer her advice.  The fact that his advice is a little all-over-the-place helps make it about him as well as her.