Although
this isn’t technically the series finale of Girls,
the actual series finale feels more like a coda, a next-chapter sort of episode
featuring just a few of the characters.
This, the penultimate episode, is the one that feels like more of a
send-off for the show, the story, and the cast.
For most of the actors, including Andrew Rannells, this is their final
episode on the show (premise spoilers.)
Hannah
contemplates a new career opportunity that would begin the next phase of her
life in a big way, but it would necessitate moving out of the city. With 24 hours to make her decision, she roams
Brooklyn and tries to connect with her friends – either to say goodbye or to
find a reason to stay.
I really
enjoy Hannah’s wander through the city as she considers the pros and cons of
leaving New York. On sidewalks, in
boutiques, and on subways, we’re treated to a lot of what’s wonderful about New
York as well as what’s (literally) crappy about it. I’ve loved New York every time I’ve visited
it, although I’ve never lived there, but I feel like it’s the sort of city in
which both coming to and leaving it is a tough question.
It
wouldn’t be Girls without a
friendship scene that descends into arguments and accusations, and this last
hurrah for the core four is a doozy.
Everything culminates in a crucial scene at Shoshanna’s apartment in
which tensions run high, and Marnie calls for a “group meeting” to hash all
their issues out. As with Hannah’s
journey through Brooklyn, we see both good and bad sides to these characters
and their friendships.
Watching
this episode, though, and thinking about why these characters are or aren’t
fighting for their friendships, I was suddenly struck by a realization of how
fragmented the storylines between the girls have been this season. To be sure, the closeness between the group
as a whole and various subsets within it have always fluctuated, but it
occurred to me that I honestly don’t think there’s been a legit storyline
between two or more of the girls since “Hostage Situation,” which was episode 2
of this season. That one featured Hannah
and Marnie (plus Desi) and Jessa and Shoshanna (plus Elijah.) Since then, though? Marnie’s mostly been with Ray and/or Desi,
Jessa’s mostly been with Adam, and Shoshanna, when she’s been around, has
mostly been with Ray. Hannah has moved
between a variety of characters, but while she’s had the isolated scene here
and there one of the other girls, I don’t think she’s had any actual episode
plotlines that she’s shared with another girl.
That puts a different spin on this episode for me. While it’s about this friendship and what’s
happened to it, it’s also very much about Hannah: the direction her life is taking and her
realization of the things/people that have drifted from it.
There’s a
decent amount of Elijah here in Rannells’s final episode. He and Hannah have a couple scenes together
focused on her possible move.
Unsurprisingly, he’s hurt at the thought of her leaving, although he
doesn’t do a terrific job on selling her on the idea of staying, given that he
refers to New York as a “godforsaken rathole.”
For the most part, though, he’s sad rather than angry, and these scenes
still have a lot of fun to them as well, such as Elijah telling Hannah, “You
should have sex before you leave ‘cause I don’t know what kind of dick’s gonna
be up in the boondocks.” There’s also a
cute scene of him singing her to sleep (“I’ll give you one Demi, but then it’s lights out,”) and side note, I kind of love
it that Hannah and Elijah appear to have designated burrito-eating bandanas.
While a
lot of Elijah’s screentime is devoted to Hannah’s decision, that’s not all he
gets to do in the episode. We circle
back around to get an update on state of affairs from his A-story in “The
Bounce,” and his presence at Shoshanna’s apartment in the second half means he
gets to interact a bit more with the other main cast members. Not a ton, since he’s not about to
participate in Marnie’s group meeting, but we get the delightful assertion,
“Shosh and I are bros,” and his parting “that’s a series wrap on Andrew
Rannells” scene is hilarious in a wonderfully-Elijah way.
I started
reviewing Girls for The Book of
Rannells ages ago, and now, six seasons later, we’ve come to the end (just in
time for the second season of Black
Monday, which starts next week!)
Here are my final thoughts.
Recommend?
In
General
– I think so, as long as you don’t mind the explicit content. While uneven, I feel like there’s ultimately
more to like about it than not.
Andrew
Rannells
– Yes, yes, yes. Rannells is so terrific
in this, taking what could’ve very easily been a stock character and making him
utterly memorable, funny, and watchable.
Warnings
Sexual
content (including assorted kinks,) swearing (including the C-word,)
drinking/smoking/drug use, occasional violence, and strong thematic elements.
No comments:
Post a Comment