Eagerly anticipating this week ... (16-24)

Eagerly anticipating this week ... (16-24)
Ridley Scott's Gladiator II (2024)

3/19/2021

Girls - season 2 (2013) - Hannah Horvath and Co. still make for fun TV chums

♥♥

 

 + Best Returning TV-series + Best Youth Title of the Year

 

Creator/star Lena Dunham fits in poorly to the conventional symbol of a woman next to a funny tagline on this fine poster for her Girls - season 2


Season 2 of creator/co-director/co-star Lena Dunham's (Creative Nonfiction (2009)) New York-set comedy series of four young female friends trying to find their place in life and relationships in the Big Apple drives on with the established characters and conflicts from the first season.

The following contains SPOILERS:

 

Hannah (Dunham) has moved in with her gay friend Elijah, and the two throw a party, in which Shoshanna (Zozia Mamet (Wiener-Dog (2016))) is awkward after having lost her virginity. Hannah acts as an unofficial nurse for her former flame Adam (Adam Driver (The Meyerowitz Stories (2017))) due to her co-responsibility for his getting hit by a truck one dramatic night, (in the final episode of season 1), while she also has a new sex friend in hot Donald Glover (30 Rock (2006-12)).

But she soon loses him to their differing political views and his lack of praise for her new essay; and Hannah calls the police, when Adam has let himself into her apartment.

Hannah has a one-day affair with a separated doctor (Patrick Wilson (Little Children (2006))) and quits her café job to fully pursue her writing. Soon after she has a gig to write an e-book, but this stresses her to the point that her OCD returns, and she visits psychiatrist Bob Balaban (Gosford Park (2001)).

Adam breaks his AA promise and returns to Hannah; and Marnie (Allison Williams (College Musical (2014))) uses her secret talent of singing at an event, which gets her bastard ex-boyfriend Charlie back to her. Even though he is a weak and very annoying character, she worships him. Adam recognizes Hannah's OCD, runs to her place and kicks the door in to better her.

 

An amusing but somewhat sentimental end to the season, which keeps development afloat for each of the four leads, along with three recurring male characters (Adam, Charlie and Ray), though with focus mostly on Hannah. Jessa (Jemima Kirke (Untogether (2018))) has the least development during season 2, but there is a full episode dedicated to her and Hannah's trip to the country to visit her (terrible) parents, played by Ben Mendelsohn (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)) and Rosanna Arquette (Pulp Fiction (1994)) (episode 7: Video Games.)

It is great to have these Girls back on the small screen.


Best episodes:


Episode 3: Bad Friend - written by Dunham, Sarah Heyward (SKAM Austin (2018, TV-series)), Deborah Schoeneman (The Newsroom (2014, TV-series)); directed by Jesse Peretz (Divorce (2016, TV-series))

Hannah interviews at a magazine, whose editor wants stories that come from outside its writer's comfort zone. Hannah tries to give this by scoring cocaine from a neighbor and partying with Elijah, who confesses to having had sex with Marnie. Hannah throws him out and confronts Marnie with being, in Hannah's mind, a bad friend. Hilarious episode.

Episode 4: It's a Shame about Rey - written by Dunham, Heyward, Schoeneman; directed by Peretz

Hannah entertains with too acerbic imitations of her friends at a celebration of her first published article, leading to the evening breaking up. Shosh learns that her boyfriend Ray (Alex Karpovsky (Rosy (2018))) has moved in with her. Jessa meets her new husband's (Chris O'Dowd (Bridesmaids (2011))) parents, leading to a toxic break between the two, and her running off with 11,500 $. Touching, hilarious and original episode.


Related post:


Lena Dunham: 2013 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED VI]

Girls - season 1 (2012) - Dunham arrives with refreshing, idiosyncratic NY youth howler

 





 

Watch a 2-minute clip from episode 10 of the season here

 

Cost: Unknown

Box office: None - TV-series

= Uncertain

[Girls - season 2 premiered 13 January - 17 March on HBO and runs 10 episodes averaging 28 minutes, totaling approximately 280 minutes. Shooting took place in New York. The season had ratings from 484k to 866k viewers in North America, a sizable slip from the first season. The cast returned in season 3 in 2014. The season was nominated for 5 Primetime Emmy awards. Dunham also wrote and directed Best Friends (2013, short) and wrote Choose You (2013, short) during the year of season 2. Kirke did not get more credits before season 3; Mamet acted in The Last Keepers (2013); and Williams in The Mindy Project (2013). Girls - season 2 is certified fresh at 94 % with an 8.03/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]


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Eagerly anticipating this week ... (15-24)

Eagerly anticipating this week ... (15-24)
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