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| The recurring cast members of the third season of Lena Dunham's Girls in a messy hotel room arrangement makes up its poster |
Creator/co-director/co-star Lena Dunham's (Camping (2018, TV-series)) amusing New York-set youth comedy returns with regulars Hannah (Dunham), Marnie (Allison Williams (American Dreams (2004, TV-series)), Jessa (Jemima Kirke (Wild Honey Pie! (2018)) and Shoshana (Zozia Mamet (The Boy Downstairs (2017)) as the girls, and regular boyfriends Adam (Adam Driver (Frances Ha (2012)) and Ray (Alex Karpovsky (Happy Baby (2016)).
The following contains SPOILERS:
Jessa has been to rehab, and three of her friends drive up to take her home from there, but all four are caught in teenage-like behavior systems (ep. 2: Truth or Dare). Hannah's crazy magazine editor boss (John Cameron Mitchell) gets found dead in the Hudson River, and Hannah's response doesn't compute as the proper amount of grief according to her surroundings (ep. 4: Dead Inside). Hannah escalates her blunted reaction by using his funeral as a venue for her getting a good book deal. Marnie begins an illicit affair with Shoshana's first real boyfriend Ray. Hannah somehow lands a job at GQ magazine and worries about her creative writing, and whether boyfriend Adam will cheat on her, as he has landed his first Broadway acting job.
A rather extreme episode (ep. 9: Flo) has us meeting Hannah's mother (whom we knew), but also her aunts and cousin - and the group of women seem to compete in being the most unbearable, hysterical, ridiculous and bothersome. This, of course (?), around the passing of Hannah's grandmother (June Squibb). Luckily not a relatable episode on my part.
Jessa relapses to her drug problem, as Marnie explores her singing talent, and Adam breaks up with Hannah for a spell. She quits her magazine job and trashes everyone there on the way out, and later discovers Ray and Marnie's affair. (Quite funny ep. 11: I Saw You).
Shoshana discovers Ray's infidelity and is infuriated, but her attempts at winning him back are unsuccessful. Jessa helps a handicapped artist she works for with euthanasia, then thinks twice and calls 911. For Hannah, the series ends on a high note, with a promise of something new.
The child-like young adult characters sometimes are more pathetic and irritating than funny, as the season kicks off, and their very short perspective on reality also wearies considerably, especially in the first half of the season.This puts a depressant weight on the show, which only in its best episodes feels fresh still in season 3, which ends with a promise of a new start for Hannah, still a good hook to return to Girls.
Best episodes:
Episode 7: Beach House - Written by Dunham, Jenni Konner (Undeclared (2001, TV-series)), Judd Apatow (This Is 40 (2012)), Sarah Heyward (SKAM Austin (2018, TV-series)); directed by Jesse Peretz (New Girl (2011-12))
The four girls take a weekend trip to Marnie's parents' swanky Hamptons house, where Marnie's meticulous activities and 'healing' program gets scrapped, as Hannah instead invites Marnie's gay ex and his three gay friends to party and spend the night with them. Steam is let out in this maybe one of the best episodes of the series overall.
Episode 12: Two Plane Rides - Written by Dunham, Heyward; directed by Dunham
Hannah is accepted to writers' grad school in Iowa. Adam is sulking after his Broadway premiere and pushes her away from him. The Marnie-Ray-Shosh situation culminates. Jessa has a life/death dramatic experience.
Related posts:
Lena Dunham: Girls - season 2 (2013) - Hannah Horvath and Co. still make for fun TV chums
Girls - season 1 (2012) - Dunham arrives with refreshing, idiosyncratic NY youth howler
Watch a 4-minute scene from the season here
Cost: Unknown
Box office: None - TV-series
= Uncertain
[Girls - season 3 premiered 12 January - 23 March on HBO and runs 12 episodes averaging 28 minutes, totaling approximately 336 minutes. Shooting took place in New York. The season had ratings from 278k to 1.11 mil. viewers in North America, an improvement from the previous season. The cast returned in season 4 in 2015. The season was nominated for 2 Golden Globes and 2 Emmys. Dunham also wrote Cover Girl (2014, short) and acted in Happy Christmas (2014) during the year of season 3. Kirke did not get more credits before season 3; Mamet gave a voice performance in Back to Backspace (2014, TV short) and acted in High School USA! (2013-15); and Williams returned in College Musical (2014) and Peter Pan Live! (2014, TV movie). Girls - season 3 is certified fresh at 91 % with an 7.85/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
What do you think of Girls - season 3?
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