Even though it makes me cringe, the HBO show “Girls” is a new favorite of mine. But I have to watch it alone.
It is a comedy of four 24-year-old girls who are making their way through life, sharing together in their humiliations, disasters and the rare triumphs. Hannah is an aspiring writer and is played by Lena Dunham, the show’s creator, writer and director. Dunham, 25, never ceases to end each episode leaving me really thinking. She finds deeper meaning and uses creative ways to get the audience actively watching, thinking, and staring at the television in contemplation of the raw displays of human emotion and behavior.
I caught up on the series by watching it on Comcast OnDemand and was instantly hooked. After each episode Dunham is interviewed and explains the rationale behind all the events, which can at times be racy.
It’s HBO, so nudity and foul language go uncensored. But, what sets “Girls” apart from all other HBO shows is that it is undeniably honest. “It’s not just raunchy to get ratings; it does so in a way that is very true to what [the characters’] lives are. It’s unlike other TV shows where they feel very scripted and very forced; it feels very natural and honest, “said Cara Tenerelli, senior.
Each girl is an honest representation of our gender. Though all four fit into their own categories—Hannah, the weird one; Marnie, the one who in the beginning of the series had it all together, but who now is a mess; Jessa, the adventurous one who keeps disappearing; and Shoshanna, the naïve one—they all do things that girls really would do.
Marnie gets sick of her boyfriend, and as soon as they break up, she decides she will do anything to get him back. Hannah complains constantly and yet rarely does anything positive to better her situation. Jessa is all about adventure and not caring, but she also secretly craves stability and constancy. Shoshanna lives her life comfortably, but wonders if it is too much so.
I can see aspects of myself in all four.
The series is rounding out its second season with the finale airing this Sunday at 9:00 p.m. Girls premiered April 15, 2012. Since then it has received both recognition and criticism.
My friends and I love to discuss it. At lunch we sit around mulling it all over. The similarities we discovered. The instances we related with. Scenes we thought were so cool and, then again, scenes that made us incredibly uncomfortable. Yet, though we discuss it, never will we sit around and watch it together. Nine o’clock will roll around this Sunday, and I will watch it a day or two later, by myself so no one will see me cringe.
