Girls: Season 1 Finale

Girls has come a long way. I was skeptical in the beginning (just read my series premiere review). Within the first few episodes I saw premium cable’s corruption of Dunham’s raw ideas and writing. There was a sacrifice of character development for shock. If they kept up at this rate, what would be left to surprise us?

Lucky for all the ladies out there who truly had hope for the series, they trashed this path. By the finale, I was enraptured. So was the room full of boys and girls I was watching it with.

I’m tentative here. I’m supposed to give you a synopsis of the last episode. But alas, I’ll refrain. I can’t ruin the delicious shock that comes only a few minutes in!!! I’d be taking candy from a baby.

But, I will say that each character’s journey takes an interesting turn. Dunham’s built a fragile house of a life for each of her lasses. A gust of wind could blow them to pieces or a hammer and nail could make them the strongest on the block. Marnie (Allison Williams) is still heartbroken. It’s painfully obvious after she takes out her personal frustration on Hannah (Lena Dunham) in the closing scene of the previous episode. Can she recover? Relationships, even with people you know aren’t meant for you, still leave scars. Where’s the Neosporin for invisible wounds?  But near the end of the finale, I turn to my roommate and say, “When did Marnie become my favorite character?” She replies, just as Marnie crams a large piece of cake into her mouth on the TV screen, “Right now.”

Then, there’s Jessa (Jemima Kirke). She’s the girl everyone wishes they could be. But in reality, she doesn’t exist. There are elements of Jessa in all of us, just like Samantha from Sex and the City, but her surrealistic aura makes her more of a fairy than a tangible friend. Still, she’s the perfect complement to the clan of girls, her calmness balancing out their neurotic fears. And in the final episode, she pulls a “cray” as our generation might say. It’s thrilling and the perfect way for the series to exit the aisle on a high note…

As divided as audiences may be on the sometimes there, sometimes not character of Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet), we all want her to LOSE IT! Get it in, girl. Hopefully next season will help me decide if Zosia is either an incredibly bad actress or if Shoshanna is really that obnoxious. I’m having a hard time placing this chick in reality….

We’re all happy for Hannah. It’s undeniable. You can’t say you haven’t grown to love the bizarre, ape-man that is Adam (Adam Driver). The beast does have a heart! And he warned Hannah, when he commits to something he puts his whole self in. Throughout the episode you just want to scream, “Don’t be afraid, Hannah!” We’ve all been there.

I recommend you watch the film that started it all: Tiny Furniture. It was Dunham’s feature film debut and what sparked Apatow’s interest in the first place. But it demands your un-divided attention. That means no talking, texting or painting your nails during the film! It’s Dunham’s vision in its most raw form. It’s a naked film; icky, unabashed and extremely touching all in one. It’s the perfect indie movie TV dinner.

Dunham has a magic finger. She can stick it deep into your wounds but also use it to tickle you into a frenzy. She’s unique, and so is Girls. It’s finally managed to mold some incredible characters. That’s what the show is all about in the first place: people.

I can bet you the sacred spots in New York City where the characters frequent have already begun being visited. Maybe Girls is the next Sex and the City after all. But more messy…or perhaps true.