Where are they now?
I finally watched Lena Dunham’s magnum opus, Girls. Well, "watched" is an understatement—I devoured it. And, of course, I have thoughts.
For context, Girls follows Hannah (played by Lena Dunham) and her three friends as they navigate the chaos of their professional and personal lives in New York City after college. The premise is familiar, relatable, and admittedly unoriginal, yet the show remains a frequent topic of conversation.
Because it dives headfirst into the rawest fears, insecurities, and regrettable decisions of these four women. My first reaction? God, these girls are privileged, self-absorbed, and in dire need of a reality check. But as the seasons unfolded, I found myself relating to their fears and insecurities more than I cared to admit.
Lena Dunham describes her character Hannah as a woman who dreams of being a successful writer without actually writing and wants to lose weight without ever stepping into a gym. I mean, honestly, isn’t that all of us?
It’s an unflinching portrait of girlhood and youth at their messiest and it remains so until the very end. (Sorry to break it to you, but this isn't some coming of age tale.)
My one gripe with the show is its heavy focus on Hannah. While it’s likely intentional — Hannah is, after all, categorized by her friends as a textbook narcissist, I still wish the other girls’ stories had been more seamlessly integrated into the narrative.
My other complaint? I wasn’t ready to let it go. For weeks after finishing the show, I found myself wondering about Hannah, Jessa, Marnie, and Shoshanna. What were they up to now? What terrible decisions were they making next? I wanted more—which, if anything, is a testament to how good the show truly is.
If you're ready to let your guard down and take a good look in the mirror alongside the four girls, I think you're going to thoroughly enjoy Girls.
Special shoutout to Adam Driver as Adam who is as weird as he is phenomenal in the show.