WORDS Meadhbh McGrath
As much as Lena Dunham seemed to be challenging traditional norms with Girls, the second season finale ended on an insufferably conventional note, as Adam sprinted shirtless through the streets to rescue Hannah from an OCD breakdown and Marnie and Charlie enjoyed a fairytale reunion. The all-too-neat rom-com ending provoked audience concern that Dunham was losing her touch. However, the first two episodes of season three prove that happily ever after doesn’t last long.
Early on in the premiere, Hannah and Adam are subject to a painful encounter with his ex-girlfriend Natalia. Once Natalia learns the woman next to Adam is Hannah, she blows up: “So you know what you have on your hands here, right? You know that you have an off-the-wagon-neanderthal-sex addict-sociopath, who’s going to fuck you like he’s never met you, and like he doesn’t love his own mother.”
Dunham seems to be moving her focus away from Hannah this season, and finally giving more attention to the other characters. To be sure, there are still superb moments displaying Hannah’s egocentrism, such as her first-rate humblebrag when sympathising with Marnie, “This isn’t the appropriate time to discuss my incredible professional endeavour.”
The season opener undoubtedly belonged to Jemima Kirke, who returns as Jessa, now completing a stay in rehab. However, it becomes clear that Jessa is more interested in diagnosing the problems of others in her circle (featuring excellent cameos from Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon and Orange is the New Black’s Danielle Brooks), than in learning anything about herself. Richard E. Grant is fantastic as Jaspar, a fellow patient and ally to Jessa, who offers the advice, “You have to learn when honesty is righteous, and when honesty is nothing more than a party trick.” She eventually gets kicked out of rehab for going down on Brooks’s closeted lesbian, an act she describes as “basically charity” (it would be nice to see any of the cast’s interactions with people of colour have any meaningful impact on them whatsoever). Although Jessa claims she “figured out my shit when I was five years old”, she seems more vulnerable leaving rehab than she did going in.
The only downside was the sloppy characterisation of Marnie. Perhaps a by-product of Christopher Abbot’s abrupt departure, the thought of another series of Marnie sulking and obsessing over Charlie is not a promising one, despite a very amusing anecdote to explain his absence: “This whole situation makes no sense. We bought the ingredients to make grilled pizzas, we were going to make grilled pizzas, and the day we’re supposed to do that, he left me. On what fucking planet does that make any sense?” Adam consoles Marnie with a fantastic breakup story, in one of the episode’s best moments: “Just because I tasted her cum or spit or could tell you her middle name or knew what record she liked, that doesn’t mean anything, that’s not a connection. Anyone can have that. Really knowing someone is something else. It’s a completely different thing, and when it happens, you won’t be able to miss it, you will be aware, and you won’t hurt or be afraid.” Adam (played by the superb Adam Driver) is arguably the most fascinating character, and continues to evolve as Driver matures as an actor.
Shoshanna persists in being the show’s most consistently funny character, but seems to have lost the sawtooth edge we saw in last season’s break-up with Ray. She explains, “Basically, it’s the beginning of a somewhat sexually adventurous time for me. I’m alternating nights of freedom, with nights of academic focus.” However, she is clearly unsatisfied in both aspects of her new lifestyle, and it will be interesting to see where her discontent leads her.
This season is already funnier than its precursor, with tremendously sharp writing and pitch-black humour, and on the evidence of the first two episodes, viewers can be optimistic about what lies in store.
