Editor’s Note: The following reflects the opinion of the author
For Lena Dunham fans, January meant one hugely important thing besides freezing weather and potential snowstorms: the return of the new season of “GIRLS.”
The new episodes aired Sunday, Jan. 13 on HBO and online on HBO Go. Season two picked up where last season’s bizarre finale left off.
Marnie has now moved out. She now has no boyfriend and within the first 10 minutes of the premiere when her wacky boss “downsizes” her, no job.
Contrastingly, Hannah opens the season with none of last season’s cynical self-deprecation. She has a new boyfriend, a new roommate/gay best friend, an actual job and a disarmingly optimistic attitude. Adam, her sometimes-boyfriend from last season is still around though, healing from his truck accident. In addition to his physical wounds, Adam is also nursing some heartache and refuses to accept Hannah’s break up attempts.
In a sad but hilarious scene from episode two he sends her a video album of him shirtless in a room full of tools, strumming a guitar, singing sad made-up lyrics. The video prompts Hannah to state “I know I always said he was murdery in a sexy way, but maybe he’s murdery in a murder way.”
Hannah’s happiness is by no means lasting, though. By episode three she has dumped her new boyfriend, called the police on Adam and snorted cocaine “for art.”
Shoshanna is attempting to grow up. After finally losing her virginity to Ray, it has become her mission to prove that “just because I’m deflowered does NOT mean I’m devalued.” Hilarity ensues.
Jessa is surprisingly still married to venture capitalist Thomas John and is radiating pretentious happiness to everyone who asks.
Thomas John is still a pretentious dweeb, but a sympathetic one. After all, he did buy his wife three puppies in the third episode. A gift which Jessa immediately devalued by naming one of them “Garbage,” but still, three puppies is a surefire way to gain female viewers respect for a character.
The most interesting character to look out for this season, however, is Marnie. Marnie has now moved out of Hannah’s apartment and is adjusting to the single life.
Within the first 10 minutes of the premiere when her wacky boss “downsizes” her, she now has no boyfriend and no job, and she worries that her relationship with Hannah is diminishing too.
Season two’s Marnie is much more jaded. Her life is nowhere near as perfect as it was in the beginning of season one when her biggest problem was that her boyfriend loved her too much. This new Marnie is a much more sympathetic character for fans of the show and her growth in season two will be interesting to watch.
Overall, “GIRLS” is about mistakes and friendship. The first three episodes of season two set the stage for situations in which all of the girls will make their share of hilarious and heartwarming mistakes.
Rating: Three out of four stars.
Story: EMMA SPECKMAN, Senior A&E Reporter