By Nikki Bordokas
Staff Writer
In season one of “Girls,” Lena Dunham’s character, Hannah, told her parents in the opening scene that she wanted to be the voice of a generation. With an extremely successful first season, Dunham, also the show’s creator, is doing just that, in the real world.
Four episodes in, season two looks promising. By expanding upon some of the show’s most dynamic and interesting characters while also maintaining the show’s characteristic humor and pessimism, the first episodes have successfully picked up where the last season left off.
“Girls” follows the lives of a group of 20-something-year-old women as they try to begin their adulthoods in New York City. Inspired partly by 26-year-old Dunham’s real-life experiences, the HBO series has picked up a huge fan base of those who enjoy watching the confusing, dramatic and unintentionally comedic post-collegiate years.
One of the most fascinating aspects of the show is that none of the characters are truly likable. They all have a fatal quirk: each character may be a sociopath, naively idealistic or unbelievably passive. Though the viewer roots for each character’s success, it is not surprising when they inevitably fail due to their flaws.
The love-hate relationship the viewer has with each character makes the show even more lovable because it adds an element of realism. It gives the viewer the opportunity to laugh at themselves (if they are in their twenties), their old selves (if they have already lived through those treacherous years) or their future selves, making the show very relatable for viewers of all ages.
For example, in season two, episode two Hannah dumps her boyfriend (Donald Glover), simply because he critiques an essay she wrote (by her request). The viewer can relate to her immaturity. Everyone has experienced or will experience the same ridiculousness that affects each character because it is an inevitable part of growing up.
Season two also brings increased attention to one of the most interesting characters of the series: Shoshanna Shapiro (Zosia Mamet). In season one, Shoshanna made appearances, but it is exciting to see her playing a more important role so far in season two. Shoshanna is a bubbly and almost excruciatingly innocent NYU student who acts as a stark, (and admittingly refreshing) contrast to the pessimistic tone of the series in general. One of the funniest moments of the season so far came in episode two when Shoshanna in the corner of a party sang karaoke to Sean Kingston’s “Beautiful Girls.”
The new season also highlights some of the changing character dynamics as well, especially between Hannah and her close friend Marnie Michaels (Allison Williams). In season one, Marnie played the part of the friend who seemed very well-composed, career-oriented and mature, while Hannah couldn’t seem to make a single right decision.
However, in this new season, it seems as though they have switched roles: as Hannah’s life is looking up, Marnie is becoming more pathetic and sad. She loses her job, begins sending mixed signals again to her ex, and also tries to have sex with an openly gay man. These shifting roles remind viewers that these characters are not one-dimensional, but rather ever evolving and interesting.
Thus far, “Girls” is certainly growing to be even more dynamic and exciting than season one, proving Dunham’s creativity and merit. “Girls” is rated TV-MA and airs Sunday nights on HBO at 9 p.m.
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