I've noticed very few of my friends are keeping up with this season of HBO's Girls, and as The Bold Italic's Girls-recapper and a frequent Google Analytics lurker, I get the sense that they aren't alone in giving up on the show. Maybe the newness is fading from the series, or it's facing strong competition from newer funny lady shows like Broad City, but it feels like the sense of urgency to watch Girls is gone (spoiler: even with an on-screen rim job in the season premier!).
So I feel it is my duty as a loyal Girls fan (who wants to have other people to talk to about the show with) to make an effort to convince folks to give this horribly awkward program one more shot for the following reasons.
1. The show has finally worked out its kinks.
Girls spent a lot of time figuring out what it was about. The first two seasons would manically jump between dark, unrelated stories or shift focus from being about all the girls to just Hannah. Four shows in, season four has brought a new commitment to quality over quantity — there are fewer storylines going on at once now, allowing us to get know the characters better. (Plus, Marnie's love life aside, there are only so many uncomfortable sex scenes Girls fans can take four seasons in).
2. Girls helps you feel better about yourself.
The show's main characters are all over the top (because comedy and TV) and generally fucked up. There's comfort in watching them epically struggle with simple things like not buying Girl Scout cookies or acting normal in a job interview. Take pride in knowing that although you may have thought about delivering a weird passive aggressive note to your classmates, you didn't. Hannah did. And she doesn't see anything wrong with it, either.
3. Girls takes risks.
Girls has never been afraid to get weird and has already unflinchingly addressed rape and assisted suicide on the show. Since the series is on HBO and has signed on for a fifth season, it's safe to assume that the writers aren't going to take the comfortable road any time soon.
If you media diet currently comprises animal photos and Modern Family, a challenging storyline can go a long way to shake up stale television. Girls isn't always pleasant, but it is usually interesting.
4. Girls' production value is going way up.
Think Sex and the City seasons four through six. The clothes, hair, and makeup got way better, right? Look closely at the outfits and barrettes popping off this season. Shit is getting better and I don't think that's just because Shoshanna has been going to a bunch of job interviews.
5. Having Lena Dunham's body on TV is good for everyone.
Not in a creepy way, but having a character whose body is outside the Hollywood norm get naked and be sexual without having a stand-in can only be good for regular-woman body acceptance. I know that Lena's nude scenes are balanced out by the inclusion of naked Allison Williams, who basically has the figure of a professional model, but I'll take what I can get for Team show-all-the-kinds-of-bodies.
What are you waiting for? Get caught up, bitches.
Images courtesy of HBO