One of the things I love about Girls is that it explores multiple facets of early adult life. This week is no different as Hannah learns that her Nana is dying. He mum calls her while she is out and tells her she needs to get to the hospital because she is going to die of pneumonia.
The fact that Lorraine (Hannah’s Mum) is so certain that Nana Flo is going to die is weird enough and it is this certainty that sets the rest of the episode in motion. We meet Hannah’s two head strong Aunts; Margot and Sissy. The three sisters couldn’t be more different, Margot is a strong, free spirited Christian, Sissy is a career drive, money grabbing control freak and Lorraine is a typical judgemental mother. The three woman squabble over who will get what when their Mother dies resulting in full blown riotous argument around an engagement ring. Lorraine wants it so she can give it to Hannah, Sissy wants it so she can give it to Rebecca (Hannah’s Cousin) and Margot doesn’t think it’s fair she shouldn’t get it at all just because she doesn’t have any children. For anyone who has had a Grandparent die, the process of pulling apart their home and dividing precious items equally between you is a heart breaking activity. Not for Sissy, Margot and Lorraine it’s not. Considering that their Mother is still alive at this point they spend more time in the episode arguing over her belongings than they do by her bedside.
The three sisters hint that Nana Flo, played beautifully by Oscar nominated June Squibb (Nebraska), was perhaps not the greatest matriarch, thus giving reason to their craziness. Meanwhile, as her aunts continue their ridiculous squabbling, Hannah tries to rekindle a friendship with her cousin Rebecca who is training to become a Doctor. Hannah being Hannah, opens with a joke which backfires instantly and it becomes very clear that Rebecca is a total bitch. She is continually rude to Hannah and then invites her out for a drink. Hannah reluctantly obliges and while at the bar, Rebecca throws insult after insult at Hannah about the fact that she is a writer. They then crash into another car on the way home from the bar and wind up back at the hospital, this time with a neck brace and stitches to the head.
Enter Adam. Hannah texts him saying ‘Car crash’ which could mean many things at this point and he comes flying into the hospital terrified that she is in a critical condition. Hannah introduces Adam to Nana Flo and he tells her that they are getting married. Previous to this, Lorraine asked them to pretend they were getting married so that Nana Flo could know that something amazing will be happening in her granddaughter’s future, however I think it was another stab at getting her to give her the engagement ring. Selfishness runs in the family eh? This has put the idea of marriage into Hannah and Adam’s head for the first time and led them to discuss it, awkwardly for the first time. It’s also put the idea in my head…I love the idea so much I could cry about it. PLEASE can they actually get engaged? Please?
The episode ends as Nana Flo recovers from her pneumonia and Hannah returns to the city. Shortly after she arrives home, Rebecca calls with the new that Nana died of a heart attack and she needs to turn around and come back again. Before she leaves the hospital to come home, she has a bit of a heart to heart with her Nana, something that she perhaps has never done before so the news of her death actually affects her, more than it did when her mum initially called her to tell her she was dying.
This week, it felt like the girls of Girls were the three aunts. Lorraine is Hannah, Sissy is Marnie and Margot is Jessa they battle it out with each other, much like in the beach house, and ultimately come through for each other in the end by uniting in their deep rooted love.
Another great episode, something slightly different and as real as it gets. Here’s a preview for next week with ONLY THREE EPISODES LEFT:
