Any Girls fan with a good memory probably reacted the same way I did to last week’s episode: “ELIJAH CALLED IT!” Hannah’s dad dropped the bomb on his wife last week concerning his long-repressed homosexuality, and we anxiously awaited Hannah’s reaction this week after her mom told her the news. Hannah has a knack for making any issue about her, so it was surprising to see her calmly having lunch with her father as they discussed the situation rationally. When her father asks her how she’s taking the news, she replies, “I’m proud of you and I’m worried about mom, but at the end of the day, this isn’t really about me.” This is surprisingly mature of her, and I probably wasn’t the only one expecting a full on “THIS IS ALL MY FAULT AND MY WHOLE LIFE HAS BEEN A LIE!” scandal from Hannah’s end. She is, however, taken aback by the prospect of her parents remaining married despite her father being gay. A phone call from her highly distressed mother only intensifies Hannah’s discomfort with the entire situation, particularly the idea of her dad being a “daddy” in the gay sexual connotation.
Despite her growing level of maturity, Hannah lashes out at Cleo, one of her students, for ignoring her over the weekend while she was going through “some cosmic heavy stuff.” This prompts a discussion with the school principal where Hannah opens up completely about her familial issues, during which a new word is finally added to her vernacular: “Boundaries.” Hannah has never been one to hold anything back, so the prospect of suppressing her thoughts and emotions are bewildering to her. She turns to Elijah for help, who is quick to respond with the ever expected “I told you so!” He explains that her father’s coming out will be a subtle process and takes it upon himself to take her father shopping for the right “daddy” attire. As much as Hannah attempts to be accepting of the situation, she finds it unbearable to hear about her father in any sexual situation, which is entirely understandable.
During a discussion with Elijah and her father, Elijah comically comments on her father having anal sex, and this pushes Hannah over the edge. She clearly states, “You’re my dad. I don’t want to hear about you having sex with anyone. I don’t want to hear about you having sex with mom, I don’t want to hear about you dry-humping some guy, and I don’t want to be made to feel like some self-involved asshole because I’m a little discombobulated. I think what you two need are some serious boundaries.” She’s learning! Could this signal the slow but sure mental maturation of Hannah Horvath? She’s attempting to make the best of the situation, and it is inarguable that anyone would want to think about their parents in a sexual manner, so it’s easy to sympathize with her during this tumultuous time in her life.
Jessa’s situation with Ace isn’t faring very well either. Their similar personalities created and destroyed their relationship almost immediately, particularly in terms of their cunning manipulation. Under the guise of taking Jessa to an Ethiopian restaurant, Ace and Jessa happen to stumble upon the same street on which Mimi-Rose lives. What was supposed to be a quick “hello” turns into dinner with the two, Mimi-Rose, and Adam. Mimi-Rose is a highly unfiltered individual and is verbal about her jealousy in seeing Ace with Jessa, claiming she can’t deny she wants Ace back. This sparks an intense emotional reaction from Ace and throws Jessa into a furious frenzy. It becomes clear to her that Adam and herself have been played by Ace and Mimi-Rose as some sort of sickening relationship game. “You are full of shit,” she hisses at Ace, “and I know exactly what you’re doing and I’m not going to be a pawn in your game. I fucking run game.” Jessa is brilliantly strong-willed when she is enraged, and this scene is the perfect depiction of her owning her empowerment and taking control of the situation. A serene Mimi-Rose proclaims she chooses neither Ace nor Adam, but rather to be alone. Every decision she makes seems to be part of a social experiment she’s conducting with a total disregard for the feelings of others, and major props have to be given to Gillian Jacobs for perfectly encapsulating this enthralling role. The same can be said for Zachary Quinto as Ace for owning his crude and egotistical character. The two, by far, have been the most insufferable characters on Girls as of yet, but that in no way denies them from being the most entertaining guest stars the series has had. Judging from this scene’s end, this is probably the last we’ll see of Jacobs and Quinto, but their time on the show was exceptional while it lasted.
Speaking of insufferable characters, Marnie gave Ace serious competition for being the most self-centered character in the episode this week. She attends Ray’s election party with Desi and immediately announces her engagement to Ray, who becomes disheartened by the news despite having won his spot on the community board. Marnie goes on to give the grand announcement to the entire room full of strangers, which also comes as no surprise. The episode closes off with an unhappy Ray sitting next to an unhappy Hannah, and the two admit to faking their happiness amongst the crowd. Their expressions, however, clearly indicate otherwise.
Here’s a preview for the season finale of Girls, airing on 3.22.15, followed by a look inside the episode with Lena Dunham:
Find Episode # 8 here.
Find Episode # 10 here.
