Team Issa versus Team Lawrence
Ok…so I’ll be the first to admit that going into Season 2 of Insecure, I was #teamIssa! No if ands or buts about it. Something about being the person in a relationship who feels like things are stagnant and just aren’t growing, plus the appeal of the unknown resonated with me more than the guy who sits at home, depressed, uninspired and unmotivated. But, in all fairness, we can fall victim to either role in real life…so choose your side carefully!
What happens next? Well, even I wasn’t ready for the adventures we see Issa, Molly and Lawrence expose us to in the premiere episode. Issa (played by the creator of Insecure, Issa Rae) is single! She’s dating and still awkward as fuck. Molly (played by Yvonne Orji) is in corporate America, running the game but undervalued. A story line many women in the workplace can relate to. It shows a strong parallel to current efforts around workplace diversity and inclusion across America. Lawrence (played by Jay Ellis) reminds us that nice guys can win, own the pussy and still 
fuck it up along the way.
Highlights:
Issa- she shines more and more in this episode. Even though I’m not a woman, her role, her mannerism, her attitude, her presence, her wardrobe, her insecurities, everything about her suggests any woman, of any background, can find themselves in her. The best part about her is she owns the fact that she has an opinion and makes no apologies about it! But this season, it’s clear she’s more vulnerable, lost and hurt than ever. The episode starts with Issa on a date. The editing is clever, as it feels like we get a snapshot of what we’ve missed in the form of speed dating editing. While we’d like to think Issa is with Lawrence, reality hits her AND us hard! We’re quickly introduced to a host of guys, through various shots, with her ultimately picking up utensils (think Pitch Perfect and the cup song), rapping about how each guy in front of her isn’t getting a chance, how she’s messed up and they should basically run. We even see a cameo from social media influencer King Keraun (pictured).
Molly- the extra 
comedic relief who makes it look like life shouldn’t exist without a Molly. Molly is, indeed, the best friend we all need! She still calls Issa on her shit, but we see her in reflective mode too. She has a therapist, but in true Molly nature (controlling, demanding and having her hands in everything), the therapy session doesn’t really add any value to her life. She goes on to find out that her white male peer makes more than she does…ouch! I’m sure there’s more to come here…Molly and Issa are still tight as ever, scoping out eggplants, dealing with life, work shit and now being single—together.
Lawrence- oh Lawrence! The first time we see Lawrence is ironically the same way we last saw him in season one—having hard, unapologetic sex with Tasha (the banker from last season, seen below- played by Dominique Perry). Yup, she’s still around! And even though a few months have passed, we can infer that she’s been the source of many good nights because Lawrence has gone from friend to “zaddy!” He even jokes with the idea of calling her”zommy” (Zaddy and Mommy)—it’s a hard no for her and me too! We learn that he’s sleeping on a sofa bed at his friend’s house and through the episode, we learn that he and Issa text inconsistently, but keep it light.
In the end, Issa gets a pop-up visit from Lawrence after she told him a day or two earlier that he had a jury summons. The door opens and Issa’s emotions, his emotions, and hell, my emotions all come to a front. It’s surreal! There’s a moment of silence, and then they exchange words. She eventually grabs his mail and he asks if he can grab something in the bathroom. She lets him in and sits on the couch, scared, uncertain, and most importantly, awaiting his return—awkwardly!
He comes back, and after an exchange of silence and stares, feelings come to surface and they drop everything and kiss. Passionate kissing. I’ve missed you and I hate you kissing. The kind of kissing that you’d expect from someone who’d been hurt by their lover but recognizes that the only person who can heal them is the one who hurt them—yes, that kind of kissing! They’re on the couch, and for a moment, you breathe a sigh of relief. This is it! They’re going to get back together. But then it hits you. He’s not making love to her. He’s not even playing nice. He’s disconnecte
d. He’s intentional. And the sex, as aggressively passionate as it seems, ends in less than a minute. He hops up, runs to the bathroom, looks at her, kisses her not on the mouth and leaves.
WOW! And there Issa sat…and there I sat…watching as the tables turned!
In the end, I am very impressed with the graphics, the content, the dialogue and utter realness this series continues to display. I had the chance to watch this premiere in a room full of 400+ Insecure lovers and one thing is for sure…we all experienced the highs and lows together. If you’re like me, or any of the hundreds of people I was with, this show speaks to you in a way no other show may have in recent years. It’s authentic and makes you feel like you’re not the only one getting it wrong in the world filled with people who seemed to have everything together! Will Issa and Lawrence get back together, or was the drive-by sex scene that final nail in a coffin that says, I’m done? We have a whole season to figure it out!
Are you into Insecure? You can catch new episodes of on Sunday nights at 10:30pm EST on HBO beginning July 23. Check out the trailer for Season 2.
