‘Girls’ an HBO hit
O’hea is a first-year law, politics and society and journalism double major and can be reached at olivia.ohea@drake.edu
HBO’s new series, “Girls,” completed its first season this past June, receiving massive critical praise and five Emmy nominations. Created by and starring Lena Dunham, the show follows the lives of four New York women eternally stuck in the cycle of boyfriends, jobs, parties and hookups.
This show is no “Sex in the City,” though, and Dunham is, if anything, the anti-Carrie Bradshaw. Cut off by her parents, Dunham’s character Hannah tries to hold onto a minimum wage job and an emotional roller coaster of a relationship while pursuing a career in writing. Hannah lives with her best friend Marnie, played by Allison Williams, daughter of NBC anchor Brian Williams. While Marnie has a great job at an art gallery and a committed boyfriend, she constantly questions her “boring” life, wondering if she is squandering her years as a 20-something New Yorker.
Zosia Mamet plays Shosanna, an innocent New York University student and avid “Sex and the City fan” (Dunham often plays this into the plotlines ironically), is a friend of Hannah and Marnie. Finally Jemima Kirke portrays Jessa, Shosanna’s whimsical European cousin who travels the world and enjoys a good party. Produced by Judd Apatow, famous for films like “Anchorman,” “Bridesmaids” and “Superbad,” the show has been hailed as both refreshing and edgy.
As with most HBO shows, the episodes are packed with sex, drugs and drama. Yet, Dunham’s writing is so dryly original that it never feels overdone. Dunham broke into the comedy scene with her independent film “Tiny Furniture” and continues to build her reputation as an up-and-coming comedy queen, thanks to the support of friends like Apatow. She could be the younger, cruder sister of Tina Fey and her recent tweets promise more laughs, awkward hookups and oddly themed parties in the upcoming season premiering this January.
If you’re looking for the glamorized New York a la “Sex and the City,” this is not the show for you. However, if you’re looking for a witty, observational comedy/drama that is at times, both scandalous and painfully relatable, then this is your future Sunday night go-to show. Simply put, these girls could be your best friends if your best friend was a cool New York hipster with no money and commitment problems.
