Hollywood Crush
'Girls' Recap: 'It's Back'
When we spoke with "Girls" executive producer Jenni Konner earlier this year, she revealed that the HBO series' second season would revolve around the consequences of Hannah getting everything she's always wanted. Key word there being consequences. And, boy, did those consequences come into full view last night as Hannah's obsessive-compulsive disorder returned.
But did this revelation feel contrived to anyone else? There had been clues—my colleague Josh Wigler reminded me that Hannah mentioned her obsession with the number eight during an earlier episode—but it all seemed a bit abrupt. For someone who bares her soul with such frequency and abandon as Hannah, wouldn't something like her OCD be more of a talking point?
Conveniently, Hannah's parents were in town for the flare-up, and though she tried denying it, Hannah couldn't hide her condition as the trio attended a Judy Collins concert at the Carlyle—where she fled, but not before knocking an audience member in the arm eight times.
Her parents took her to a psychiatrist (played by actor/author Bob Balaban), who quickly got to the heart of the problem: Hannah's book deal was literally making her sick. Can Hannah handle being the voice of her generation? Maybe not. She left with a prescription but little hope.
Meanwhile, Marnie was struggling with the news that Charlie had sold his Forbid app for a tidy profit and a corner office in Chelsea. After all, Marnie had mentally budgeted six years for Charlie to be broken following their split. Yet, there he was thriving. Adding insult to injury, the app (a preventative against calling an ex in a weak moment) was inspired by Marnie—something she learned after tracking Charlie down, waltzing into his workplace like it wasn't creepy at all.
But much of her angst stemmed from the fact that her own life had become such a mess. In a rare heart-to-heart with Ray, the barista philosopher asked what Marnie's real dream was. She revealed that she wanted to be a singer. "What's the second thing you want to do?" he deadpanned. But then she crooned a few bars at Ray's request, and she was actually pretty good!
As Marnie got career counseling from an unlikely source, Shoshanna was getting tongue from a doorman. Yes, you read that correctly. The co-ed went to a college party by herself (33-year-old Ray felt weird about accompanying her), and a few compliments from the building's doorman was all it took to get her into a compromising position in the mailroom. What will this mean for the series' (seemingly) steadiest couple?
Hannah's ex Adam also spent the episode getting to know a member of the opposite sex. After a rousing declaration (much of it about Hannah) in Alcoholics Anonymous, he was approached by an older woman (played by the always amazing Carol Kane), who wanted to set him up on a date with her daughter, Natalia. He gladly took the number. "You'll know me. I'm tall and semi-dashing," he informed his would-be date, before adding that he'd look for her nice teeth. "I'll be staring at you like I'm a creep." Oh, Adam. Never change. The two met up at a restaurant, both seemingly taken with the other. "Oh my god, I love my mom," Natalia (played by Shiri Appleby) enthused upon their introduction. The scenes from next week's episode indicate there will be at least one more date before Hannah swoops in to ruin things.
What did you think of last night's episode? Did Hannah's OCD seem random? Should Marnie really pursue a singing career? Were you surprised Shoshanna so easily cheated on Ray? Tell us in the comments and on Twitter!
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