Inside Television with Alan Sepinwall

Review: 'Girls' - 'Vagina Panic': We're the ladies?

Hannah and friends suffer the consequences of good and (mostly) bad sex

By Alan Sepinwall Sunday, Apr 22, 2012 11:00 PM

Jemima Kirke, Lena Dunham and Zosia Mamet in "Girls."

Credit: HBO

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A review of tonight's "Girls" coming up just as soon as I make the continent of Africa on your arm...

While I was surprised with some of the reasons people hated the "Girls" pilot, I'm not surprised by the hatred itself. This was not a show I expected to be for everyone — and probably not for most people — for a variety of reasons, not least of which that it opens with such an unsympathetic view of its own characters. But I continue to love it and look forward to writing about it every week, for however many of you stick around to watch it.

And "Vagina Panic" doesn't especially soften our view of Hannah and friends. What it does is sharpen what we can see of them and their world.

As the title suggests, this one's even more focused on sex than the pilot. We open with back-to-back scenes of terrible sex, first with Hannah once again going along with Adam's gross, demeaning role-play, then with Marnie having sex with Charlie that goes so far in the other direction (too slow, too gentle, too understanding) as to be just as mortifying to watch. And we close with Jessa being relieved when her period arrives much later than expected, ending her brief pregnancy scare (and making the "beautiful abortion" Marnie threw for her besides the point), while Hannah has an uncomfortable (in both the physical and emotional sense) gynecological exam inspired by her "'Forest Gump'-based fear" of AIDS, and of the stuff that gets up around the sides of condoms.

Good sex exists, both in the real world and the world of this show, and yet there's a sense throughout "Vagina Panic" that the act in general is more trouble than it's worth to these three women who are having it. Yet to Shoshanna(*), who's still a virgin at 21, sex seems like everything, and even Marnie can't come up with a good equivalent from her own life to make Shoshanna feel better about her lack of experience. ("I hit a puppy once with my car?")

(*) Shoshanna gets much more play this week than last, and though she's pitched more broadly than the other three, she's funny enough that I'll allow it for now. The argument with Hannah and Jessa over who the ladies are was particularly amusing.

Hannah unsurprisingly remains the most in-focus character, and Lena Dunham remains toughest on her alter ego. Even before Hannah embarrasses herself in front of the OB/GYN, we see her torpedo a job interview in spectacular, horrifying fashion by jokingly calling the interviewer a date rapist. What makes the scene so squirm-inducing, and yet funny, is that things were going so well until that joke. Hannah had the job in the bag. She's not completely incompetent or unqualified. She can banter with a total stranger, and even make the slightly dorky older guy feel better about himself. But she just can't stop talking, doesn't know where to draw the humor line in this setting, and she ruins everything in under 10 seconds. It's a "GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!"-style horror movie moment, akin to Jon Favreau leaving all the messages for Nikki in "Swingers," or Michael Scott trying to tell the Chris Rock joke to Mr. Brown on Diversity Day.

And yet for all Hannah's blunders, all her panic, all her self-destructive choices, you understand Marnie's loyalty to her when Hannah calms her down when Jessa predictably shows up late for the abortion, and even when she's making an ass out of herself to the doctor, she gets the amusing, self-deprecating last word of the scene, and episode.

What did everybody else think?

Alan Sepinwall
Sr. Editor, What's Alan Watching

Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com

Related Searches: Girls, Lena Dunham, Jenni Konner, Judd Apatow, Allison Williams, Zosia Mamet, Jemima Kirke, Adam Driver, Alan Sepinwall

Next 81 Comments

Peter

I really liked this episode! I thought it was more 'laugh out loud' funny than the pilot. I like reading these reviews and I'll stick around for as long as you do them.

As for the overwhelmingly negative response from last week, although I do understand their complaint, I thought it came out of left field. The 'all the characters are white' complaint seems like something that could be pointed at many shows (even NYC based shows such as Seinfeld and Friends) and I just thought it was odd that the internet exploded last week with pretty much everyone having the same complaint.
April 22, 2012 at 11:22PM EST Reply to Comment
- Marco If you think the complain was about having all-white characters then you read not read critics right.
  
  But any case, just because Friends and Seinfield were white does not mean things have to remain the same, do they?
  April 23, 2012 at 12:11AM EST
- Marco sorry, typo, "then you did not read critics right"
  April 23, 2012 at 12:12AM EST
- Peter Hmm, I've read a number of critiques about the show and I don't think I'm crazy in saying that the 'all-white characters' have been a problem for some people. As I've said, I certainly understand their issue with the show (there is a good article on Jezebel about it: here )
  
  I'm just confused that it has been such a huge issue for this show in particular and not the dozens of similar shows that came out recently.
  April 23, 2012 at 1:34AM EST
- Peter Well, that was my stab at adding html to the comment. It doesn't seem to be working. The article that I referenced is here: http://jezebel.com/5903382/why-we-need-to-keep-talking-about-the-white-girls-on-girls
  April 23, 2012 at 1:37AM EST
- T. The all-white complaint was HARDLY the only or even the most popular complaint about the show. Most of the people who hated it hated it simply for being unfunny and filled with unlikable characters.
  April 23, 2012 at 3:42AM EST
- J I cannot believe I am about to quote this show, but the first episode of The LA Complex actually has a GREAT exchange about minorities on TV that I think is completely true and makes a lot of the criticism this show has gotten seem ridiculous:
  
  Casting director: We're going black. Sorry for the mix-up.
  Actress: It says colorblind casting though.
  Casting director: That's kind of code for ideally not white. We don't want an all white cast. That doesn't really reflect reality.
  Actress: Okay. So you're making the best friend black? That's kind of a cliche, don't you think? I mean, who has a black best friend? Like, in real life. If you're trying to be all authentic. I mean, like, you? (points to black actress) Do you have a white best friend? Do any of you have a white best friend? No, right?
  April 23, 2012 at 10:33AM EST
- T. J: The problem isn't that the best friends should be cast black. It's that minorities are treated like total nonentities, as if they don't even exist in Brooklyn, which is ridiculous if you've ever been to Brooklyn. That they can go whole days without interacting with a single minority person is just not believable or having a minority person even in the background besides the one homeless guy simply defies belief.
  April 23, 2012 at 11:37AM EST
- Bix We're two episodes in and it's a half hour show about an insular group of 4 girls in Greenpoint who we've largely seen only with each other. If we see them out and about more, and then everyone that shows up is white? Sure, I could see the problem there. But right now, I just don't see any validity in the THIS SHOW IS TOO WHITE complaints.
  April 23, 2012 at 2:19PM EST
- Agree with T. I've seen later episodes, and WITHOUT spoiling anything, I'll say that a number of non-white characters appear. T. is right that just because her 3 best friends are all white doesn't mean they've whitewashed life in Brooklyn. Eventually you see each of the characters in their work environments and they all have co-workers that are non-white.
  April 23, 2012 at 6:12PM EST
- Joe It should also go without saying that we're not seeing every interaction these girls go through in the course of their day, this isn't "24," so let's not pretend the show is somehow implying minorities don't exist in Brooklyn. Also as Peter first points out there are plenty of other shows that have/had overly white casts, shows that were less based on personal experience & hence should have been more open minded regarding casting, & yet those shows didn't face near the criticism for it that "Girls" has thus far in its 2 episodes. My guess is this is a product of "Girls" showing a more realistic view of life in New York than "Seinfeld," "Friends," or HIMYM but at this point I still don't think it's a fair criticism.
  April 24, 2012 at 4:47AM EST
- surion I think the main critic concerning this whole only "white girls" fiasco - at least it is the issue I have with this show - is that Girls has the pretention through the story of these 4 flat characters to be representative of a particular generation (even though it's girls only, boys obviously will be ridiculous in every representation of them I.E : Adam, but I guess it is the rule for this genre) in a very particular city (NY)...And where a tv show like Louie highly succeeds in that ambition (talking about the up and downs of a middle aged artist trying to make it in the big Apple with two young girls from a brokken mariage) without seeming unrealistic, over the top or self centered, Girls widely fails in its original ambition : these young women are plain boring and yes they all are the same : the same as the kind of young women we usually see on tv, they share the same ethnicity, the same obsession with sex, and the same self centered attitude regarding every subject in life...Is it then a realistic view of what young women live in NY ?? I don't think so, even though of course it is not excluded that it might be the experience of a very few people in NY...But representative ?? Come on...And that is what a lot of critics wrongly say : the voice of a generation and all that crap...My *ss ! (Pardon my french)
  April 24, 2012 at 12:06PM EST
- Trilby I am just thankful that they didn't follow the Iron Rule of Haircolor which says that when there are 4 ladies on a show they must have a blonde, a brunette, a redhead, and one with black hair, who (BONUS!) can be black or Asian.
  April 24, 2012 at 2:55PM EST
- jc12 I'm not sure when anyone involved with the show ever declared that these characters were supposed to be representative of anyone - let alone an entire generation. I realize that Hannah said this in the pilot, but I don't think we're meant to interpret that as her speaking for the writers (even though her character is played by the creator).
  
  I am a good deal older than these girls and am not a girl myself, so I don't identify with them at all. I have enjoyed the first couple shows because they're interesting characters, but at no point did I think to myself that this is what all 20-something white girls lives must be like in NY.
  April 27, 2012 at 4:02PM EST
- RL T, Several people have claimed that because the show takes place in brooklyn there should be more minorities. The argument "this is brooklyn, therefore: diversity" is not exactly credible. Surely there are some people in all different parts of the NYC who have groups of friends exactly like them. I went to college in manhattan and had plenty of friends who were the same ethnicity as me. All of my roommates were the same ethnicity. Most of my close friends as well. It's not entirely unheard of to not have a black friend in a circle of sheltered white women, especially considering the nicer parts of brooklyn (presumably where these girls live) are more white than the less nice parts.
  
  In summary, diversity is nice but it doesn't have to play a part in every show.
  May 1, 2012 at 6:08PM EST
Zach L

Pretty solid episode, was surprised how far they went in it. Also was glad to see Mike Birbiglia as Hannah's potential boss, would love to see him as a recurring character.
April 22, 2012 at 11:36PM EST Reply to Comment
Clayton

Oh, did I hate the pilot. But this was good. I can see how they expect to get a show out of this now. There is humor there, and somebody does know how to find it. So that's good.

But since i love complaining, let me tell you what I'd tell the director. All those front on shots of all those girls in skirts seemed a little weird. Maybe I missed the joke, but it seemed like it was a contest among the actresses to see who was the least willing to clamp a dime between their legs while the camera panned across their skirted selves. And Lena Dunham wasn't playing, because the biggest joke on the show is that I keep being forced to see her naked.
April 22, 2012 at 11:36PM EST Reply to Comment
- Mahmoud Fayed ...Why are disgusting comments like this even allowed?
  April 23, 2012 at 3:20PM EST
- Trilby Cause it's a free county?
  April 24, 2012 at 2:56PM EST
SarA

Marnie was having sex with Charlie not Adam.

Love the show and your reviews Alan :)
April 22, 2012 at 11:48PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall Yes, so she was. Fixed. Thanks.
  April 22, 2012 at 11:54PM EST
srpad

I like this show. It's not afraid to be what it wants to be. My main complaint with the pilot was it wasn't all that funny but this episode fixed that. Several laugh out loud moments.
April 23, 2012 at 12:06AM EST Reply to Comment
Tom

I'm curious to see whether the show will turn out to be something of a drama, despite all the comedy. That is, will the characters develop, or will the show be content to just let our sympathies for them develop?

"Tiny Furniture" ended with a ticking clock that couldn't be silenced, and a promise that with time Aura would be even more sucessful than her mother.

Will we get to see Hannah find her way in the world? Not that we need a predictable happy ending, but some movement, from episode to episode, toward an unpredicable coming of age would make the show more interesting to watch...
April 23, 2012 at 12:35AM EST Reply to Comment
Jonathan

Why did people hate the pilot? I enjoyed it, particularly the dialogue/ banter, the squirm-inducing sex scene, and Hanna's interactions with her parents. I liked tonigt's episode even more than last week's.
April 23, 2012 at 12:56AM EST Reply to Comment
wallywalters

Still not funny.

The "unsympathetic view of its characters" can be forgiven. The absolute lack of any comedy cannot.
April 23, 2012 at 1:41AM EST Reply to Comment
- Joseph I agree. I appreciate the show more than I actually enjoy it, mainly because I just do not find it funny. I would say it's because I'm not in the age/gender demographic that the show is meant for, but so many male critics my age love the show I guess it's just not working for me personally for whatever reason. I'll give it a couple more episodes, though.
  April 23, 2012 at 11:31AM EST
- Trilby It's only not funny if you don't get it.
  April 24, 2012 at 2:58PM EST
- wallywalters You might want to check the comedy Venn Diagram, Trilby. There are four sets: 1) comedy you get, 2) comedy you don't get, 3) comedy that's funny and 4) comedy that isn't funny. "Girls" is in the intersection of 1 and 4.
  April 25, 2012 at 6:57AM EST
- seaver I apologize for incorrectly laughing at the parts that are not actually funny. My bad.
  April 25, 2012 at 7:44AM EST
maryploppins

I loved the pilot and I loved this episode too. To a certain extent I get why a lot of people can't relate to these people and why people find them grating. But all I can say is that I, personally, DO get them and even though they are not the most upstanding citizens out there, I find them (and the situations they get themselves into) to be damn funny.

I didn't grow up with money or spoiled by my parents and I didn't grow up in NYC, BUT I still relate to these chicks a) because I'm female and b) I may be in my 30's now but my 20's were not THAT long ago, and I remember them quite well. The stuff these girls talk about and the situations they get themselves into are very familiar. To me anyway. But clearly not to everyone out there.
April 23, 2012 at 2:31AM EST Reply to Comment
brian o

I don't know. There are some aspects of this show I do really like, but they tend to be more on the style/atmosphere side of things.

The direction/visual style does a good job of giving the characters and their surroundings a very "real" feel. However, I feel the dialogue veers too often towards sounding overly "written," and many of the scenes or characters' behavior feel contrived. Some examples from this episode:

A)Jessa's abortion appointment. I am male, so I may be completely off-base here, but don't girls usually take a pregnancy test before going to the step of making an appointment for an abortion. I would think a late period cycle would initiate a test first, no? It felt like a set-up so the writers could write "edgy" dialogue about the modern girl's thoughts about the subject.
B)Shoshanna yelling at the clinic lobby about the "snacks" she brought (although this character may just be naive and slightly dim).
C)Hannah's "Forest Gump-based fear" of AIDS (One of a few instances where I feel Hannah's intelligence is undermined by a line of dialogue a writer thought would be clever)
D)Hannah's job interview - As someone who has been on both ends of a professional interview many times recently, this whole scene rang false to me although I freely admit my personal experiences do not reflect all reality.

I guess what it comes down to is I rarely found myself laughing at either of the first two episodes, and I found the dramatic elements undercut by inconsistent character development. Intelligent people can certainly say and do dumb things, but at some point if the dumb moments outweigh the smart ones, their intelligence becomes a point of contention. And a show which appears grounded in realism, can contain only so many contrived set-ups and unreasonable behavior before it just comes off as confused.

Anyway, sorry about such a long post (I am off work tomorrow and avoiding sleep). I will continue to watch and hope the show ends up working as well for me as it has for many of you.
April 23, 2012 at 4:27AM EST Reply to Comment
- Anon Y. Mouse Responding to point A - False positive pregnancy tests are more common then you might think. I have actually experienced being told in a abortion clinic that I wasn't pregmnant after all. I had taken 2 hoome tests that were both positive.
  April 23, 2012 at 9:59AM EST
- Omar Also, who says that the blood was from her period? She may have had a miscarriage.
  April 24, 2012 at 10:59AM EST
- Chris Or she could have had an ectopic pregnancy, in which case she could have a medical emergency on her hands.
  April 24, 2012 at 12:04PM EST
- Hmmm I think it was pretty clearly supposed to be her period, why else would she have had the happy/relieved look on her face?
  April 26, 2012 at 12:52PM EST
Usef

It's a good show so far. I'm a sucker for flawed, realistic characters. Keep the reviews coming Alan.
April 23, 2012 at 4:46AM EST Reply to Comment
belinda

I hope you keep writing these reviews too.

I just keep finding this show rather tremendous (and hilarious). There's a bluntness to how honestly the show portrays its characters, and it does it in a way that doesn't judge or praise them, which is very hard to find in almost any show, especially for female characters, and especially for young female characters. I am loving it so far.

And I continue to enjoy the dialogue a whole lot, it is very witty and so far the cast seems very good. (Then again, I relate to these characters a whole lot, so I'm already sold; I can see why some people have an aversion to it, but it's a good show that is rather unique, and I hope more people would give it a shot.)
April 23, 2012 at 5:57AM EST Reply to Comment
Balaji K

While this episode was marginally better than the pilot episode, it's still not funny at all. And the lengthy monologue Hannah had with the gynaecologist was very annoying. I had a look on my face similar to the look the gynaecologist gave to Hannah. This show is simply not worth the hype.
April 23, 2012 at 8:31AM EST Reply to Comment
Vickie

I'm not the natural audience for the show, being about a generation and a half older than the characters, but I've been enjoying the shows immensely. I think part of it was voiced by the GYN in last night's show--so glad I am not in my 20s any more! But also part of it is horror-anticipation of what lies in wait for my daughter in HER 20s!

I'm not white but I find the characters relate-able in many ways--I cringe for the things they do and say (esp. Hannah's job interview!!) but also I cheer for them and wish them well.
April 23, 2012 at 10:17AM EST Reply to Comment
Robert

Sorry Alan, you felt the job interview was funny in a painfully squeamish kind of way but I thought it completely sold out Hannah as a character. The date rape joke was so dumb and out of place in an interview for an obviously bright person that it seemed more believable as self-sabotage than any lack of awareness. It seems more believable that Hannah would be willing to go back to Mommy and Daddy and say, "Look, I tried finding a job, but no one is hiring" when she in fact only has herself to blame. I will get the show a couple of more weeks but that scene I said out loud "Come on, give me a break"
April 23, 2012 at 11:51AM EST Reply to Comment
- mrbilliam But they had gone past professionalism into banter. The banter was actually helping her, and then she got carried away.
  April 23, 2012 at 5:44PM EST
- ripleygirl I'm 43 now and would be horrified to remember myself as I was being interviewed at 22. I applaud this show for it's realistic and non-glossy way of showing what it's really like. Sure I could re-write my interviews as a sassy-got-me-the-job history but the fact is I sat in an interview I felt comfortable with (much like Hannah's character) and told her my worst trait was that I had had a difficult time waking up in the morning. Yup. Did I get the job? Nope. Not surprising. I got good advice from her though - and have since grown into someone who wakes up no problem and would probably like to forget my lazy 20s counterpart, but there she is. And Girls reminds me of that time in my life. It's complicated and raw and not pretty - and that's what I love about it. It's just real.
  April 23, 2012 at 6:35PM EST
erinpayton

I found so much of it squirm-inducing, but in a way I could relate to (unlike the Office, which I just can't relate to and thus don't find it particularly funny after the cringing stops) that I will continue watching it gladly. The sex scenes are SO painful I was yelling at Hannah to knee Adam in the bits. Adam is one of the creepiest characters I've ever seen on TV (who's supposed to be "normal" and not a murdering psychopath).

Honestly, I think the whole episode was as much a PSA for not having casual sex as anything else (and in her best friend's case, to wait to have sex, as she's been sleeping with her boring boyfriend since she was 18 and probably shouldn't have bothered in the first place.) As I was watching it it made me wonder if this is what the mothers of feminism were hoping to accomplish in the 60s/70s...poor Hannah being insulted and unsatisfied with her douche-y non-boyfriend in an attempt to find satisfaction and fulfillment with another person in a relationship. Move on, girl!

Jessa is still pretty irritating and more self-involved than most, but the rest of them just make me laugh. And I agree with the GYN--this show just makes me breathe a sigh of relief I'm no longer that age: you really don't know what you're doing, but almost every choice you make seems like the wrong one. I appreciate how honest it is with its characters and I love the writing. Is it a laugh a minute? No, but I'm still looking forward to seeing each new episode.
April 23, 2012 at 12:41PM EST Reply to Comment
805

IMO GIRLS is one of the most unrealistic shows on TV. It reminds me of a reality with its "It's like real life" hook yet its anything but. Contrived awkwardness, long quick paced dialogue, unlikable characters and worst of all no real plot.

I thought Tiny Furniture showed a lot of promise but Lena Dunham still has a long way to go to reach those lofty expectations everyone has been putting on her which stinks because unfair to her that the bar is so high. Her talent is like bigfoot. We see bits of evidence here and there, people are getting really excited about it but we're still waiting for the proof it exists.

Last night I watched Veep, Girls, GoT and Mad Men and one of them was definitely unlike the others.

April 23, 2012 at 1:07PM EST Reply to Comment
- 805 *reality show
  April 23, 2012 at 1:08PM EST
- 805 *reality show
  April 23, 2012 at 1:08PM EST
- Eh, I think you're off base. It's got pacing issues, but this is a snapshot of Dunham and her friend's life. We all have different experiences and with a bunch of under 25 year old friends I see them completely in these characters.
  April 29, 2012 at 1:57AM EST
eric_balsam

While somewhat entertained by the show, I kind of don't get it. Are we supposed to believe that real people act like this? I live in New York, and unless I'm missing something, I just don't relate to any of the situations that go on in this show. Maybe its because I am a guy, but doesn't that then defeat the purpose of watching the show altogether. I find the show extremely weird.
April 23, 2012 at 1:09PM EST Reply to Comment
Slam

To each his own, but I absolutely loved the dialogue in the 1st two episodes. I'm hooked. How can anyone not find the scene between Hannah and her parents unfunny ? Lena Dunham is the R-rated (NC-17 ? ) Tina Fey; freaking brilliant

And the "not enough people of color" complaint makes my teeth hurt. White people hang out with white people; blacks with blacks, asians with asians ... it's this new thing called HUMAN NATURE. But you just can't say that to the PC pinheads.

And the Networks keep making contrived, unbelievable sitcoms like "Happy Endings" ( hot white girl, handsome assimilated black guy, funny gay guy ... )... STUPID.
April 23, 2012 at 1:10PM EST Reply to Comment
- Nat First of all, and most importantly, lots of people have friends of different races. If you don't, that may or may not be a problem, but if you're categorically unwilling to accept that it happens (especially in areas as diverse as Brooklyn), and believe that heterogeneous groups of friends are by nature contrived, you're supporting a bigoted point of view. (Or: people only associating with members of their race might not be such a big problem if that didn't keep institutional power solely in the hands of one race.)
  
  Moreover, the complaint is deeper that not featuring any characters of color: the issue is first that this sort of whitewashing (where an entire universe is artificially presented as white) is a frustrating trend in TV, not an isolated occurrence; and second that the show is being hyped (by interviewers and Lena Dunham) as being a universal story of women, which makes its lopsided focus on white women troubling, to say the least.
  
  I'm liking the show a lot so far, but these are valid points of criticism to make, and they should be made.
  April 23, 2012 at 3:22PM EST
- Slam Hey Nat - Well said.
  
  If I may respectfully respond : Lena Dunham is doing a semi-autobiographical story of her life experiences. Should she feel obligated to put a "minority" character in the story even if her world consists of 3 or 4 or 5 young white women ? So should HBO not do this show because it's too homogenious ?
  
  It seems to me she's telling HER very specific story, and to suggest she add fictitious characters would be lucidrious
  April 24, 2012 at 11:41AM EST
mrbilliam

I personally found the second episode much funnier and more enjoyable than the pilot. I am wondering if HBO should aired them both as a one-hour premiere.

Also, I'm 26, male, I have a job, and I don't live in a city. So despite my age, I don't have much in common with the characters. I have even less in common with Walter White, Don Draper, or Leslie Knope, and that really doesn't affect my enjoyment of those shows. And while I would understand that "likability" is something that could sink a network show (like the polygamist con artist on "Lone Star") I'm surprised that's such an issue with an HBO show.
April 23, 2012 at 3:35PM EST Reply to Comment
Gunde

Terrible show so far. I don't care what Lena, Apatow or even Alan says, this show is no more real or less cartonish than Sex and the City. It's just darker.

If you say these girls are realistic or somehow represent women in the city in general, I'll have a hard time believing you ever met a girl in real life.
April 23, 2012 at 4:45PM EST Reply to Comment
- Drum After reading all these comments about how this show isn't realistic, I must chip in and say that as a white, 23-year old female, I am ASTONISHED by how realistic the show is. My roommate and I just finished watching the episode, and then we proceeded to discuss how some of the dialogue from tonight's episode has literally, LITERALLY been said, almost verbatim, by us!
  
  I also share Hannah's (most irrational) fear of AIDS/"the stuff that gets up around the sides of condoms". I also make ridiculous mental jumps to the most irrational conclusions the way Marnie does when she mentally leaps from 'I get my period at exactly the same time every month' to 'Maybe I'm barren'. And while I don't let myself be subjected to demeaning sex a la Hannah and Adam, I was a virgin longer than most and it was just as all-consuming for me as it is for Shoshanna ("Everyone and their mother is having sex except for me!").
  
  Basically, it's one of the most true to (my) life shows I have EVER seen.
  April 23, 2012 at 10:59PM EST
- maryploppins Well that's strange, because I AM a girl in real life and I relate to this show entirely. Not every girl (or woman) in the world has the same experience, clearly.
  April 27, 2012 at 10:30PM EST
Anoel

I liked this episode much better than the Pilot. I'm loving Shoshanna (which is an important step for me) and starting to like Hannah as well. Plus it was funnier than the Pilot; the comedy isn't a big quality indicator for me because I saw Tiny Furniture and I don't think our sense of humor matches up but it is nice. I could do without all the bad sex (it seems so simple: FIND NEW PARTNERS) but I'm enjoying getting to see women who aren't living the glamorous life in NYC. I really liked the job interview scene, the Shoshanna and Marnie conversation, the discussion about the Ladies book and the ending conversation which was too funny.
April 23, 2012 at 7:25PM EST Reply to Comment
- whistlingmtn Shoshanna seems like the only one of the 4 that isn't a completely self-centered jerk.
  
  All 4 seem to be lacking a more mature friend that can actually give them straightforward advice.
  April 23, 2012 at 8:58PM EST
rachel

So far I *love* this show.

I get that, for a lot people, it's just not their cup of tea. Many complain that they don't find it funny. Fine-- "funny" is largely subjective (I happen to think it's hilarious and hilariously true-to-life: I'm a 30something woman and recognized so much of myself and my friends, past and present, in these characters-- things I'd never seen depicted on TV before). What I don't get is the ferocity of the *vitriol*. Don't like it? Fine, move on, for cripe's sake-- plenty of other TV shows out there.

Why the HATE? I don't get it. I'm actually curious to figure out what accounts for it. (Quite a few people disliked Luck too-- which I happened to love and really miss now-- but I don't remember hordes of them in comments sections tearing the show down. They just stopped watching.) Is it the hype that led up to it? Envy of a 20something girl writer/ director success (I'm kinda jealous of Lena Dunham too! but I think she deserves it). What is it?

Is it hipster hate? I have an aversion to hipsters too, but I don't get pretentious obnoxious insufferable hipster vibes from this show *at all*. It's so self-deprecating and unsparing (yet affectionate) in its view of these characters.

Are these girls more "unlikeable" than Louie and his friends? (I freaking *love* Louie CK's show too, and that's much more squirm-inducing. And I find it very relatable too, though I'm not a 40something divorced guy comic.)

I just don't get the hate.
April 24, 2012 at 12:08AM EST Reply to Comment
- Joe I loved reading this & then the comment that follows it. I think James' comment largely explains the hate-people are angry that a show they don't enjoy got rave reviews from nearly every critic. They just can't understand the hype, & so they're angry. Is that a little silly? Sure, but I get it. I've never completely understood the love for "30 Rock" so I've railed against it a few times & I've certainly taken my shots at popular shows that I find less than enjoyable like "Two and a Half Men" & BBT as well. I think we all just want the rest of the world to see things our way & when it doesn't we get frustrated & lash out, even when it's something largely subjective like the quality of a television show.
  
  All that said I enjoyed the pilot & thought this episode was truly fantastic, I'll continue to enjoy it even if others don't.
  April 24, 2012 at 5:06AM EST
- Slam Well said Rachel. I think the HATE is about all the hype about Dunham leading up to this show; very high expectations. So when some people watched the 1st two episodes, they were like " All the fuss about THIS ???"
  
  The humor is subtle and economical and kind of weird. I love it, but if someone else doesn't, that's OK too.
  April 24, 2012 at 12:27PM EST
James

Another wretched episode. I get that some people like this show but honestly can't see how.

To me this isn't rocket science. It's really not THAT hard to recognize quality television. We can go back as far as you want. We can pick a slew of shows that are racially and gender-balanced. This has nothing to do with race or sex.

I Love Lucy, Roseanne, the Sopranos, the Wire. These are great shows.

So let me start it this way:

1.) Anyone who can't see Girls isn't a great show is blind. Absolutely blind.

2.) This matters because the media hyped this as a great show and the voice of a generation. (And yes Dunham's character said it ironically but the media meant it seriously.) They believe this is a great show. Not good. Not very good. Great.

3.) They continue to give each episode A and A+ grades. If you want us to view the show as a whole and not judge it after 2 episodes, then fine. But please stop giving each individual episode As and getting mad when we point out said episodes did not live up to the hype.

Now to a good tv show. A good t.v. show has one of the following: Interesting stories or good characters. This has neither.

It is not funny. No one is arguing that it's funny.

For it to supposedly be well-written I find it hilarious all 4 of the principal characters are thinly-drawn archetypes: the hip British one, the virgin, the nice pretty girl (Williams), and the narcissistic, self-hating lead (Dunham). That is not good character writing. The fact that they're in their 20s and live in New York City doesn't change this fact. They're thinly drawn characters.

Merely picking edgy topics does not make this good. Friday Night Lights dealt with abortion. It did it much better at a time when no other show was doing it. It also wasn't anywhere near as hyped. So, no, I can't give this show a break for covering edgy material. Many shows do that.

I'm going to cut the fans of this show a break and say they actually have reasons for liking this show. But just repeating that the characters are "unsypmathetic" but "loyal" and "struggling" does not equal good tv.

Am still waiting for even one column explaining what any critic thinks is actually good about either the show or any individual episode.

Thus far, all we've gotten, from the very few fans and critics who claim to like this show, is ridiculous, show-of-a-generation hype before it showed, excuses for low ratings, defenses against the valid excuses the majority of the public raised and more bragging about it being "daring" enough to have unlikeable characters and cover tough subject matter.

Get the memo: The public is not impressed.

April 24, 2012 at 2:18AM EST Reply to Comment
- fresser28 The first airing of the second episode had 850K viewers. It didn't even make the Sunday cable TV ratings list. I think America has spoken.
  April 25, 2012 at 1:41AM EST
- 7s Tim Would Dan Fienberg be happy that because of him, this comment made me think of "begs the question" in the correct context?
  April 26, 2012 at 4:04AM EST
rachel

Loved the "hate-read" line.

About the sex in this show. I have had sex very much like the sex with Adam. Like, uncannily so. I have had sex very much like the sex with Charlie. Like, uncannily so.

At the time, I enjoyed the sex with "Adam" much more. I was much more hung up on the "Adam" figure than the "Charlie" one. I'm not proud of that fact (and, in retrospect, both of those relationships were mistakes, for different reasons... but I can't say I regret them, because I learned from them).

But that's the truth. That's the kind of honesty I appreciate in this show.

By the way, I do think there can be a kind of genuine "intimacy" involved in Adam-like sex. (I.e., Lena's line about him "being present" when they're together may be deluded-- but there might be an element of truth too.) In the sharing of and playing along with fantasies, including fantasies of humiliation etc. There's an element of trust involved. (I loved her joking on the way out, in the cold light of day, about being "sent back to her parents covered with cum" etc. Cringe and LOL.)

One of the things I find really true to life (I *was* like Lena's character at one point in my life): one the one hand, I enjoyed playing into and along with someone else's fantasies, letting an Adam-like figure (so sure of his own desire) take control. On the other hand, I didn't know enough about what *I* really wanted, really desired, to get him to play along with *my* fantasies too. But not knowing my own desire is precisely why being with a guy who took control worked for me at the time-- but ultimately wasn't sufficient (i.e., orange gatorade). For a long time, I too "almost" came.

It's not black and white. I like that Adam seems (to many viewers) repulsive, but he's not depicted as an obvious villain. Lena's character is obviously in a way "being taken advantage of", and in a way she is a fool-- but she also, to an extent, knows what she's doing, or what she's choosing to do, and is getting something out of it too. When he calls her his "slave", she jumps *him*.

In retrospect, she may cringe to think upon this part of her life (as I often do). But the complexity of it feels really honest to me.

And Charlie is an apposite contrast. The guy who's super attentive and super sweet, and always asks you what *you* want sexually, what he can do for you, who just want to please you, too considerate to ever take control and act on his own desire. Especially when you're at an age when you don't know exactly what you want-- the last thing you want is Charlie. That's not nice, but that's just honest. But the show casts a sympathetic eye on Charlie and his frustration and exasperation too (a girlfriend who apparently wants to be treated like a "slut"-- what the hell do women want?).

Are we or are we not "the ladies"? It's complicated. I don't think I've ever seen this treated so honestly and un-tendentiously (and funnily) on TV before.
April 24, 2012 at 3:11AM EST Reply to Comment
- Gunde Maybe that's where the hate comes from.
  "How can these girls be so stupid? Get some sense and some self respect. No one is gonna sympathise when you keep dating and banging these immature guys like an idiot"
  April 24, 2012 at 6:14AM EST
- rachel Gunde,
  
  "No is gonna sympathise.." But see, I don't think this show is *asking* you to feel "sympathy"-- in the sense of "pity"-- for these characters. (If it elicits some empathy, then it succeeds.) You're right that if these girls insist on "banging these immature guys", in a way they are idiots (I'd rather say, more kindly, fools). But they aren't *victims*. They're girls, banging boys.
  
  Compare Shoshanna's bible, SATC: that show often did seem to ask for sympathy (pity) for Carrie, suffering at the hands of Mr. Big. Even as she went back again and again for more. Hannah is confused by Adam, and confused about herself, but she doesn't seem to see herself (nor does the show present her) as *victimized* by him. It's her choice to call him and hook up with him (knowing very well he'll drop off the face of the earth afterward, until next time).
  
  I do feel for her, because I've been there. But even when I was there, I knew I couldn't legitimately indulge in self-pity (although of course I did)-- because I knew very well *I* was the one so stupid, lacking in sense and self respect, as to keep dating and banging these immature guys like an idiot. I laughed at myself too (even through the hurt), and theorized about the confusing ridiculousness of it all with my friends. And we shook our heads with exasperation at each other's foolishness, too.
  April 24, 2012 at 7:31AM EST
- anon I would have to agree with Gunde here. Disclosure, I am a woman, mid-30s, and I have never acted like these women nor do I befriend women that act like this. I think (and referencing the comment below as well) there are TONS, TONS, TONS of women who are SICK TO DEATH of everything that is geared towards women having this ridiculous Sex and the City basis. I HATED SEX AND THE CITY, and so did all my friends. "Oh you're Carrie and you're Miranda!" BARF. BARF. BARF.
  April 24, 2012 at 4:11PM EST
- anon And see, right there, someone used SATC to support their point. I say again, BARF.
  
  And, I'm sorry, but no matter how much "agency" you think you have in the situation, if you're wilingly banging a guy who treats you like crap, is it better to be a "victim" or an "idiot??" That's the problem-no one is ever shown choosing NOT TO HAVE SEX WITH THESE LOSERS. It's a good practice. I highly recommend it.
  April 24, 2012 at 4:16PM EST
- rachel Anon,
  
  But the point about "agency" isn't a defense of these characters-- on the contrary! That they have "agency" doesn't make them not idiots-- on the contrary! My point was that the show (*unlike* SATC, one of the reasons why IMO it's already vastly better than SATC) doesn't ask you to "sympathize" with or feel pity for Hannah. You're allowed to laugh *at* her (and the show also hopes, *with* her).
  
  A show about characters who never act like idiots, are wise and prudent and never make fools of themselves, never humiliate themselves, never do shameful things, are excellent role models and upstanding citizens who make all the right choices? Would be... not very funny. Or interesting.
  
  Why should the character of Hannah, a girl floundering in her 20s, act less ridiculously and make wiser choices than the character of Larry David, a professionally succesful guy in his what, 50s? Are we to tsk-tsk about "Curb Your Enthusiasm" because so many of Larry's actions and choices aren't "good practice"? You know, I have never acted like Larry David does nor do I befriend people who act like this. But I still enjoy the hell out of it.
  
  It's an HBO comedy series, not an afterschool special.
  April 24, 2012 at 6:06PM EST
- fresser28 I don't know; to me, on some level, the awful sex ties into the Apatow Syllogism - that is, that an unattractive, personality-free guy with no prospects and no background can still "get some" without commitment or emotional involvement just because he's sort of cool. Maybe he won't get Katherine Heigl, but he can score over and over with a schlubby impressionable girl while not giving a rat's ass about her. Score!
  
  Remember - this series is on HBO. Who's to say Adam Friedberg isn't "overseeing" this show as well?
  April 25, 2012 at 1:49AM EST
rachel

As Shoshanna would put it, it's the eternal Mr. Big vs. Aidan dichotomy!

(And I should say that one of the best parts of Sex and the City was the Aidan vs. Mr. Big story line-- when Carrie did a bad bad thing, and was at her most flawed and unsympathetic. I like flaws in my TV characters.)

But in SATC both Mr. Big and Aidan were mostly (but not always) glamorous wish-fulfillment fantasies. The sad/ funny/ humiliating reality is that in real life, for many women, especially in their 20s, the "Mr. Big" and "Aidan" figures rather look like: an Adam and a Charlie.
April 24, 2012 at 3:51AM EST Reply to Comment
sangs

Makes the wife and I laugh and cringe, which is always a recipe for good TV around these parts. Keep it coming Girls.

My biggest complaint is akin to Alan's - too many great shows on Sunday night, so Veep & Girls get bumped to Mondays. Only one person here "needs" to stay up until 3 am. :)
April 24, 2012 at 9:34AM EST Reply to Comment
Ryan77

This show is fantastic and I hope more people catch onto it cause I sense it's going in a positive direction. An episode that was more funny than it intended to be
April 24, 2012 at 11:00AM EST Reply to Comment
Trayvon

Maybe one of the girls should wear a hoodie.
April 24, 2012 at 11:08AM EST Reply to Comment
bitchstolemyremote

Liked that the show tackled abortion (and reminded folks that it's still legal), but the whole job interview bit felt so "fabricated for television" that it took me right out.

Our take (and bits on the divisive reaction to race) here: http://wp.me/p1VQBq-Ml
April 24, 2012 at 2:22PM EST Reply to Comment

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Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Marco If you think the complain was about having all-white characters then you read not read critics right. But any case, just because Friends and Seinfield were white does not mean things have to remain the same, do they?

Marco sorry, typo, "then you did not read critics right"

Peter Well, that was my stab at adding html to the comment. It doesn't seem to be working. The article that I referenced is here: http://jezebel.com/5903382/why-we-need-to-keep-talking-about-the-white-girls-on-girls

T. The all-white complaint was HARDLY the only or even the most popular complaint about the show. Most of the people who hated it hated it simply for being unfunny and filled with unlikable characters.

Trilby I am just thankful that they didn't follow the Iron Rule of Haircolor which says that when there are 4 ladies on a show they must have a blonde, a brunette, a redhead, and one with black hair, who (BONUS!) can be black or Asian.

Zach L Pretty solid episode, was surprised how far they went in it. Also was glad to see Mike Birbiglia as Hannah's potential boss, would love to see him as a recurring character.

Mahmoud Fayed ...Why are disgusting comments like this even allowed?

Trilby Cause it's a free county?

SarA Marnie was having sex with Charlie not Adam. Love the show and your reviews Alan :)

sepinwall Yes, so she was. Fixed. Thanks.

srpad I like this show. It's not afraid to be what it wants to be. My main complaint with the pilot was it wasn't all that funny but this episode fixed that. Several laugh out loud moments.

Jonathan Why did people hate the pilot? I enjoyed it, particularly the dialogue/ banter, the squirm-inducing sex scene, and Hanna's interactions with her parents. I liked tonigt's episode even more than last week's.

wallywalters Still not funny.The "unsympathetic view of its characters" can be forgiven. The absolute lack of any comedy cannot.

Trilby It's only not funny if you don't get it.

wallywalters You might want to check the comedy Venn Diagram, Trilby. There are four sets: 1) comedy you get, 2) comedy you don't get, 3) comedy that's funny and 4) comedy that isn't funny. "Girls" is in the intersection of 1 and 4.

seaver I apologize for incorrectly laughing at the parts that are not actually funny. My bad.

Anon Y. Mouse Responding to point A - False positive pregnancy tests are more common then you might think. I have actually experienced being told in a abortion clinic that I wasn't pregmnant after all. I had taken 2 hoome tests that were both positive.

Omar Also, who says that the blood was from her period? She may have had a miscarriage.

Chris Or she could have had an ectopic pregnancy, in which case she could have a medical emergency on her hands.

Hmmm I think it was pretty clearly supposed to be her period, why else would she have had the happy/relieved look on her face?

Usef It's a good show so far. I'm a sucker for flawed, realistic characters. Keep the reviews coming Alan.

Balaji K While this episode was marginally better than the pilot episode, it's still not funny at all. And the lengthy monologue Hannah had with the gynaecologist was very annoying. I had a look on my face similar to the look the gynaecologist gave to Hannah. This show is simply not worth the hype.

mrbilliam But they had gone past professionalism into banter. The banter was actually helping her, and then she got carried away.

805 *reality show

805 *reality show

Eh, I think you're off base. It's got pacing issues, but this is a snapshot of Dunham and her friend's life. We all have different experiences and with a bunch of under 25 year old friends I see them completely in these characters.

maryploppins Well that's strange, because I AM a girl in real life and I relate to this show entirely. Not every girl (or woman) in the world has the same experience, clearly.

whistlingmtn Shoshanna seems like the only one of the 4 that isn't a completely self-centered jerk. All 4 seem to be lacking a more mature friend that can actually give them straightforward advice.

fresser28 The first airing of the second episode had 850K viewers. It didn't even make the Sunday cable TV ratings list. I think America has spoken.

7s Tim Would Dan Fienberg be happy that because of him, this comment made me think of "begs the question" in the correct context?

Gunde Maybe that's where the hate comes from."How can these girls be so stupid? Get some sense and some self respect. No one is gonna sympathise when you keep dating and banging these immature guys like an idiot"

sangs Makes the wife and I laugh and cringe, which is always a recipe for good TV around these parts. Keep it coming Girls.My biggest complaint is akin to Alan's - too many great shows on Sunday night, so Veep & Girls get bumped to Mondays. Only one person here "needs" to stay up until 3 am. :)

Ryan77 This show is fantastic and I hope more people catch onto it cause I sense it's going in a positive direction. An episode that was more funny than it intended to be

Trayvon Maybe one of the girls should wear a hoodie.

bitchstolemyremote Liked that the show tackled abortion (and reminded folks that it's still legal), but the whole job interview bit felt so "fabricated for television" that it took me right out.Our take (and bits on the divisive reaction to race) here: http://wp.me/p1VQBq-Ml

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Girls is updated

Marco If you think the complain was about having all-white characters then you read not read critics right.

But any case, just because Friends and Seinfield were white does not mean things have to remain the same, do they?

Zach L

Pretty solid episode, was surprised how far they went in it. Also was glad to see Mike Birbiglia as Hannah's potential boss, would love to see him as a recurring character.

SarA

Marnie was having sex with Charlie not Adam.

Love the show and your reviews Alan :)

srpad

I like this show. It's not afraid to be what it wants to be. My main complaint with the pilot was it wasn't all that funny but this episode fixed that. Several laugh out loud moments.

Jonathan

Why did people hate the pilot? I enjoyed it, particularly the dialogue/ banter, the squirm-inducing sex scene, and Hanna's interactions with her parents. I liked tonigt's episode even more than last week's.

wallywalters

Still not funny.

The "unsympathetic view of its characters" can be forgiven. The absolute lack of any comedy cannot.

Usef

It's a good show so far. I'm a sucker for flawed, realistic characters. Keep the reviews coming Alan.

whistlingmtn Shoshanna seems like the only one of the 4 that isn't a completely self-centered jerk.

All 4 seem to be lacking a more mature friend that can actually give them straightforward advice.

Gunde Maybe that's where the hate comes from.
"How can these girls be so stupid? Get some sense and some self respect. No one is gonna sympathise when you keep dating and banging these immature guys like an idiot"

sangs

Makes the wife and I laugh and cringe, which is always a recipe for good TV around these parts. Keep it coming Girls.

My biggest complaint is akin to Alan's - too many great shows on Sunday night, so Veep & Girls get bumped to Mondays. Only one person here "needs" to stay up until 3 am. :)

Ryan77

This show is fantastic and I hope more people catch onto it cause I sense it's going in a positive direction. An episode that was more funny than it intended to be

Trayvon

Maybe one of the girls should wear a hoodie.

bitchstolemyremote

Liked that the show tackled abortion (and reminded folks that it's still legal), but the whole job interview bit felt so "fabricated for television" that it took me right out.

Our take (and bits on the divisive reaction to race) here: http://wp.me/p1VQBq-Ml

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