Girls season 1 Reviews (original) (raw)

It's a raw, ironic, occasionally touching comedy of post-millennial manners. [23 Apr 2012, p.37]

Girls represents an exciting moment in television history because, like a handful of other shows (MTV's "Awkward," most notably) it not only makes great use of the medium but has the creative guts to realign it for a new century and a new generation.

This show is arguably the best TV show of our generation. The girls could not be more relatable. In each female friend group of the 21st century, there is a Marnie, a Jessa, a Shoshauna, and a Hannah, to varying degrees. The characters are not one-dimensional at all; they are incredibly complex, they make a lot of mistakes, and their actions and behaviours are sometimes very contradictory. And that's OK, because that makes them very real. Usually people don't like this show because they are put off by Hannah, or think Marnie is annoying, or think the characters are narcissists... But that is the reality of our generation, we are narcissists. And to be put off by Hannah? That probably means that you are most likely "a Hannah" and you are uncomfortable watching yourself. But you shouldn't be uncomfortable. This is a very "real" show, and none of the characters are "right" or "wrong", Lena Dunham is simply exploring the many different types of "twenty-somethings" we usually come across in our lives. I have watched this show when it first came out, but I have rewatched it recently and I was very impressed by the character progression throughout the seasons. Also, the writing is INCREDIBLE! There are some hilarious one-liners that I know by heart because they were so iconic. I am very sad that this show is ending soon, and I wish they carry on, or create a sequel called "Women" because it is too good to end so soon!!!!

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Extremely funny and extremely raunchy (consider yourself warned), but Dunham's a major talent.

Many young women, if they're being honest, will see themselves here. And many parents will see their daughters.

With its precisely drawn characters, winning performances, and frank, well-observed humor, Girls is a knockout.

If "Tiny Furniture" filmmaker Lena Dunham's series is in places too mannered, it's also fresh, honest and raw.

These gals are at times so self-absorbed it's difficult to feel much for them when things don't go their way.

Go with the critics on this one; this is another superb show from the always reliable HBO. Lena Dunham has an incredible ear for realistic and interesting dialogue. That alone would be enough for me to watch, but where the show truly shines is in its characters. they are all so strange yet relatable, and frustrating but hopelessly sympathetic. 9.5/10

This is a tough show to love, but not easy to hate either. Yes, the characters do come off as spoiled babies for the most part, and their problems seem pretty shallow compared to what others in this country are going through right now. At the same time, I would be lying (and I think some of you other reviewers would be, too) if I didn't admit I see at least some of my own (unfortunate, but still real) everyday shallowness within these characters. In that sense, it's hard for me to be too judgemental of them, lest I be a hypocrite. However, I would like to see these characters grow and become less shallow as their lives go on. Not that the (mostly) witty dialogue or smart situations need to change in the process, but I don't want to see characters a couple of seasons from now (if by some chance this show makes it that far) that are just as narcissistic as they are now. Overall, I think "Girls" has promise but is a long way off from being something great.

My Life as a Bad Script (28 January 2014) HBO is sliding. It once had brisk, wobbly comedies punctuated with F- bombs; and slow engaging dramas with a splatter and glimpse of blood and boobs (in True Blood's case, blood on boobs). Now the reverse is true. The spice is the essence and the content is half-baked. Thus proving that quality drama and comedy are difficult to construct on a regular basis. Girls is a case in point. It started out fresh and blunt, daring and original, but has evolved into an exercise of desperate story- telling. The self-evident, honest precociousness of the first season has become conspicuously pretentious with little foresight and even less insight. Sudden character traits fall from the sky (the OC disorder), the plot twists are cliché (girl friend disappears) and themes of love and friendship are often sketchy and stranded. Girls went from good bad to bad bad within three short seasons. The only reason I continue to watch Girls is because of Boy, namely, Adam Driver. He is the only authentic quirk in the ensemble of ever-so-shallow dead-beat characters. (I'd pay to see him headline a series with Greta Gerwig). Girls would be infinitely more appealing if Lena "aren't-I-adorable?" Dunham just wrote herself out of it. Better yet, if someone else wrote her out of it. Otherwise, HBO should cancel this one before it embarrasses itself any further.

SEASON FOUR- " Girls" gone Iowa is far from wild- as Hannah goes to college is quite sophomoric. Campus escapades can't sustain what once was a fresh, frank and daring feminine point of view of NYC 20's coupling. Calls to old friends- dropped and collect- make for long and distant conversations while new acquaintances all sound the same. Hannah's fictional writing is critiqued for being too real. Maybe the talented young Dunham has run out of life to share- for now.

Why are the majority of these characters Jewish? Adam's sister is so completely obnoxious. It boggles the mind that someone hasn't killed her by now. I have great difficulty understanding very much of what Shoshanna has to say. She rattles on so quickly, it sounds like a gun being fired in rapid succession. Why does Hannah insist on flaunting her less than perfect body in so many episodes. Hey, I don't look like a model either, but this is definitely not a case for "If you got it, flaunt it! If you don't have it, flaunt it anyway!" She's probably one of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet, but, please, Hannah, keep your clothes on...Marine does! And, I know Jessa has some life issues, but she is the most caustic, abrasive human being I've seen strutting her stuff. Again, how has this chick managed to avoid being slapped around like a red-headed step child? Patrick Wilson and Hannah? Are you kidding me? Well, that's Hollywood I guess. They need to have Adam's sister jump off a train track very, very soon. Where do they all get the money they need to survive in NYC? So many questions and not enough answers.