Girls Series Review

Girls (2012-2017)

Season 1 - 10 episodes (2012)
Season 2 - 10 episodes (2013)
Season 3 - 12 episodes (2014)
Season 4 - 10 episodes (2015)
Season 5 - 10 episodes (2016)
Season 6 - 10 episodes (2017)
Rent Girls on Amazon Video (paid link)
Created by: Lena Dunham
Starring: Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, Zosia Mamet, Adam Driver, Alex Karpovsky, Andrew Rannells, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Jake Lacy
Rated: TV-MA
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Plot
Hannah and her three friends in their 20s living in New York City navigate their personal and professional lives.

Verdict
The first season isn't bad. It's young people trying to make it in New York, but as seasons progress the show becomes indulgent. The main character becomes more annoying and unrealistic with each season. Few people in this show are likable, and that stretches credibility. This picks up towards the end, but this isn't something I'm ever going to revisit. The first season had potential that was never fully realized. I watched this show for what it could be but never achieved. The audience can never escape an immature main character that blames all her problems on everyone else. Comedic characters don't always act this unaware. It can be ridiculous at times, and it's difficult not to describe this as a young woman complaining through all life stages and blaming everyone else after graduating college. It's not that this ends well, it just takes the logical next step that provides closure.
It depends.

Review
The first season is the best season. After that the show declines. Season four is the low point, with season five being a bit better as the characters are at least developing somewhat.

Hannah Horvath's (Lena Dunham) parents want her to get a job after supporting her during her two year internship after college. She lives in New York with her friends Marnie (Allison Williams), Jessa (Jemima Kirke), and Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) as they navigate jobs, guys, and friendships. Being set in New York, it's aspirational for college students that seek a big city and a look back at the good old days through rose tinted glasses if you're older than the demographic depicted. It's a bit of fantasy; it's why so many stories are set in New York. This picks out the mundane things in life at that age and shows how even small things seem huge when you're just starting out. It's a hangout show without an overarching plot, just these characters trying to make it through a day. Focusing on female friends, this explores the patriarchy and the hurdles of being a woman. We see the ups and downs of boyfriends, jobs, and friendships. The plot focus, or lack of focus, provides a realistic feel.  I enjoyed the first season the most, in part due to the potential.

S1 Allison Williams, Lena Dunham, Jemima Kirke, Zosia Mamot play
Marnie, Hannah, Jessa, Shoshannah

Season two is where Hannah's annoying personality traits become more prevalent. We realize she'll say anything to get out of blame. She refuses to take any responsibility. It's clear this show is a lot of self-centered characters that would describe themselves as quirky to excuse their behavior. Hannah creates a problem, whines about the problem, and only exacerbates it. Whenever she's questioned about her actions that caused the situation, she whines more. Nothing is ever her fault, and all of her problems should be everyone's problem.
Hannah starts the season in abusive relationship with Adam (Adam Driver). I assume she reaches a point where she thinks she can't do any better and is afraid of confrontation, but she's also juggling another relationship which undermines my assumptions.

The first season was interesting, but it becomes more indulgent. None of these characters were ever likable, but they get worse as they're exaggerated. Hannah was developing a reaction to stress at the end of season two, and season three nearly skips over it. I expected this to do more with that.
Hannah's editor dies and she tells people how she lost a close friend, but she didn't. They barely even worked together, but she likes the attention. She has main character syndrome, and I don't know why no one ever calls her on it. Whenever her parents try to help her, she dismisses them. Every situation is an opportunity for her to be the victim. I wondered if season three was reactive to reviews as it skews more towards Hannah than an ensemble with her friends. Since the first season this has devolved, now highlighting the worst traits and making the lead character worse with every season. I've read reviews that state Hannah being unlikable is the point, but the show and her character have gotten worse because of it. It feels like Dunham read reviews and is trying to gain more praise. Good writing can make an unlikable character at least enjoyable to watch by giving them some interesting qualities.
This character craves attention. Whether she was fired or quit in season three all depends on how much attention she'll get from the answer. Did Dunham see the criticism of her character and made Hannah less enjoyable to argue she was never supposed to be likable?

S3 Allison Williams, Zosia Mamet, Lena Dunham, Adam Driver play
Marnie, Shoshanna, Hannah, Adam

In season four Hannah is in grad school complaining about people whose parents pay their way, but how is she affording this? Her parents have to be supporting her as she's barely had a job through the series and quit the job that paid well. Even if Hannah has main character syndrome, I'd expect some push back. It's not believable that everyone lets her get away with acting like that. Whenever she's called out or criticized, she dodges and blames something else, refusing to acknowledge her own actions. During a class she reads a paper in class that people don't like. It's then revealed that it was supposed to be fiction and she just wrote about herself, not even following the assignment. She doesn't acknowledge the criticism because, as she's stated, she's the voice of her generation. She's more the martyr of her generation. Episode four is a perfect showcase. She sends an "apology" letter to her classmates that is less apologetic and more accusatory. She's completely immature. Later in the season she becomes a high school teacher and is friends with a student. It's wrong on multiple levels, and this show lets that go too far.

S4 Zosia Mamet, Adam Driver, Lena Dunham, play Shoshanna, Adam, Hannah

Season five starts strong, and I wish we got more ensemble episodes, but at least these characters are developing. Marnie gets married, Adam is acting on Broadway, and Shoshanna gets a job in Japan. Hannah focused episodes create issues. Hannah is acting inappropriately as a teacher, and she refuses to acknowledge it. The principal is the only one that talks about her behavior, and of course she dismisses him. She's treating students like peers, even during class. Her lessons aren't age appropriate. As usual, she does whatever she wants and plays the martyr when someone doesn't agree. Whenever someone questions her, she always acts aggressively. How has someone so immature made it this far? She agrees on a road trip with her boyfriend, and changes her mind the day of the trip. Instead of talking to him and stating how she feels, she locks herself in the bathroom and eventually runs away, never talking to him. It's just not how people act. I think the show wants it to be funny, but I disagree.

S1 Lena Dunham, Adam Driver play Hannah, Adam

In the final season, Hannah is almost a Michael Scott type character. It's not how people act in reality, but this season is a nice coda to the series. Adam and Jessa are together and happy, making a movie based on their lives. Hannah is pregnant and writing. Shoshanna is into marketing and networking in her industry. Marnie is having trouble with her husband, which is trouble for her music career. The friends are growing apart, and that's one of the most realistic plot points of the show.

Some shows end and you wish there was more. With this, I was glad it ended, I debated on whether I would finish it. With just a bit of self-awareness Hannah could be a likable character. Instead she's some kind of cartoon, unbelievably blind to how hypocritical she is while whining about everyone else and never taking responsibility. The first season had so much promise. I'd rank the seasons 1, 2, 6, 5, 3, 4. The first season is the only one worth watching, and the rest of the seasons cruise on what this show could have been.