How is this the last season? This show is the perfect amount of profanity mixed with real life mixed with humor and so many other things. A series of social media posts by the cast relating to the nostalgia they are experiencing as they start shooting their last season got me thinking. Girls not only offered an entertaining viewing experience, but it also left us with a few life lessons: *WARNING* Spoilers ahead (but also which episodes to find each lesson)
1. Be selfish at times
This is the most evident through Marni's and Hannah’s characters. As the seasons went on it was almost like Hannah and Marni became progressively more self-absorbed. But hey, that’s ok. Marni needed to feel confident in her life direction after joining that (embarrassingly bad) band with her on-screen husband, Desi. Selfishness is so obliviously engrained in Hannah’s persona that it is just part of her character's personality, but she’s loving herself, and we love her for that.
Best episode for this lesson: Season 1 Episode 9 – Leave Me Alone // Season 3 Episode 5 - Only Child
2. Don’t be afraid to not be sure of your “next step” or future
I’m not sure if this is more evident by Shoshanna flying to Japan for a job that she ended up hating or by Hannah’s life switch from being a writer with writer’s block to an elementary school teacher. Either way, these characters shared journeys with us that we could all relate to. None of them were sure of their paths at some point in the show, but came out knowing more about themselves in the end.
Best episode for this lesson: Season 5 Episode 8 – Homeward Bound
3. Be spontaneous
Take Marni’s ‘The Panic In Central Park’ episode for example. She happened to be walking through a different part of NYC than usual and ran into an ex of hers, whom we had met in prior seasons. The whole episode is spent following them around NYC everywhere from stores to galas until they finally make it to a gondola in Central Park. One of the many examples of spontaneity that ‘Girls’ has to offer.
Best episode for this lesson: Season 5 Episode 6 – The Panic In Central Park
4. Experiment…A lot.
For all my freaks that just don’t care, this one’s for you. Whether it be with your sexuality or with your job, this show makes it clear that you should try new things. Most episodes had a surprising or odd moment, and when reflecting on these scenes, I noticed that most of these moments were when the characters were experimenting or trying something out of their comfort zone.
Best episode for this lesson: Season 5 Episode 5 – Queen For Two Days
5. Tell your friends like it is
Hannah was never afraid to lay it on you when necessary. Pal/ex Jessa and Adam also put this motto into action. None of these characters took BS from anyone, including peers or those superior to them in work life. It seemed as though Hannah and Marni were the ones who most often needed reality checks, but their friends worked to help them see another perspective. This wasn't always successful for characters like Marni, who will forever be enveloped in her own narcissism (although this may change in season 6), but friends don’t give up on friends.
Best episode for this lesson: Season 2 Episode 3 – Bad Friend
6. Topless is always an option (or bottomless?)
You could legitimately close your eyes and point in the dark at an episode and there would be a topless scene waiting for you. I would go as far as to say that you’re looking at beyond a 50/50 chance of it happening; it’s more like 70/30. I think this was more in effort to show that these characters were comfortable with themselves and the way they look, and in part because it is a show on HBO. Anyhow, pretty much every character has had a revealing moment on the show, but Hannah takes the cake for the freeing the nipple award.
Best episode for this lesson: Season 5 Episode 7 – Hello Kitty
7. No matter how F’d up life gets, you’ll always have your crew to fall back on
Take Hannah’s dad coming out as gay in the latest season. He is somewhere in the middle of his life coming to this realization, thus throwing his whole family for a loop. This is something that Hannah and her mother have to figure out how to deal with as they move forward. Jessa, Marni, and Shoshanna were always there to listen to Hannah’s rants about her dad or anything else. They may not have loved it, but they were there. Shoshanna, on the other hand, will always have her past love, Ray to lean on whenever something goes awry.
Best episode for this lesson: Season 5 Episode 9 – Love Stories // Season 5 Episode 10 – Home Birth
