Attention all aspiring writers about to graduate: you’re screwed. Well, that’s not really news…it’s always been the case. But HBO’s newest TV show, “Girls,” explores the god-awful reality of being 20-something and surviving in a terrible, jobless economy.
The pilot’s first scene provides the panic that floods throughout the rest of the episode. Two years out of college and living in New York City, Hannah (writer/director Lena Dunham) is abruptly cut off financially from her parents. She tries to scrounge a job out of her one-year-old internship but fails. She runs to her boyfriend, who never returns her text messages, for the most awkward and uncomfortable sex scene you’ll ever watch. Her friends aren’t much help either; they’re too busy with their own messed up, troubled lives.
Though none of this sounds fun to watch, the show is brilliant. Its dark humor and painful truth hit just the right spots. It makes you question and worry about your own bleak future, especially when you’re possibly thinking of moving to the city to be a writer (coughcoughdammitcough).
But there’s still something just so hauntingly perfect about the way Dunham and the cast go about their shit lives, you have to smile. Dunham’s vulnerability is vibrant across the screen and as a real 25-year-old, you can’t help but realize how goddamn lucky she is for making it to HBO. Producer Judd Apatow’s definitely a help — he was drawn to Dunham after her 2010 feature film “Tiny Furniture” at the Sundance Film Festival.
The coolest thing about the show is that you can watch it on YouTube for free. I guess they realized most 20-somethings don’t have HBO. Although it is fairly depressing, there are still trickles of hope throughout the show. I guess hope is the only thing there is these days…or winning the lottery.
3.5 stars