This season, Lena Dunham’s Girls took us on an emotional rollercoaster with euphoric (and even drug-induced) highs and snorting-coke-off-of-a-public-toilet-seat lows. While last year’s episodes focused on character development and relationships, season 2 centered around the six main characters’ breakdowns and path to rebuilding.
While it has taken us a few days to really come to terms with the fact that there will be no new episodes of Girls until next year, we want to properly celebrate the madness and brilliance that was season 2. From the horribly cringeworthy to the utterly hilarious and everything in between, here is our collection of the most memorable moments of Girls ‘ second season.
Marnie and Elijah’s “Three Pumps” (2×01)
This whole scene made us throw our hands over our eyes and peer at the screen through our fingers. It was messy, sudden, and just plain uncomfortable. Marnie’s desperation and Elijah’s loneliness were all too evident. Then Elijah kept repeating that the act only consisted of “three pumps.” If we never have to hear Elijah utter those two words ever again, we’ll die happy.
Hannah and Sandy’s Breakup (2×02)
This scene was so poignant because it really delved into how some people today see race and politics. Hannah oversimplified and generalized the views of the conservatives and then defended white women as if they are a minority. The absolute best part of the scene though was when Hannah used “flip it and reverse it” in talking about white women, and then denied knowing that it’s a famous line in a Missy Elliot song. Hannah’s discussion of race definitely hit the nail on the head in terms of how hypocritical and backwards many people’s social viewpoints still are.
The Mesh Top (2×03)
Can we all just take a moment to appreciate how awesome it was that Lena Dunham spent more than half of the episode walking around in a neon mesh top? Sure, it was pretty jarring at first to have a clear view of Hannah’s chest but after a while the shirt started to look pretty cool. Trendworthy, even. In fact, we may have liked it better than the top she traded away. The image of her in that top will not fade from our memories any time soon.
A Conversation Between Friends (2×06)
Who knew that their relationship could fall so far? This scene between Hannah and Marnie was absolutely heartbreaking. We could see the girls drifting apart with each lie that they told. The combination of their faces, wavering voices, and lonely surroundings brought tears to our eyes and formed lumps in our throats. As Hannah writes in the season finale, “A friendship between college girls is grander and more dramatic than any romance … ”
Hannah and the Q-Tip (2×09)
We all knew what was coming as soon as she put that Q-tip near her ear. We’ve all heard the horror stories. Lucky for us, we’re now all terrified of swabbing our ears out ever again. The look on Hannah’s face and that piercing screech that came out of her mouth was enough to make our skin crawl. This moment made for a really powerful indicator of Hannah’s mental state and will probably serve as a PSA for ear care for years to come.
Adam’s Sexual Domination (2×09)
That was the best euphemism we could think of for the horrible act that closed out the penultimate episode of the season. This single scene demonstrated just how much alcohol, and Hannah for that matter, has affected Adam’s life. You could sense just how uncomfortable and unhappy Shiri Appleby’s character felt underneath that maniacal version of Adam. We hope to never see that side of him again.
The “FaceSpace” Scene (2×10)
Season 2 ended with what was quite possibly the best scene of the series so far. The emotion of the scene stemmed from these two broken people essentially helping each other when nobody else can. Hannah chooses to FaceTime Adam because she knows that he best understands what she is going through. He knows about her past and loves her for it. Hannah, on the other hand, understands Adam’s issues but has not fully accepted them until now.
The image of Adam holding Hannah in his arms truly conveys the season’s closing message that everything is going to be ok for the both of them. If we had to pick the most memorable moment of the season, this would be it.