Girls season 4 is giving the characters a shot at the lives they either want or think that they want. But how are they faring so far?
Season 4’s slogan, “nowhere to grow but up,” runs deep in the episodes of this season. Let’s take a look at where the characters are heading as the season nears a close.
Hannah Horvath: Former barista, former content writer for GQ magazine, former student of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, current teacher. That’s right, Hannah Horvath is heading back into the world of pencils and notebooks but this time as an authority figure rather than a student. As her friends pointed out in last week’s episode, Hannah is not the first person anyone thinks of when it comes to selflessness.
Inspiration comes in the least likely places, and a classroom full of children meeting a young adult with tattoos covering her arm, may just be the perfect combination for both sides of the arrangement. Although lending her services to the public school system may seem selfless, Hannah actually found the perfect profession for herself.
• Telling people what to do: Check
• Offering criticism on writing without having her own analyzed: Check
• Being able to tell people that she works with children: Check
Shoshanna is in limbo and none of the lessons from her failed interviews seem to be sticking. There is no doubt that Shoshanna is persistent, and miraculously lucky to keep getting interviews in the first place, but her personality is getting in the way of obtaining an entry level position. There may be hope for her in another unexpected place.
Ray, always a side story never a lead, Ploshansky is about to take on the city board. His story rings a bit like something that an episode of Seinfeld would focus on, but the loud honking is giving his character another leap forward. Ray has always been a few steps ahead of everyone on the show. It makes his character interesting. But how long can you have him giving everyone else a job or looking over the books in his office? His latest venture into the public sphere will not only give one storyline a boost, but maybe hopefully some of it will rub off on Shoshanna.
We admit it, we poke fun at Marnie’s singing and her “deep connection” with Desi through their music. But the truth is, Marnie is the only person in the core group who has a clear cut idea of what she wants not only from her romantic life, but also her professional career. She even recognizes that her relationship is less than perfect, calling Desi an asshole at brunch last week, but her passion for music is pushing the flaws out of focus.
Jessa and Adam are our wild cards. Jessa’s employment with Beadie was perfect for her, but that came to a swift end in the opening of the season. Jessa may have a knack for helping people, but for now she needs to forge her own path. Adam is walking through a daydream with Mimi Rose and the odds of their relationship seeing the end of the season are the not high.
Watch Girls season 4, episode 7, “Ask Me My Name,” Sunday, March 1 at 9:00 p.m. ET on HBO.