Girls returns for its final season on HBO and begs the question — Is this show even worth watching?

Five seasons of Girls later and Hannah, Marnie, Shoshanna, and Jessa are not any closer to discovering themselves then they were in season 1.

Of the three episodes provided, one became my all time favorite episode, while the other two are forgettable romps through the all too familiar landscape.

Just as it did in season 5, Girls season 6 instantly sets out the idea that everything is going to be different this year. Hannah turns her relationship lemons into her own Beyoncé-style lemonade. Marnie and Ray are going steady. Hannah’s parents haven’t killed each other, yet. Adam and Jessa are still together. Shoshanna and Elijah continue to fill in the cracks of the episodes.

All seems well in Brooklyn. And then they start speaking.

Girls’ dialogue is a double-edged sword. Some scenes are riddled with great lines that could create a collection of short stories. Take for example Hannah’s trip to the Hamptons. Everything from Hannah’s assignment to her fling with Paul-Louis, The Night Of’s Riz Ahmed, creates the perfect three act story. I’d argue that the examination of Hannah’s friendships is some of the best writing on the series.

‘I don’t even know what any of my friends like, I just know what they don’t like.’

But then, like it always does, the show shatters the illusion of enjoyment and cuts to Marnie and Desi. The secondary characters break up the stories that matter and are never given enough room to blossom into anything substantial. Elijah approached the precipice of a storyline last season with Dill. Shoshanna’s adventures in Japan and subsequent love triangle in New York made her matter for a second.

But those glimpses of potential are constantly shot down.

That is the point of Girls season 6. By keeping toxic relationships in your life, you prolong disruptions and daily frustration. Don’t forget to enjoy and express love when you feel those fleeting vibes because they will soon be gone.

Girls carries the honor/burden of being a show one “has to see.” Even with 55 episodes under my belt, I’m not confident in my ability to stir up a convincing argument that tells you why.

A few years ago, a simple recommendation was enough to get someone to watch a series. Now, it takes a the same amount of work to defend a thesis as it does to convince someone to watch a new series. A recommendation reflects you.

There are plenty of think pieces out there to satisfy someone who needs a pro-con list before they load their HBOGo apps. For that, Girls is lucky. It exists on the cusp of the recapping boom. Any show worth seeing, and many others not worth your time, have someone writing about it. Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, even post-mortem, continue to inspire thousands of words on their worth.

Others, unfortunately, were only paid the same courtesy by a few. (Please watch Looking and Togetherness.)

By the time the internet became over-saturated with recaps telling everyone to watch everything at once, everyone was already three seasons into Girls and they couldn’t remember why they started watching it in the first place.

To this day, despite two or three episodes that are some of the best episodes of television, if someone asks me if I like Girls, I say no.

‘Hate takes energy. Love gives vibes.’

Why watch it? Short answer, because it is something undefinable. There is no consensus on the show. Everyone loves Game of Thrones. Everyone is slowly starting to recognize that The Americans is the best drama on television. But Girls exists, and thrives, in the gray. It’s messy, captivating, repulsive, and makes you give a damn when you least expect it.

Here we are six seasons later and the show still manages to elicit controversial exchanges. Ones that typically end with someone writing down their ex’s cousin’s HBOGo password telling another, “I don’t know, just watch it!”

Watch Girls season 6, episode 2, “Hostage Situation,” Sunday, February 19 at 10:00 p.m. ET on HBO.