Being both the main actor and the creator of HBO’s show, Girls, Lena Dunham (Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood, American Horror Story) plays a 23-year-old freshly graduated college student who’s a little self-absorbed, awkward, and obsessed with becoming a writer—but she’s too lazy to put in the work to actually write anything.
She’s trying to navigate post-grad life with her three friends: the control freak with a slightly egotistical personality, Marnie, played by Allison Williams; the free-spirited hippie, Jessa, played by Jemima Kirke; and the one who wants to live the Sex and the City lifestyle while still studying at NYU, Shoshanna, played by Zosia Mamet.
Navigating their way through jobs (or for some a lack thereof), boyfriends, breakups, sex, and adulthood, the six seasons of Girls is a uniquely funny yet sometimes infuriating show that gives you a bit of secondhand embarrassment. It shows a rare glimpse of how the transition from college into adulthood is a roller coaster of highs and lows that are mentally challenging, a bit awkward, and hard to stop watching. (six seasons, 30-minute episodes)
—Samantha Herrera
This article appears in Jun 6-16, 2024.