10 Responses To The ‘Girls’ Season 2 Premiere, From Someone Who Didn’t Watch The First Season

Last night was my first time watching Girls. Actually, that’s a lie, I watched parts of the series premiere last year. I was filled in on the basics of the show by my friends and from reading some of the myriad thinkpieces about the show, so I had some idea what to expect. Also, I had seen Tiny Furniture and figured it might vaguely have the feel of other TV shows produced by Judd Apatow. Here are 10 thoughts I had while watching:

1. Of the girls on Girls, I felt most attracted to Marnie (Allison Williams).

I liked that Marnie hooked up with the gay/bi(?) roommate/ex-boyfriend of Hannah (Lena Dunham). Somehow that scene made me like her, though I don’t endorse hooking up with your friends’ exes. I find Shoshanna physically attractive but wasn’t attracted to her personality in terms of imagining dating her.

2. I liked that Adam Driver’s character was shirtless in every scene in which he appeared.

Found that amusing. Would be funny if a character appeared shirtless in every scene in which they appeared for an entire season or longer.

3. I don’t have a read on Donald Glover’s character yet, but I’m glad he’s on the show.

Donald Glover seems set to have an interesting role on the show. I don’t envy the Girls writing staff in terms of potentially trying to respond to race-based criticisms of the show. I wonder if they will receive measured praise for trying or further criticism.

4. I see the show as primarily a comedy.

While the show doesn’t remind me of Freaks and Geeks in any other way, the show does share this to-me endearing quality of easygoing comedy about obviously flawed and confused characters with moments of drama.

5. The story-writing in this episode seemed underworked.

The episode lacked effective structure or something. Feel like the Donald Glover/Adam Driver storyline and the Marnie storyline were both good but were presented haphazardly. Also, Jessa (Jemima Kirke) only appeared very briefly I think. Seemed like a random episode with good parts.

6. I like that there is nudity on Girls.

I like when sex scenes are realistic-looking. I don’t see any reason why shows or movies aimed at adults should not have nudity. Feel like foreign movies and television have more nudity on average and I like that about them.

7. During the show, I said to my friends, “I don’t get why people are so mad about this show, seems fun and harmless.”

They said things about how Lena Dunham is supposed to be the voice of her generation so she has to speak for everyone in her generation.

8. My friend said it’d be funny to add “any time you see Lena Dunham’s tattoos” to our drinking game.

We were trying to figure out the single event that would cause the most drinks according to our drinking game. I think it would be if someone other than Lena Dunham was naked and, in the midst of having an unfulfilling sexual experience with Donald Glover, somehow made a pop-cultural reference that also mentioned Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr and a New York location.

9. I liked how the episode was all about relationships and people’s romantic lives.

Schopenhauer says, “The ultimate aim of all love affairs…is more important than all other aims in man’s life; and therefore it is quite worthy of the profound seriousness with which everyone pursues it. […] What is decided by it is nothing less than the composition of the next generation…”

10. I would watch Girls again.

In fact, I think we’re having a weekly viewing party.