“Girls,” the comedy-drama from HBO, appeared to lose some of its momentum in Sunday’s episode. While the newest episode, “Queen for Two Days,” certainly had its moments, it simply didn’t have the same intrigue of the season’s previous episodes.
When Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) appears in “Girls,” it’s usually going to be a good episode. In “Queen for Two Days,” though, her appearance signaled an emotional twist.
Shoshanna, who appeared to be loving life in Japan, admits to her former colleague Abigail (guest star Aidy Bryant) that she’s unhappy, lonely and homesick. Though it’s admirable that Shoshanna takes control of her life in order to be happy, it is disheartening that the series rarely allows for its characters to really thrive in anything, whether that’s a relationship, a job or an environment other than New York.
In spite of this, the episode’s closing shot was one of its most effective, showing Shoshanna walk alone down a street surrounded by bright lights while a cover of David Bowie’s “Life on Mars” played. The scene reinforced this season’s trend toward an increased production value and a bigger commitment to experimentation with more interesting and non-traditional sequences.
Back in Brooklyn, Jessa (Jemima Kirke) and Adam (Adam Driver) seem to be moving at light speed into their new relationship. It was only last week they decided to take the plunge as a couple, but this week Adam is suddenly taking on Jessa’s educational costs and meeting her sister, all in the same scene. The duo, who keep making impulsive decisions, contrast with the careful, meaningful deliberations made by Shoshanna and Hannah’s mother, Loreen (Becky Ann Baker). Nevertheless, Jessa and Adam have brought a sense of hopefulness to this season that is otherwise missing amongst the other couples.
Perhaps the problem with this episode was the abundance of Hannah-centric scenes. While it was nice to see Hannah (Lena Dunham) and Loreen interact, several of their scenes felt superfluous to the storyline. Most notably, Hannah’s swimsuit hike was nothing more than a dumb addition for comedic effect. The series shouldn’t be relying on these forced, funny moments and instead should strive to implement comedy in a more natural way.
To make matters worse, Hannah has also severely regressed in light of her relationship issues with Fran (Jake Lacy), acting as selfishly, irrationally and childishly as ever. Even the episode’s title highlights the narcissism that pervades her scenes this week.
Regardless, “Queen for Two Days,” though slightly disjointed, was still a solid addition to a strong season.
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