#MUSTLOVEMUSTLOVEDOGS

tvsnark:

Three episodes and I find myself liking Girls more and more. Likely because…

1. It continues to get funnier.

Last week’s STD checkup scene and this week’s wine bar conversation with Hannah’s ex-boyfriend were great. The style kind of reminds me of Franny and Zooey’s bathtub scene, only because I find myself laughing at it the same way. The comedy builds, not to the point of hysteria or heavy-breathing-induced-laughter, but more of a ever-widening smile and the occasional gaff. And that kind of mumbled-laughter on a Monday morning is nice. (I highly recommend it with frosted mini wheats).
But the show has had those smirk-able moments with Hannah since the pilot. What I am now noticing and loving more are the little funny-because-its-true bits they are sneaking in: the girls watching Game Show Network and listing their baggage, or the little girl asking her stoned father why he is eating her school snacks at night when he doesn’t go to night school. These asides aren’t remarkable, they are just highly relate-able, and not just to brooklyn-ites or twenty-somethings, or white upper class girls.  When a show starts to sneak in these real moments, it becomes believable, and earns any awkward scene or character that might follow. (And that Robin-dance scene just earned my viewership for at least two seasons).

2. The internet hates on Girls so much for all the wrong reasons that it makes me sad.

I understand the content of the show begs for a polarized audience, and I admit that I was and still am SO JELLO of Lena Dunham and her success. I just can’t stand how collectively wrong the interwebs are in their criticism. The claims about racism was so unwarranted, and the critical backlash against it so silly, that I found myself pitying Lena Dunham. The first three episodes had enough controversy for a Fox News Spin-Off. So much that Lena was literally begging for people to tweet about  (and this one too). Instead, the only continued and outraged trending topic was a growing number or articulate and polite posts about the show’s all white cast. I didn’t want praise, and I know that the PTA moms already blocked HBO on their cable boxes, I was just hoping I could read a criticism of Girls I could agree with.

3.  It’s portrayal of computers and technology it real-atable.

Forgive me for not being a 20-something-female who can relate to all the boyfriend issues and  pillow talk. The show’s use of computer and social media is interesting and one of the most relatable aspects of the show for me (outside the ugh-what-am-I-doing-with my life-why-can’t-I-publish-a-memoiresque-collection-of-essays-why-can’t-I-find-a-job stuff). Lena typing her thoughts out on google’s search bar in episode two, and emoting through editing unposted tweets in episode three had me telling Hannah “You Get Me” out loud. I have never seen this kind of scene in a TV show, and I don’t think it is revolutionary, I just find it relatable and somewhat interesting. Usually tweets and facebook are a comedic bit, but here it is a device, another way to see her character, and a moment where I found myself actually liking the shows ever so hate-able Hannah Horvarth. (And like I said, the Robin dance scene that follows it sealed the deal for me, I actually bobbed my head.)

BUT let’s get real for just a moment. Girls is cute and getting better, but I will never tolerate bad acting, and Miss Allison Williams, your talking-through-tears scene over Hannah’s HPV was train wreck awful. I understand that the dialogue was supposed to be comedic, but when you are delivering the lines like your father delivers the news, the only thing funny about it is the family resemblance of that seriously stern brow and chin.