UK VOD TV review: Girls Season 4, Episode 4
Review Overview
Sassy haircuts
8Sweet moments
7Sucker-punches of the emotional variety
8Jo Bromilow | On 09, Feb 2015
“I don’t understand why nobody tells you how bad it’s going to be in the real world!” exclaims Shoshanna in yet another nondescript Brooklyn bar early in this week’s episode. After her ‘test run’ golden job interview last week, it’s safe to say that the job market has not been kind to her following this little snub, and she is not taking kindly to being adrift in the post-graduation world. Unfortunately she’s not likely to get any sympathy from her peers. “Yeah they do,” replies Marnie. “It’s pretty much all they tell you.”
Because, as we all know, the real world sucks. If we have a hard enough time dealing with it, imagine the issues facing our hapless quartet. Jessa, so hopeless and helpless following her little run-in with the law last week, is so at a loss that she barely appears in this episode aside from to deliver her usual brutal quips to bring down a comparatively buoyant Marnie – compared to the moping wreck we’ve seen Marnie be post-the Charlie era, this new creatively fulfilled and more confident Marnie seems like a relatively closed case, for now.
So instead of the girls, more focus is given to Ray, in an episode that both touches on the increasing maturity (ok, baby steps) of some of our leads and explores some of the relationships that define the show. As Shoshanna finds the job market less than forthcoming, she instead reaches out to Ray, following his fling with Marnie – given the hook-up a few episodes previously, who knows what’s even going on with that? – to use her talent for bluntness (it must be a trait she got from Jessa) to get him to turn things around. Ray’s cynicism bordering on permanent pessimism crossed with Shoshanna’s blunt yet sunny outlook have mellowed over the years and now Ray’s romantic good fortunes and Shoshanna’s knockbacks mean that they’re probably better suited now than they were at the start. Could this be the start of a beautiful friendship…?
Meanwhile, Hannah is not making any friends (beautiful or otherwise) following her latest escapade in Iowa, with her misguided attempts to build bridges with her group leaving her more isolated than ever. The calming presence of her father and the reliable, if irreverent, support of Elijah give Hannah the security she needs to face up once again to the fear she’s been hiding that, in fact, Iowa might not be the right place for her. ‘How do you know if you’ve made the right decision?’ she asks her dad. For many of us, the true mark of adulthood is trusting your gut and going with your decisions. What outcome might Hannah’s decision have for her? We have a feeling that, whatever one it is, it ain’t gonna be pretty…
Girls Season 4 is on Sky Atlantic at 10pm. Not got Sky? You can stream it live – or catch up on-demand on NOW, as part of £7.99 monthly subscription, no contract. Seasons 1 to 3 are also available until the end of January 2015.
Photo: ©Girls SM, under licence from Home Box Office, Inc.