Using a storytelling element the show itself has only used a handful of times, “Girls” took the girls out of the Manhattan for a bit of vacation because in Lena Dunham’s universe, the east coast is not one giant snowball. The girls end up in North Folk or as Marnie puts it “[the place] for people who think the Hamptons are tacky and don’t want to be on a beach that’s near a J. Crew.” Marnie is borrowing a beach house from a friend of her Mom’s in the hopes of rekindling the friendship of the four – but in the “Marnie” way with every detail and emotion planned out to a tee.
The weekend looks to be going as well it can be. The girls are laughing, smiling and on their way to healing (or so Marnie has it planned for dinner tonight). The trouble starts when Hannah, thinking she can go into town for groceries clad only in a bikini, gets mocked by some other vacationers who only happen to be Elijah and company (you remember Elijah, right? Hannah’s ex-boyfriend who had a one-night-stand with Marnie that ended up causing the rift between Hannah and Marnie last season who is also played by the amazing triple-threat what is Andrew Rannells? No? Well then let all of that sink in).
Hannah and Elijah make quick apologies after noting that they miss each other and Hannah begs him and his friends to come over and “save the day” because it turns out Marnie’s plans aren’t all well and fun. The boys come over and liven the party up with booze and more booze much to Marnie’s dismay. This was not the weekend bonding she imagined and she only tolerates their presence.
After Hannah invites them to stay for dinner against Marnie’s wishes (though Hannah is right, it would be rude otherwise) Marnie is forced to split a meal for four, into a meal for eight that more resembles an appetizer than an actual mean – noticeable fact that the others are quick to point out. The night progresses until they are all very, very drunk and dancing the choreography to one of Elijah’s friend’s first Broadway show – because did we mention they were are all “theatre people?” – and it is here where the girls finally lose their minds.
After Marnie wants to run through the dance one more time to get down perfect or as close as it can be, the girls come to blows calling each other out on every flaw that the viewers have been witness to since day one. And to cap the whole situation off, it is Shoshanna doing the worst of the name-calling, because it turns out she is an angry drunk. But she makes some valid points – the rest of the group has been ignoring her, Hannah and Marnie are narcissistic, and Jessa has been full of “wisdom” since she spent a blink of an eye in rehab. Everyone is offended to the point, where they all stomp off, but in a way, this fight was exactly what they needed. They all needed to get the baggage they have been holding onto since last season.
At the end of the episode, when they are all presumably waiting for the bus back to civilization, they end up doing the choreography to the dance that started the unraveling of feelings, signifying that, yeah, they still are friends. For better or worse, these girls are in each other’s lives and what may come up and tear them apart, will also bring them back together.
“Girls” airs at 8 p.m. on HBO.
