…and I didn’t care for it.
It got all those Emmy nominations, and has been getting so much buzz that I decided to check it out.
Here was my take: A group of self-absorbed, unlikeable, languid, emotionally stunted 20-somethings complain about their lives and about each other.
Wasn’t my cup of tea, which is fine, but still I wonder. Pilots aren’t always indicative of how a series will go. Does anyone here recommend that I stick it out? Will it surprise me if I do? Or is it just more of the same?
As someone who isn’t a particular fan, had basically the same take as you did, and yet for some reason watched the entire season anyway, I’d say that what you get in the first episode is pretty much what you can expect from the rest of them.
I find Lena Dunham’s character, Hannah, extremely unlikable and I wish her only ill.
But I really liked Zosia Mamet’s character, Shoshannah. A really great comic performance. I watched the show just for the moments with her.
I too was unimpressed. I was beginning to think I was a complete yahoo, out of the cultural loop. but then I remembered I like Louis C. K.
Similarly my wife had been watching the series recently and I thought it was complete dreck. The unlikeability of any of the characters was one thing, but the people they were wooing or luring were even more despicable. Actually unlikeable isn’t the right word, stupid is. I don’t know who this is aimed at, but certainly not me.
I do agree that Shoshannah is the most interesting but I think that is only due to the rest of the cast.
If you didn’t like the Pilot you probably aren’t missing anything with the rest of it. Here is the thing about Girls, it’s a reflection on what it was like to be a *horrible *20 something post college. Note the emphasis. Dunham’s character is the protagonist, but she is also intentionally unlikable. If you make it to the end of the season this becomes really obvious (I feel like Dunham felt she had to beat that idea to death in the finale because people weren’t getting it.) But it is a coming of age story, of a sort, and people do grow and change, not always for the better. It’s also a comedy! If you can identify (or identify with) any of the main characters then it is very funny and very honest. If you can’t then it’s just horrible people being horrible and it’s sort of uncomfortable to watch. I will say that the character arch for the character of Adam is pretty brilliant if you are into watching TV from a structural “how was this made” standpoint.
I totally agree that Mamet is brilliant in it. Most of the acting is pretty good, but she is fantastic. It was particularly interesting to see her in Girls after having just seen her an hour or so earlier onMad Men. Sort of made me do a double take.
I don’t agree. I think the pilot was one of the weaker episodes. As I recall the second and third are an improvement. After those three if you still don’t like it, you should bail (it is an admittedly divisive show but I liked it).
The third episode was my favorite of the whole season. I agree that if none of these work for you, then it’s probably not a show for you.
I think that’s the reason I liked it. I can remember that phase of my life SO WELL-- post-college, making 29k/yr in NYC, obsessing over every little emotional issue. And, in retrospect, most of the guys I was chasing were total losers, too. I think, if you lived through a period like that, you’ll think it’s hilarious, and if you never did, you’re probably not going to enjoy watching it.
Vinyl Turnip, are you me? This is precisely my take on it.
…oh, and I like Shoshanna, too. Took me a while to wrap my head around the fact that it’s the same actress from Mad Men, playing Peggy’s Time reporter lesbian friend. Damn, she’s good!
Based on this, I suppose I can give it another couple of half-hour chunks of my time. At least then if it’s still not working for me I’ll know I’m not missing out on something I might potentially enjoy.