Girls Review: All I Ever Wanted (Season 6 Episode 1)

Girls Season 6 Episode 1, “All I Ever Wanted,” is a step in the right direction for this final season of the show.

Girls can be sometimes painful to watch, and the reasons for this vary between annoying, self-obsessed characters to eye-rolling situations that don’t happen outside of Brooklyn.

“All I Ever Wanted” certainly has some cringe-worthy moments, but it also has a bit of character growth (and regression) as well as some very funny scenes. Riz Ahmed guest stars and raps, which makes the whole episode must-see for those reasons alone.

The cold open is a happy one, showing us that Hannah has finally been published, and more impressively, she’s been published in the New York Times’ Modern Love section. Her piece is an expansion of her monologue at the end of Season 5 about Jessa and Adam’s relationship.

She may feel like a dumpling more than a woman, but at least Hannah’s heartache is getting her recognized.

She, in turn, gets a meeting and a writing gig with an editor played perfectly by Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Chelsea Peretti. Perhaps we’ll see her again. It would be a shame not to.

Hannah’s writing assignment takes her to Montauk, where she attends surf camp with a bunch of women who basically act like surfing is the new yoga. Hannah is completely out of her element, which allows for some ridiculous but funny bits.

Lena Dunham is masterful at physical comedy whether she is awkwardly dancing with abandon or rubbing herself all over with sunscreen. Hurting her “front arm” elicits some giggles too.

And of course, Hannah is naked…alot.

Riz Ahmed plays the cool, laid-back surf instructor, Paul-Louis. He is usually in darker, more dramatic fare so, it is fun to see him in a breezy, more charming part. His character is stereotypical, but it’s also nice to see Hannah with someone who doesn’t take themselves too seriously.

Hannah allows herself to have fun and to do things she never thought she’d enjoy as Paul-Louis shows her why he loves the beach. He also tells her that it’s easier to love rather than hate. Hannah admits that she doesn’t know what any of her friends actually like. She just knows what they hate.

It’s actually a big moment in “All I Ever Wanted” because that philosophy can invoke change in Hannah, but can Hannah really change? The end scene is particularly powerful as we see Hannah look peaceful and happy, but then her expression completely changes.

It’s devastating.

We check in briefly with Hannah’s “toxic” friends and see that Marnie and Desi are continuing with their divorce, Ray and Shosh belong together, Elijah’s having an orgy to network, and Jessa and Adam moved all of Ray’s stuff to make room for “sex stuff.”

Adam and Jessa’s naked yogurt eating is by far the funniest scene in the premiere mostly because of Ray’s expressions. Adam and Jessa aren’t in the episode much, but it’s interesting to see that Adam read Hannah’s piece, biting his nails the whole time, but Jessa couldn’t do it.

Will Jessa and Hannah ever become friends again?

Marnie is irritating as always as she falls back into bed with Desi and annoyingly calls Ray baby like a million times. To be fair, Ray is just as infuriating when he’s with Marnie.

Ugh.

It’s evident that Shoshanna and Ray are better matched than Ray and Marnie. Marnie just loves being adored and having the upper-hand in the relationship. She knows that Ray thinks that she is out of his league and therefore, he should be grateful to have her, right?

Shosh and Ray may not end up together, which is fine, as long as we get more scenes with them. They’re hilarious and it’s a joy to see them irritate Marnie.

Overall, “All I Ever Wanted” is a good start to the final season of Girls. Despite the title, it seems like none of the girls really have what they want. Do they know what they want and if they do, will they get it? Even if that means changing and growing up?

Last Thoughts:

• I hope Tal Bachman’s “She’s So High” makes a comeback after this episode. It’s one of my favorite one-hit wonders.
• Since when did Shosh become so snarky?
• I love that Hannah didn’t know to put anything on under the wetsuit.
• Did anyone else forget that Desi and Marnie were in a “band?”
• I hope that all four characters spend some time together this season.

What did you think of this episode of Girls? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Girls airs Sundays at 10/9c on HBO.

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