Girls Review: Hostage Situation (Season 6 Episode 2)

Well, that was weird.

Girls Season 6 Episode 2, “Hostage Situation,” is one of the strangest episodes of Girls to date. It mixes some super serious stuff in a bizarre way, making it seem more like Friday the 13th rather than a show about entitled Brooklynites.

This is not necessarily a bad thing.

The main plot focuses on Hannah being the Third Wheel and Marnie’s cover story as the trio heads to Poughkeepsie for the weekend. Before Desi and Marnie show up in a retro car, Hannah and Elijah have a hilarious conversation about Hannah’s inability to keep secrets.

Elijah has some very funny lines, and their exchange is definitely a highlight of the episode.

The first strange turn on “Hostage Situation” is when Hannah visits an antique shop in Poughkeepsie, and meets the beautiful owner played by Joy Bryant. Hannah is perplexed as to why a modelesque woman runs a curio shop in Poughkeepsie.

What’s more curious is why this scene is in the episode. Joy Bryant is lovely and her story is intriguing, but what does it have to do with the plot? Or Hannah’s life in general?

Hannah is given a tea set by the woman because she thinks Hannah needs it, only for it to be shattered by Desi only a few scenes later.

What is the point?

The oddest scenes are in the rented house in Poughkeepsie, where things start off well. That is, until Marnie finds a mason jar of pills in Desi’s briefcase.

Surprise! Desi is an Oxycontin addict and has been for a year. He was even high at his wedding.

This devastates Marnie, but also makes her furious. The next scenes are straight-up frightening and crazy, but darkly comedic and something out of a horror movie. Music and all.

Is Girls trying to pull off a parody of a Lifetime movie? The intention is not clear, but the scenes are unexpected, which entertains and confuses.

There is a nice bit with Marnie and Hannah at the end of the episode, where we remember that they really are good friends. Hannah seems a lot more grown-up and wise, but who knows how long that will last.

The B plot is more straightforward and revolves around a networking event Shoshanna goes to with Elijah as her “executive assistant” and Jessa, who she doesn’t want to be there at all.

The all-women networking club, (WEMUN- Women Entrpreneurs Meet Up Now) was created by two of Shoshanna’s high school classmates. The whole WEMUN spiel is eye-roll inducing, but it’s kind of sweet and sad to see how pumped up Shosh is about it.

Shosh could have been partnered with the two girls, Rachel and Zeva, but Shoshanna had piked out on a spring break trip to Aruba where the two girls created Jamba Jeans. Shoshanna opted to hang out with Jessa instead, because she seemed so much more sophisticated.

Bad decision, Shosh. Then again. Rachel and Zeva don’t seem like the best people, either.

Elijah is a gem in the scene with Shoshanna and Jessa outside the event. Like at the end of  “All I Ever Wanted,” Shoshanna realizes how different her life could have been if she hadn’t followed Jessa around.

Zosia Mamet nails it in making us see how off course Shosh is in her life.

The tone in “Hostage Situation” is a little off and the scene in the antique shop sticks out like a sore thumb. Overall, though, the episode is entertaining and proves again that the girls are finally growing up.

Maybe.

Last Thoughts:

• It’s always disappointing when Adam Driver is not in an episode.
• Marnie is probably the most tolerable she’s ever been in “Hostage Situation.”
• Was anyone else distracted by Shosh’s GIGANTIC earrings?
• “For all of those asking on Facebook if the group is open to trans women, we don’t know, okay?”

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

Reviewer Rating:

User Rating:

 

Girls airs Sundays at 10/9c on HBO.

Follow us on Twitter @telltaleTV_

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!