Mon
Apr 16 2012 4:53pm

Only Time Will Tell: Thoughts on Girls Episode 1

The cast of Girls Last night was the premiere of HBO’s Girls, a show you may have seen me mention the other day.

Twitter’s all abuzz with reactions, both good and bad, from critics and viewers, but I don’t know that I’m ready to jump into that fray (yet?). For now I’m just looking forward to sitting back and taking in a few more episodes before I try to analyze my feelings on it any more.

I will say now, though, that while I recognized some things in these characters and probably will yet more (for better or worse), to my mind it’d be a mistake to think that we’ve got a whole generation covered here. That huge, unquestioned, ridiculous sense of entitlement they all seemed to possess, for instance? We do not all have that. Hannah & Co. are a *few* voices of *a* generation, and that’s OK.

Did you watch? What did you think? Will you tune in next week?

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Girl Power | Television

1. TaraGel

Monday April 16, 2012 04:09pm EDT

I was quite underwhelmed, but considering I'd seen critical mass reach a complete fever pitch about this show...not too surprising I guess.

It's kind of an ugly, bleak show, right? I mean I guess people are heralding it for its versimilitude and painfully accurate awkwardness but...I certainly didn't relate to it.

Clearly it wants to proclaim itself the anti-Sex and the City but... there are reasons so many people liked Sex and the City. This was a little joyless all around it seemed to me. (Though A-plus casting on Becky Ann Baker and Peter Scolari. Probably a bad sign that I'd rather watch a show about them though.)

2. ChelseaMueller

view all by ChelseaMueller | Monday April 16, 2012 04:12pm EDT

I'm with Tara on this one. It wasn't bad, but I didn't see why it was made such a big deal. I'm not ready to call it quits, but I'm also not sure if the simple act of being devoid of joy elevates it in some way -- which I feel like is the direction much of the praise so far is coming from.

3. redline_

view all by redline_ | Monday April 16, 2012 05:13pm EDT

@TaraGel -- I think it does get a lot right (yep, like the painfully accurate awkwardness) but yeah, that also makes it a little hard to watch and is that what we want in our escapism?

@ChelseaMueller -- I'm also not sure if the simple act of being devoid of joy elevates it in some way...

It does make it feel a bit pretentious, doesn't it? I agree. Kinda like some of the Literature out there. I feel like I could enjoy this show a lot if it brings a little more balance to the table in future episodes. With regard to the men, for instance--I mean, can we acknowledge that not all of them deserve to be portrayed in such a negative light, Show?

4. sk1336

view all by sk1336 | Tuesday April 17, 2012 11:46am EDT

I really thought it was very dark and sad. As the mother of an adult daughter in the big city, I would hate to use this show as an example of how I thought she was living there. Luckily, I have been there and know better so I will keep trying, but I hope it gets at least somewhat lighter....

5. LaurieGold

view all by LaurieGold | Tuesday April 17, 2012 03:28pm EDT

I tried to watch it, but gave up about half-way in, and removed the "record all season" from my TiVo. Maybe it's a generational thing, and you need to be 25 to "get" the sensibility of the writing? Regardless, I didn't.

6. Theo

Wednesday April 18, 2012 01:45pm EDT

I agree with all the comments above me. It was nothing to rave about but it wasn't half-bad. Most pilots usually fall into that gray area. Hopefully this show gets better but if it doesn't not a major loss. Great review btw!