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Review: ‘Girls’ Season 4, Episode 8, ‘Tad & Loreen & Avi & Shenaz’: Trouble on the Home Front

Review: 'Girls' Season 4, Episode 8, 'Tad & Loreen & Avi & Shenaz': Trouble on the Home Front

By Amber Dowling

Amber Dowling

Love Her or Hate Her

Hate. At this point in the season, it’s fair to say Hannah
has gone completely off the rails following her breakup with Adam, and just
when we think she’s starting to embrace routine and responsibility courtesy of
her substitute teacher position, she goes ahead and shows us that instead she’s
reverted back into something of a child, acting as the students’ peer rather
than their teacher. It couldn’t come at a more perfect time, actually, given
her father’s admission to Loreen at the beginning of the episode.

Another Cringe-Worthy
Moment

There was little-to-no doubt in our minds that Hannah was
going to back out of getting her frenulum pierced, despite talking Cleo (guest
star Maude Apatow) into it in the first place. But watching the girl get a needle
stuck through the lower part of her tongue (accompanying blood and all) was a
little much. At that point it became clear that Hannah would never make a good
teacher — not when she’s encouraging her “favorite” students to go
ahead and pierce themselves between periods.

How Many Shots to Forget
That Time…

Shoshanna plucked her bikini line with tweezers?

And that time she tried to talk dirty at a restaurant, the
way only Shosh could?

A Realization

We haven’t focused much on Hannah’s parents these past
seasons of “Girls;” usually they flit in and out of her life
depending on her current situation. This week we saw a whole new side to the
argumentative couple. Aside from learning that Tad is gay, we also learned the
couple has been in therapy, and there was at least one occasion of infidelity
in their past. It all worked to showcase that Hannah might have more in common
with her mother than she previously thought, since they’re both apt to live in
denial when it comes to the men that they spend their time with. And that they
both err on the side of drama. Every. Single. Time.

Mr. Parker Can’t Lose

Thank you Fran (guest star Jake Lacey), for at least
attempting to give Hannah that small does of reality that no one else will. But
you know, he’s such a misogynist, who wants to take away Hannah’s voice and
tame her like a wild horse.

Fashion Observation

Is anyone else really digging Hannah’s wardrobe choices now
that she’s a teacher? Or could this be a side effect of living with Elijah?
Where was Elijah this week?

A Growth Spurt

Shoshanna may finally be ready to ditch her torch for Ray,
following his confession to not being over Marnie. Her subsequent date with
Scott (guest star Jason Ritter) was one for the books though. After bantering
back and forth about their exes, Shosh finally seemed to realize what being
with an actual put together dude for once could be like. So naturally she
picked that moment to invoke Jessa’s terrible advice. Luckily for her, Scott
was entirely too nice about the incident. Enter half the cast of “The Good
Wife” to save the conversation.

This Week in Friendship

The most girl time we had this week was between Hannah and
Cleo, thanks to so much other story being packed in. After the past few episodes,
which featured plenty of heavy emotional Hannah time, it was a nice break.

Vote for Ray

Among other things we learned this week? Ray is terrible at
campaigning. Where was that spark we saw during the city council meeting?

A Proposal

Marnie is popularly unpopular, so we’re betting no one
actually cheered for the moment in which Dez weirdly coffee shop-proposed.
Whether the show actually goes through with a wedding or not remains to be
seen, but this was so clearly a random artist moment as opposed to a genuine
ask that we can’t see it happening. Or, maybe we can. Marnie is clearly all
about making deluded decisions when it comes to this guy. Plus oddly enough,
having her seem like the mature one in this relationship gives her likability
points. So, perhaps a wedding should be written after all.