Review: ‘Girls’ Season 4, Episode 10, ‘Home Birth: Pushing Through
Amber Dowling
PREVIOUSLY: Review: ‘Girls’ Season 4, Episode 9, ‘Daddy Issues’: Pushing the Boundaries
Love Her or Hate Her
Let’s go with love. It took an entire season of growth, but
in the finale Hannah seemed like less of the self-destructive wreck we’ve seen
all season and was back in rare form (save the mild “panic attack” in
the opening scene). With Laird and Caroline taking up most of the episode’s
crazier scenes, it allowed Hannah to serve as a voice of reason during the
birth of Jessa Hannah Bluebell Poem Schlessinger Sackler. Witnessing the event
and being forced into a situation with an apologetic Adam also gave her a
renewed perspective, leading her to finally make a good decision for herself in
the end.
Another Cringe-Worthy
Moment
Naysayers of home births may have had a moment during the
scenes involving Caroline and Laird, but the fact that they decided to “self-doula”
was appropriately awful for everyone. It’s not often in this series that we
have a reason to celebrate Jessa, but in those moments she was the lone voice
of reason — or at least one who took action as opposed to just yelling (and
fainting) about it.
How Many Shots to Forget
That Time…
We saw ALL of Gaby Hoffmann as Caroline in that tub?
Keeping the Music Alive
After weeks of build-up, Ray finally unleashed all of his
feelings on Desi, which resulted in the musician taking off on Marnie on the
day of their big showcase. Rather than admit he was essentially the reason why
Desi split, Ray celebrated Desi’s absence by picking Marnie up and boosting her
ego. The fact that she went ahead with the showcase solo and didn’t give up was
huge for her; it was the first time all season she wasn’t leaning on someone
else to make her goals happen and it made her more appealing as a character.
Two Hearts…
Meanwhile, Desi’s attempts at making peace with Ray were
heartfelt and sad; at least if that truly was the character’s exit, he went out
on a high note. Rather than having him continue his self-centered monologues
and selfish behavior, the audience watched him depart with a nice note of
sympathy. Of course that’s assuming that was the last we see of him.
A Growth Spurt
While Hannah won points for saying no to Adam after years of
back-and-forth, Shoshanna did the most growing yet when she realized she wanted
to be the leash and not the dog. Rather than sticking around with Scott (Jason
Ritter) and waiting to potentially fall in love while working for him, she
opted to take her chances in Tokyo and become a Japanese “booty call”
instead. And she did it all without having to ask Ray for advice, which means
she could finally truly be over him when we resume in Season 5. Now the real
question remains, will the character pick up six months later successful in
Tokyo? Or will she bring her “geisha” self back to live with a newly
therapeutic Jessa?
This Week in Friendship
There were no group outings in this finale. In keeping with
the tone of Season 4, the finale didn’t contain any scenes with all four girls,
opting instead to follow each of them on their own path as they continued to
figure things out on their own. Rather than call Marnie or Jessa for advice
following the birth of Jessa-Hannah, Hannah dialed up Loreen yet again, proving
that ever since Iowa, her girlfriends are no longer her most trusted
confidants. Unfortunately, Loreen wasn’t in a place to give any decent advice
of her own, given that she was still reeling over Tad’s newfound
sexuality.
Most Telling Quote Goes
To…
“I can’t guarantee perfection but I can guarantee
intrigue,” Hannah, summing up Season 4.
Runner Up
“I don’t think I really knew her.” – Adam, echoing
sentiments Hannah has felt about her ex for weeks.
A Crystal Ball
If the last scene in the finale took place six months in the
future, that opens several doors for new stories when the girls return for an
already-ordered fifth season. Shosh could have gone to Japan and returned
already, Jessa could have gotten some sort of mail-order license, Hannah might
be a real teacher, and Marnie will have had time to establish her solo career.
Now that, as Loreen put it, is finally “forging something new.”
Grade: B+
“Girls”
returns for Season 5 next year.
READ MORE: Why Lena Dunham Now Avoids Twitter, But Not Politics: ‘Girls’ at PaleyFest
