SPOILER ALERT, so proceed with caution, Girls fanatics…
Season Three, Episode Ten: “Role-Play”
Written by Lena Dunham & Judd Apatow; Directed by Jesse Peretz
This episode’s arrival on the spiked heels of star Lena Dunham’s SNL appearance is perfectly timed. Hannah and Adam’s attempt at role-playing goes tragically and comedically wrong, eventually leading to an unwanted admission from Adam. Elsewhere, both Jessa and Marnie are confronted with their own individually painful realities.
Quick Breakdown
The episode opens with an embarrassing night of co-worker-witnessed drunken idiocy from Hannah, including but not limited to copious amounts of vomiting. When finally arriving back home the following morning, she is understandably bothered by the fact that Adam seemed downright dismissive of her whereabouts and didn’t even seem concerned that she was out all night without him. Instead of expressing concern or even anger at Hannah’s fumble of a night, Adam inquires about whether or not he should wear the collar on his new coat up or down.
Later, while talking to Elijah, Hannah decides to make a dedicated attempt at “spicing things up” by planning an evening of role-playing for Adam. At first, Adam seems uncharacteristically reluctant to participate (his initial response: “…the fuck?”), but quickly warms up to the premise (i.e. Hannah as a bored housewife named “Kim”). Even after a stranger punches Adam in the middle of Hannah’s narratively challenged role-playing, he presses on. However, upon arriving at “Kim’s house (Marnie’s apartment, for whatever reason),” roles both fictional and actual start to erode. Adam abruptly mentions that he is considering moving in with Ray to focus on his Broadway rehearsals. Understandably, this crushes and confuses Hannah — and points to some seriously rough patches ahead for the couple. This episode marks what very well might be Lena Dunham’s finest performance thus far.
Meanwhile, Shoshanna arranges a “surprise” meet-up between Jasper and his heartbroken daughter (Felicity Jones). Finally, we see a look of remorse and awareness taking subtle shape on Jessa’s face. She proclaims outright that she’s a “junkie,” which is a proclamation that will hopefully spur a more focused, serious attempt at rehab.
And, oh, poor Marnie. Poor, poor Marnie. She deserves credit for at least actively trying to figure herself out. However, her process involves a seemingly endless series of truly unlikeable characters. Marnie is simultaneously the most “lost” and most likely to be “found” among Girls’ main players, yet her oscillation between discovery and abandonment is realistically frustrating.
Rating
A+
The subtly infused sadness of “Role-Play” works well for Dunham, who gives perhaps the most focused and rewarding performance of her career thus far. This episode seemed to engage with the audience-lead conversation surrounding the “change” of these characters by refuting the proof outright. Maturity is rarely a one-step process, and Girls displays this truth with vibrancy.
Now for some random thoughts and my favorite moments of the night…
“From now on, the rule is you can’t just have ‘part’. You have to take the whole thing or nothing.” – Adam to Hannah
“I’m not here to fucking fill your life up with stories for your fucking Twitter.” – Adam to Hannah
“He’s treating me like an ottoman with a vagina.” – Hannah to Elijah
“I can’t be a woman and a girlfriend and a gallerist and an electronic musician all at once. It’s just too many things.” – Soo Jin to Marnie
“She’s dating an Egyptian, so she’s like super knowledgable about what’s going on there.” – Shoshanna on Dotty (Jasper’s Daughter)
