thoughts on Girls Season Four

1) I'm still wrapping my head around what I think about the Hannah-in-grad-school storyline.  Part of me was mad at her for squandering another great opportunity, like when she left that awesome magazine job, but as she told her therapist, she really just went because her friends seemed impressed and it made her mom happy, so I guess there was no shame in leaving.  I didn't get her only having one class a week (in my experience, a full course load in grad school is nine credit hours, but maybe creative writing workshops are more than three credits?) and not having an assistantship.  I think they missed some opportunities with the storyline; I think maybe they should have kept her in Iowa for a full season, had her struggle with her unhappiness and her decision to leave the program more, and then going home and finding Mimi-Rose in her apartment could have been the season-ending cliffhanger.  However...

2) I kind of liked the Hannah-as-a-substitute-teacher storyline more than the grad school storyline, so maybe it was a good thing that they got to it quickly.  Hannah was surprisingly enthusiastic and encouraging as a teacher, though OF COURSE she had no boundaries with her students and cut school to get piercings with Cleo.  Oh, Hannah.

3) How much do I love that Elijah was totally killing it in Iowa?

4) Mimi-Rose.  I thought she was kind of a ridiculous character, but I did like the episode where she got an abortion and didn't tell Adam, which led to a conversation about how she scares him because she doesn't NEED him.  I think they hit the nail on the head with what was wrong about Hannah and Adam's relationship: she needed him, and he liked being needed, but that didn't make them a great or even good couple.  I'm glad that (so far, at least) they aren't treating Hannah and Adam like some great romance, because I don't know that any relationship that starts out with a guy stringing a girl along like Adam did with Hannah in the beginning ever really goes anywhere good.  I'm surprised they ever even officially dated, honestly.

5) Oh, Ray.  I think he's my favorite character. LOVED him calling Desi out in the season finale.  I'm oddly rooting for him and Marnie, even though their relationship didn't start under great circumstances, either.

6) Shoshanna and Jessa didn't get a lot to do this season, but they set up the Season Five storylines of Shoshanna going to Japan and Jessa and Adam dating well.

7) The home birth.  I know that this is a thing that can be done successfully, but I did not believe for a minute that Laird and Caroline were competent enough to do one.  Basically the minute Hannah entered the apartment, I was like, "Call 911.  Call 911.  You're making me so nervous."

8) I like Fran.  Hannah taking him to Mimi-Rose's show on their first date made me cringe, though.

9) I can't believe that this was only ten episodes long and that I have no current way of seeing Season Five.  OMG.