“It’s Back”, the eighth episode of Girls Season Two, is mostly a filler episode. Its main purpose is to serve as a set up for the final two episodes of the season. The title of the episode refers to the reemergence of Hannah’s obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The stress of writing her first eBook, compiled with her emotional distance from her best friend, Marnie, causes Hannah to complete everyday tasks eight times each. Whether it’s opening and closing her door eight times, eating exactly eight potato chips, or just counting to eight, she exhibits odd behavior that she claims she hasn’t had since high school.
Lucky for her, her parents happen to be visiting New York when her latest psychological issues reappear. After much prodding, they convince her to see a psychotherapist, and in typical Hannah dialogue, she convinces the shrink that this is not your average case of OCD. Her case is special and she really is screwed up. It’s not surprising that someone like Hannah, who often exhibits a no-holds barred attitude about life and experiences, would suffer from some kind of slight mental disturbance. The way in which the writers deal with it is comical as usual, and brings an almost light-heartedness to it, which helps not to throw a dark and stormy cloud over the entire episode.
The B story involves Adam asking a new girl out on a blind date and meeting her for dinner. Much to his surprise, the woman is extremely beautiful and charming. He even smiles for the first time all season, and the audience is left to ponder if he is now truly over Hannah. My best guess is he most likely is not, and it will take dating this new gorgeous girl to make him realize how much he loved Hannah.
There is one surprise thrown into this episode and that is that Marnie (Allison Williams) can actually sing. I’m not sure if the character is going to pursue a new career or if it was just a way for Dunham to let the world see that Williams can not only act, but also has pretty decent pipes. Either way, it was a pleasant and unexpected treat specially gift-wrapped by Dunham.
With only two episodes left of Season Two, I am slightly disappointed that this season is coming to a close. However, I am eagerly anticipating that the next two episodes will be the best of the bunch, because it’s at this pivotal juncture that Dunham and her writing staff need to deliver.
FILM AND TV MANIA 