This season of HBO’s Girls has been quite the roller coaster ride, from Iowa (remember that?!) to Mimi-Rose Howard (wish we could forget that) to Tad coming out of the closet (something Hannah wishes she could forget, especially with her father’s new role as “daddy”).
After last week’s big revelation over the phone, Hannah finally gets a chance to sit down and talk with her father over pierogies. Tad wants to know how she’s dealing with this whole thing.
“At the end of the day, this isn’t really about me,” says Hannah, which is probably something this character is not used to since it’s ALWAYS about her (or Marnie).
When Hannah brings up the subject of divorce, Tad says he and Loreen haven’t really thought about that yet. Hannah is curious as to why her father would finally be brave enough to come out of the closet only to remain in a relationship he’s not comfortable with. Tad cites a documentary he recently saw about a gay man who stayed married. Once Hannah realizes he’s referring to The Staircase, in which the man murders his wife, she realizes her father may need someone to talk to. Yet, while she dishes out this “grown-up” advice to her father, Tad wants her to prove that she is indeed adult by showing him her wallet (if she didn’t bring her wallet, that would mean she expected Dad to pay for lunch). When Hannah can’t produce her wallet, Tad knows that his little girl hasn’t yet grown up.
Texts/Letters to Cleo
If only Tad were able to see Hannah in a conversation with one of her students. Then he’d REALLY know how far from adulthood she actually is.
When Cleo (Maude Apatow) is on her way to class, Hannah corners her, asking her why she didn’t respond to any of her texts from over the weekend. She really needed to talk to her about her dad coming out. In typical young Millennial form, Cleo is nonchalant about Hannah’s news. Get over it. She has a friend who has four dads. Unfortunately, Cleo doesn’t quite grasp the shock of the news to Hannah. When they’re bitching each other out in the hallway, Fran (Jake Lacy) walks by in one of the most unintentionally hilarious moments of the night. He calmly looks at them and eeks his way out of the scene, like Snoopy sliding off the piano. Clearly, Fran knows what he’s NOT missing (D-R-A-M-A).
“What the F would you know about reality, Cleo?” says Hannah.
And then her principal serves her a BIG dose of reality when he calls her into his office and explains to her that teaching in school requires boundaries, something she doesn’t have. Hannah tries to explain that her father has just recently come out of the closet.
“That’s something I don’t want to know anything about,” he says. He encourages her to take the rest of the day off to deal with her issues.
“I like your jeans,” she says.
“Boundaries,” he responds.
“I Told You So”
While I had no idea that Tad was gay, apparently Elijah (and Awards Daily contributor Joey Moser) knew.
Elijah tells Hannah over day drinks that he called this a while ago. Hannah cannot recollect such a conversation, especially since Elijah thinks EVERYONE’s gay. Even Obama (“He reads bi”).
As someone who’s been through this experience, Elijah explains to Hannah what’s going on with her father.
“He’s coming out in chunks,” he says. After all, HE was once bi, himself.
Hannah wonders what next. Will her father be in his first relationship? Elijah breaks the news to Hannah that her father probably has some experience with other men and may have even gotten ass pounded by his insurance adjuster last year, even if the gays in Michigan are probably terrible (lots of cargo pants).
When Hannah calls her mother, Loreen is still reeling from the news, especially with the idea of her husband becoming a “daddy,” a term one of her students used to describe what Tad will become. Hannah tells her mother that she’s uncomfortable.
“Think about anal,” says Loreen. “Now THAT’s uncomfortable.”
Later, when Hannah’s back at her apartment, she gets equally uncomfortable when Elijah and her “daddy” come strolling in, with new clothes and attitude. While she admits she’s a famous liberal (meta slip, Lena?), she’s still troubled by this situation and how to react. Tad wants her to be able to express her feelings.
“Have you been with a man?” she says.
“No,” says Tad.
“Tad,” Elijah admonishes.
Tad admits that he does have some experience. In college, of course, where he and a classmate engaged in some dry-humping.
What a Fa-Scary Surprise
Amidst all of Hannah’s drama, the good news is that Jessa finally nabbed Ace! The opening of the show included a sex scene between the two, with Ace (Zachary Quinto) climaxing to the realization that her apartment looks like something out of a Tiffany music video (hawt).
After, when they’re on their way to dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant, Ace “realizes” that he and Jessa just happen to be in MRH’s neighborhood. Why don’t they pop in!
“Is it a good time?” says Jessa to Adam at the entrance of the apartment. “Are you about to make love or take a shit?”
Mimi-Rose eyes them with concern. “What a surprise,” she says.
“Fun or scary [surprise]?” says Ace.
“Fa-scary.”
Mimi-Rose asks them to stay for dinner. Adam’s about to fry up some sausages.
During dinner, MRH is visibly jealous. And then audibly jealous when she comes out and says to Jessa and Ace: “I’m jealous.” And she’s never been jealous before, something she wants to discuss with Adam, who is not having it. Then, MRH just comes out and says that she wants Ace back. Realizing that she’s just a pawn in this little scheme (although she thought they were HER pawns), Jessa goes to leave, imploring Adam to go with her.
“You’re a sucker,” she says. “Just like me.”
Ace asks MRH if she’s serious about wanting him back, and then just as quickly as she changed her mind about Adam, she changes her mind about the whole situation. She chooses no one.
Take Back the Borough
Ray’s nervous. He really wants to win the city council chairperson position, but is unsure of himself. Luckily, his ex is there at the campaign HQ to cheer him on (and up). Shosh tells him that he’s Ray Ploshansky. And he gets what he wants. Except for her. And Marnie. And well, any other women he wants.
After this pep talk, he starts making the rounds, talking to old people like Kippy. Then, of all the gin joints in Williamburg, SHE walks in. Marnie—and Desi.
Before Marnie approaches Ray, she tells Desi that she wants to keep their engagement a secret for a little while longer. In Marnie’s language, “a little while longer” means “two seconds,” because she almost immediately makes a beeline for Ray and tells him her good news (but not before doing a “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” Marilyn Monroe impression). Ray is very good at pretending and faking his way through this situation, so it’s clear he will make a good politician. When Desi approaches with drinks, he congratulates him for making an honest woman out of this trollop, to which Desi gets defensive (take a joke, dude).
At the end of the night, Ted Duffield (Marc Maron) concedes, which ensures Ray’s victory! The whiny whackjobs are his problem now. During Ray’s victory speech, he starts by quoting Ralph Nader, but then moves on to speaking in vague political speak that translates to Marnie.
“We’re at our best when we’re together,” he says, making eye contact with the newly-engaged singer-songwriter. “I’ll be here [for you].”
“Whatever, dickhead,” yells a drunken Ted Duffield.
Unfortunately, Hannah misses Ray’s humble but stirring speech, showing up late to the gathering. Shosh offers her cake, but she doesn’t even want that right now.
Outside of this party, Jessa and Adam approach. Adam wants to know why Jessa never warned him about MRH and why she liked Ace in the first place. Jessa says she liked Ace because she doesn’t think with him (which is maybe why MRH likes him, too).
Knowing that Hannah is probably inside the party, Adam opts out of going inside, even though he really wants to see her right now.
But if Adam would have come in at this time, not only would he have seen Hannah, but he would have also seen Marnie’s big performance (no, not one of her jazz-brunches, thankfully)! What better place to take a bit of someone’s thunder than to announce an engagement at your ex’s victory party!
Hannah and Ray look on at Marnie, with bland expressions.
“I’m faking it,” says Ray of his enthusiasm for Marnie’s news.
“I’m faking everything,” says Hannah.
What did you think of “Daddy Issues”? Do you think Adam will get back together with Hannah now? Would Hannah even take him back? And have we seen the last of Mimi-Rose Howard?
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