Article first published as INSECURE Review on Seat42F.
HBO
has done an excellent job with half-hour series about a specific group
of people, told from a particular perspective that seems to encapsulate a
relatable demographic that everyone knows someone from. From Sex and
the City and the empowered single woman, to Girls, which deals with the
entitled generation, to Entourage, concerned with the excess of
Hollywood and power shifts in friendships, to Looking, which showcased
gays in San Francisco, each of these shows have been great and
completely different, even though they all fit into this broad genre.
Now, the network continues that
tradition with INSECURE. It stars producer and actress Issa Rae (Awkward
Black Girl) as Issa, a woman unhappy in her long-term relationship and
feeling like she hasn’t accomplished the things she wants to in life.
Along with her employment-challenged boyfriend, Lawrence (Jay Ellis, The
Game), her hot, unlucky-in-love, lawyer best friend, Molly (Yvonne
Orji, Sex (Therapy) with the Jones), and her well-meaning, but
racially-tone-deaf co-worker, Frieda (Lisa Joyce, Billy & Billie),
Issa wonders if this is as good as life gets, or if there’s anything
left to do to better it.
What sparks this bout of self-doubt and
evaluation, you may ask? Well, as INSECURE begins, Issa is turning
twenty-nine and looking towards her 30s. As many a young person in their
twenties believes, Issa thinks that wherever she is when that
monumental milestone hits, that’s likely to set the tone for the rest of
her life. So she understandably thinks that this year might be the one
in which to make a change. Call it a quarter-life crisis if you will,
though I’d say it’s probably closer to a third-life crisis, but it’s
about that struggle of switching over from childhood to the adult world,
realizing you cannot go back and you’ve already wasted a lot of time.
As a thirty-three year old myself, I
find this incredibly naïve, but also, something I went through just a
few shorts years ago, and I’m sure I’m far from the only one who will
see themselves in Issa. What will be interesting to see is if the show’s
protagonist undergoes the same shift that many others do, coming to
realize that thirty isn’t that old, and there are still plenty of
chances to chase your dreams. Or will she give up? This is likely a
several year thought process, perfect for a TV series likely to run a
few seasons.
I greatly applaud Issa Rae for making
this series, as well as starring it. She is telling a tale that will
echo among many viewers, and doing it in a creative, entertaining way.
While INSECURE shares plenty of DNA with the other series mentioned in
the first paragraph, it’s a lot more than just a retread, bringing a new
angle to the experience of life at another formative age. The show is
funny and the characters are likeable, but there’s also plenty of depth
and complexity in their motivations and inner monologue, which is
wonderfully shown in facial expressions and tone.
The whole cast in the series is great. I
admit, I find Joyce’s Frieda super annoying and don’t necessarily want
to see more from her, but I am certain that’s by design, and all it will
take is one good episode to help us understand Frieda and turn that
distaste to sympathy. Similarly, given that the show is unfolding from
Issa’s point of view, it’s easy to dismiss Molly as less serious, or
Lawrence as an uncaring bum. Yet, it’s also apparent from the actors’
performances that there is more going on than we’ve seen, and I expect
to care about both of them by the end of season one.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.