Girls Recap: Episode 5, ‘Gummies’
In which Hannah gets a taste of motherhood
Between Ray, Hannah, Marnie (and whatever is going on with her and Desi,) Adam and Jessa, there is a lot going on in Girls’ final season right now. And while an entire episode could easily be given over to Hannah and her pregnancy, that’s not really Girls’ style. After bludgeoning Ray with two deaths in the previous episode – the news about Hermie is spreading fast – he shares a touching moment with Shosh before the five-minute mark. That kind of attention paid to Ray’s mental well-being is appreciated, and seeing him with Shosh is always nice.
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Hannah, meanwhile, is dealing with the pros and cons of being a mother. Literally. Elijah is stoned on Adderall (best Elijah?) and it’s obvious that Hannah doesn’t currently have the emotional capacity to deal with either Ray or Hermie’s death. Her and Ray have never been particularly close, and her reaction to the news is a reminder of that.
Ray and Marnie are still sort of together, for some reason. Either he doesn’t know about Desi, or he is far too forgiving. Still, it’s evident that she is uncomfortable giving someone else this kind of attention. This ends up being the breaking point for Ray, which is fair. He calls her out on not even being able to hang around for 20 minutes while he shares some of Hermie’s stuff with her. Ray wants an actual relationship, and Marnie wants to do her own thing. When he rhetorically asks “why should I be smarter than this?” we know it’s over.
Adam and Jessa working on a project about Hannah is easily one of the grossest, most bizarre things that have ever happened on Girls. It’s difficult to really find another way to describe it. It’s not surprising that the two end up clashing over it, as Hannah has been so close to both of them. She does had a good point when she states that it’s her and him that are the intense ones, not him and Hannah. Laird is back, by the way.
“Adam and Jessa working on a project about Hannah is easily one of the grossest, most bizarre things that have ever happened on Girls. “
The real star of ‘Gummies,’ however, is Hannah’s mother, who comes to visit. The gummy worms, it turns out, are hers. Bet you didn’t see that one coming. Instead of sticking to the one or two of those suckers like she’s supposed to, she works her way through at least half the bag. She’s supportive, though she wants Hannah to really think it over. It’s sad, though, that she doesn’t want to put in the hypothetical effort of being a good grandma to this baby. She’s still scarred from what happened with Hannah’s father. Also, she’s obviously high.
Image Credit: HBO
“Is that how a friendship is ruined?”
A quick note: Elijah laying in his bed, tears in his eyes while he listens to an a capella version of “Semi Charmed Life” is too perfect for words. He doesn’t really care that Hannah’s mom is out on her own, stoned out of her mind but he’s willing to help. A lot of ‘Gummies’ is about characters not willing to expend energy for others. While running all around looking for her, Hannah and Elijah get ice cream, confuse an “ash tray person” for her, and finally find her at a Chinese joint.
Hannah gets a small taste of what it’s like to be a mother, and it hasn’t been easy, but it’s also been kind of fun. Except for the breakdown fight with her and Elijah that ingeniously takes place in the kitchen of a Chinese restaurant. Elijah hasn’t been in a good place lately, and he’s pissed that Hannah is changing the script on him. Hannah, apparently, thought that Elijah would help her along the way. And then he chooses to say the worst thing he possibly could: he calls her a terrible mother. Is that how a friendship is ruined? After all that, she still has to coax her mother out of the restaurant, which ends in vomit, much like taking care of an actual child.
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‘Gummies’ finds Girls back on track after a slightly bumpy previous episode. The emotional notes that it hits are raw and true. Hannah having a heart-to-heart with the woman player her in Adam’s movie is completely Girls, and wonderful. This is still Girls at its best.