Zosia Mamet just dropped the exciting Girls news fans have been waiting for. Okay, so it's not actual news, but for the first time, there has been a legitimate acknowledgement of bringing the hit HBO comedy series back in some form for a new edition. Mamet has been "working on" creator and star Lena Dunham to write a spinoff series about Shoshanna. Ahhh!
In a recent interview on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast with Amanda Hirsch, the host asked Mamet about the resurgence of both the show and her fan-favorite character. Over the last few years, Girls has seemingly been widely rewatched by both the millennials who watched as young adults and the new generation of 20-somethings coming of age in the 2020s.
"I'm trying to get Lena to write a Shosh spinoff," Mamet told Hirsch, who was genuinely surprised and elated by the revelation. So were all of us Girls fans who weren't expecting this tease! "I've been, like, slowly working on her. We'll see. She seems receptive." I think I speak for all fans of the show when I beg Lena to start a draft of the Shoshanna spinoff. Shosh is the voice of reason and bright light we need in 2025!
Why we need a Girls spinoff series for Shoshanna
Although Mamet has starred in many shows and movies since Girls ended in 2017, including The Flight Attendant on Max and most recently Laid on Peacock, the actress admitted that Shoshanna remains one of the only characters she's played that she actively misses. Mamet joked that she wishes she could text Shosh to see what she's up to her in life these days. Don't we all!
Shoshanna, the ultimate girl's girls, ended the series by distancing herself from Hannah (Lena Dunham), Marnie (Allison Williams), and Jessa (Jemima Kirke). She lands a new job, gets engaged, and decides she doesn't need to be as close to the three friends she spent the earliest part of her 20s with. The penultimate episode features a bittersweet sendoff for the dysfunctional foursome at Shosh's engagement party.
Because of Shoshanna's decision to reevaluate her friendships with the show's other main characters, the final season of Girls featured much less screen time for Shosh. While Shosh's disappearing act made sense by the end of season 6, it's still a source of frustration. Bringing her back for a spinoff would remedy the unfortunate lack of the show's moral center.
Mamet also commented on Shoshanna not ending up with Ray at the end of the series, which she says broke her heart even though it wasn't overall the wrong choice. She also admits to holding out hope that Shosh and Ray would find each other again later on in life and rekindle their romance. That could be a great entry for the spinoff. Shosh gets divorced and reunites with Ray. It's an idea!
Sometime this year, Dunham will release and promote her upcoming Netflix original romantic comedy series Too Much and likely (hopefully!) be asked about Mamet "working on" her for a Shoshanna spinoff. The moment is right to revisit the Girls universe, particularly through the eyes of a character that was largely the most underserved throughout the course of the show.
Obviously, Mamet was speaking off the cuff, and there's currently nothing actively or officially in the works regarding a Girls spinoff on either HBO or its streamer Max. But even just hearing that the possibility is out there and has been talked about is exciting. And Just Like That can't last forever. Maybe when we inevitably say goodbye to Carrie, we'll say hello to Shosh.
Watch the complete series of Girls on Max.