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Girls Review: “Triggering” (Season 4, Episode 2)

A major location change for a main character in a show can suggest one of three possibilities: their story has reached an end, they’ve been axed, or in the case of Girls, it’s time to explore a post-collegiate twenty-something New Yorker out of water. And so begins 'Triggering', which adopts a format to the similar ‘standalone’ episodes of previous seasons focusing on one character’s arc. The band aid has been ripped away and Hannah’s adjustment to the Iowan way of life is exposed. For this new life venture, she’s without the on-hand comfort of Marnie, Jessa or Shoshanna to comprehend her alien environment. In the aftermath of last week’s explicit season introduction for Marnie, whose debut saw her getting rimmed over the kitchen sink, her appearance - along with Jessa and Shoshanna - is relegated to a brief Skype chat with Hannah. All the better for our leading girl to re-invent herself, right?

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The juiciest segment of the episode is the chance to see Hannah immerse herself into a new pool of contemporaries at school. It’s brilliantly executed. None of her schoolmates indulge her whims. In fact, the bulk of that small group seemingly adopt the voices of the show’s critics. A spin on the harsh critical comment Girls has received, they bash her first story for its self-entitled, rich girl protagonist who approaches serious subject matter with levity. Watching Hannah try to justify her writing and her subsequent response, “I’m metabolizing my notes,” is an episode highlight.

After the trek home following her first class, one of the show’s stand-out supporting characters, Elijah, makes a surprise appearance. Andrew Rannells is note perfect as Hannah’s gay ex-boyfriend-turned-confidante. When asked about his sudden departure from New York, he once again lands the punchiest, funniest line of the episode – “Last week I saw a homeless woman fist herself on my stoop… I’ve had enough.” He’s a most-welcome palate cleanser.

At its core, Girls is still a very funny, exacting response to a generation obsessed with its own discourse. In the last year, it’s been easy to lose sight of what makes it such a watchable series in light of public interest surrounding its creator and star, Lena Dunham. It’s an unfair assessment of a razor sharp series that continues to shine a spotlight on some of the worse examples of human interaction.

These girls are not perfect; Dunham and the show’s creators know this. Their antics aren’t showcased as examples of ideal twenty-something behaviour. Far from it, in fact. “Triggering” is another snapshot, a fictionalized social document if you will, into the life of the hyper-aware. It does make you wonder, however, just how far Hannah’s irony goes, especially while watching her always-enjoyable dance scenes. Is she goofing off? Does she really think she’s a badass dancer?

And, in the end, does it even really matter?