by
Emily Blake

This season of GIRLS has been an emotional roller coaster for all involved, and over the last few episodes it seemed that the dark moments were overtaking the light. The final episode didn’t shy away from the darkness- all of these characters are still struggling, but there was a silver lining for each that once again leaves us eager to find out what happens next, this time when the girls (and Adam, Ray and Charlie) are back for season 3!
Hannah
Hannah is very, very alone. We find her in her bed, still in the ugly brown t-shirt she wore to the hospital, being driven crazy by a terrible ringing noise from the damaged ear. It is a terrible idea to Google your symptoms, so it is no surprise that when she does, she goes down the web-md query rabbit hole and ends up even more depressed than when she started. To make matters worse, she receives an alarming call from her editor, demanding her new book pages today or she’ll have to return her advance. What happens if she’s spent the cheque? Oh, they may just have to sue her. Gulp.
Hannah being Hannah, she dials up her emergency contact – her dad – to help her out of the bind. Unfortunately she has used up all the sympathy her parents could muster for her, and has become the girl who cried wolf. Even though in this case she really is in deep trouble, and not only needs medical and financial help, but emotional help as well, her father feels that he is being manipulated and tells her she’s on her own.
After hiding from Marnie, knowing that she will not be able to offer any help Hannah needs at this point, she continues her cool whip eating procrastination. Depression breeds bad ideas and the unfortunate self haircut is one Hannah has flirted with before and finally succumbed to. Carey Mulligan likely got hers cut in a salon, and it is clear right away that Hannah’s version is a disaster. Another sign of her flawed thinking process? Hannah invites downstairs neighbor and erstwhile stalker Laird to help her finish it.
She explains to Laird how she is feeling:
“You know when you are young and you drop a glass, and your Dad says ‘Get out of the way’ so you can be safe while he cleans it up? Well, now no one really cares if I clean it up myself. No one really cares if I get cut with glass. If I break something no one says ‘Let me take care of that.’ You know?”
Even though she understands it, she has not come to terms with being out in the world on her own. Like she did when she was a child, she pretends to be sick, hoping that Laird will do something for her, even try and have sex with her again so that this can be one of her strange experiences rather than just a sad girl falling apart. He refuses to be put in that position though, calling her self involved and presumptuous, and tells her she is rotten on the inside. Hannah apologizes for her behavior to him, and he accepts, but it really doesn’t change anything – she is still alone.
After calling Jessa and leaving her a voice mail about how shitty it feels to be abandoned, Hannah makes one more call for help, and this time it is answered. The only person left who could possibly help her is Adam, and she calls him, accidentally making the call over “facetime” which means he can see her in all her hacked off hair, OCD twitching glory. As soon as he realizes what state she is in he is off and running, shirtless, all the way to her house, keeping her on the phone so she won’t feel alone. It is the grand gesture of her ideal white knight, and the expression of panic and joy on her face throughout says it all.
After breaking her door down to get in (she is under the covers and can’t get out to open the door) Adam is there, in her bedroom, and finally we think that things might just be all right after all. He scoops her up, they kiss, and something that has been off all season finally feels like it is put to rights. He may not be a gentleman in the conventional sense, but Adam really does know what it takes to help Hannah. In fact, it seems like they will help each other.
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