Ding!

Some episodes of Girls can be a little too much to bear. This was not one of those episodes.

In Dunham's world, you see a lot of actions and not many consequences and a lot of frivolity without anything to back it up. Characters live in sweeta** apartments while working at coffee shops and galleries. They do awful things to their friends only to go out to dinner with them the next week. And they use their exes as cuddle buddies after crushing their hearts. This time, though, we saw some more realistic moments.

Round 1: Shosh vs. butt plugs

This episode must set some record for the number of times the phrase "butt plug" has been used in a single episode of a show. This moment was great for multiple reasons. Most importantly, it was great to see Hannah's pull for attention with the butt plug confession completely turned on her by Shoshanna's questioning of what, exactly, a butt plug is and why it's important. Not all girls spent their college years hooking up with a gay guy... or even working on being experienced. Shoshanna's naiveté is precious. It's always nice when not every character on the show acts like a completely skeeze.

Round 2: Marnie vs. Audrey

This confrontation was amazing! Marnie is so stuck up, but who didn't scoff at the mustard business? Audrey is the epitome of a hipster, and it was great to see Marnie's sarcasm take her down a notch. Then again, it was also great to see Audrey verbally abuse Marnie. We especially liked the part when she made Marn clarify the "hostess" gig. Audrey was also right about Marnie's feelings/self-centeredness toward Charlie.

Round 3: Jessa vs. Thomas-John

Can we talk about how emotionally awful all of Jessa's scenes were? They were almost too much to take. Jess tried, as best as she knows how, to be decent at dinner. Clearly, her mother wasn't the greatest example. Instead, she was accused of using Thomas-John for his money. When they finally escaped his crazy parents, she expected him to be there for her, and instead he accused her of the same thing. We really think Jessa loves T-J — in her own weird way. She's just a blunt, sarcastic and defensive person. When he laid into her, of course she was going to throw back the insults.

Her final scene? Gross. First, co-bathing with your friend? Do people do this? Mostly, though, the snot rocket was beyond disgusting. At the same time, she was super hurt, and — once again — Hannah wouldn't allow her to just sob it out... she had to ruin things.

Round 4: Ray vs. Life

Here's what we love about Ray: He's real. Life sucks 90 percent of the time, and Ray doesn't get to escape it because he has rich parents or is a slut. He takes the kicks and deals with them... by kinda sorta moving in with his adorably innocent girlfriend. There's nothing wrong with being 30 and feeling like you're still floundering. Trust us. We know. Welcome to life. He does have one good thing going for him, though, and that's Shosh. Their confession of loving one another, during a dark, depressing moment in the subway, was neither overly romantic nor so nonchalant it seemed fake. It was real and relatable, and we approve.

And the winner is...

All in all, Dunham turned out a decent episode this week. We saw the characters not necessarily change but at least be impacted by the choices they've made and the words they've spoken. It was refreshing to see something a little more real and hope it stays this awesome.

Images courtesy of HBO

More on HBO's Girls

Girls mixes dating and politics
Girls kicks off Season 2 with a bang
Howard Stern apologizes for his Girls comments

Catharsis comes in many forms. Oedipus gouged out his eyes. Romeo committed suicide. Hannah Horvath woke up in a Brooklyn brownstone all alone.

Girls began with a bang this season, but has, during the past three episodes, shriveled into a meandering series that is losing its appeal. Girls is turning into a show that can't stay out of its own way. And Sunday’s episode, “One Man’s Trash,” epitomizes the downward spiral Lena Dunham’s pet project is heading toward.

Only two of the show’s main characters appear: Hannah and Ray. Together, they work at Cafe Grumpy, the coffee shop Ray manages. An attractive yet irate customer walks in and demands to speak to a manager. Someone’s been putting the shop’s trash in the man’s cans. Yes, he’s attractive. And yes he’s irate.

Ray comes off like a petulant schmuck during his argument with the customer, who seems to have mesmerized Hannah. She quits her job, then chases after Mr. Attractive and Irate who happens to be a 42-year-old doctor in the midst of marriage woes. Hannah’s guilt gets the best of her as she confesses she’s been dumping the coffee shop trash in his cans.

What happens next is so overdramatic, so far-fetched, so desperate, so cliched… that it’s safe to say Girls has hit the point of no return.

Take a look for yourself:

• Hannah and Dr. Josh have sex that both admit was “weird.”
• Dr. Josh cooks a mean steak even though dirty hipsters interrupt with loud music.
• Dr. Josh calls out sick to spend an entire day with Hannah.
• Hannah stares like 13-year-old front row at a Justin Bieber concert while gazing at Dr. Josh reading the morning paper.
• Hannah and Dr. Josh play naked ping-pong and bang on the table in between sets.
• Hannah takes a shower and faints.
• Dr. Josh tells the story of being pleasured by a boy when he was 9.
• Hannah pours out her heart in a cathartic confession, which ultimately reveals how alone and unhappy she truly is.

The last part is supposed to be the defining moment of Girls’ second season — and perhaps the series. Hannah finally lets down her guard for a little self-examination. In the process, she admits to herself that she craves happiness and normalcy. .

This should be a moment when we start rooting for Hannah again because let's face it — her actions so far in Season 2 have been as repugnant as the outfit she wears for most of Sunday's episode.

Instead of being on Hannah's side, her rant to Dr. Josh comes across as sophomoric and self-absorbed. She finds misery in the fact she wants to be like others since her entire goal in life is to rack up a series of experiences that includes someone ejaculating on a chest bruise.

To Hannah, the most depressing aspect about her catharsis is how it reveals she’s no different from anyone else out there. They all want love, a shoulder to cry on, a super-soft bathrobe to wear, happiness, and of course, naked ping-pong.

“One Man’s Trash” is a harbinger that Girls’ charm is running out. The past three episodes have produced few laughworthy moments. Story lines have gone stale. The best characters go weeks without any screen time . And we’ve sure as hell seen enough of Lena Dunham’s chest for one lifetime.

Either way, just like Hannah comes to the sobering conclusion that she’s no different from anyone else, Girls is beginning to look like just an ordinary show.

More on Girls

Girls mixes dating and politics
Girls goes YOLO
Is reality a concept too hard to find on Girls?

Photo credit: HBO

We've got the rundown on the final episodes of Girls Season 2, and we thought we'd share 'em with you. Sometimes they're a little vague, but we've tried to sort it out as best as possible. We'll go girl-by-girl-by-Adam!

Marnie

Oh, Marnie. While Marnie's snottiness is real and we love it, she often comes off as the least believable character — if only because of her sweeta** apartment and no real job. Well, and her awful treatment of Charlie, the most kind and adorable guy on the show! When she and Charlie broke up, we thought we'd seen the last of him. When they both came to Hannah's dinner party and had a heart-to-heart on the balcony before Marnie told him she still didn't want him, we really thought we were done with him. It looks like he'll be back, though. The one-time band member will catch Marnie's eye, again, when she learns he's now the proud creator of a successful app company. Now that he's rolling in dough, will her opinion of him change? HBO also hinted that she'll begin to take an "unsettling step toward following her dreams."

Pure speculation: Since Booth is in the art world and that's where Marnie wants to be, we think she'll decide to pursue a relationship with the creepy wannabe artist.

Shoshanna

It looks like the relationship between the adorably naive and fretful Shoshanna and her grumpy but endearing boyfriend, Ray, may be headed for trouble, again. They may have confessed they love each other, but do they really know that much about one another? When Ray refuses to attend a college party, Shoshanna is concerned. His aversion could be due to his age, and it may leave Shosh realizing she's just not ready to settle down with someone older and less inclined to experience college life with her. But the man works at Grumpy and is rather surly, so isn't it also possible he's just not that into parties? Despite the fact that Shosh often goes, she never seems to enjoy herself and usually appears to have been dragged there by one of the other girls. So, what's the big deal?

Girls recap: Thank God for Ray>>

Hannah

For no apparent reason, Hannah was given a book deal. One stipulation: The book is due in a month. As the deadline looms closer, Hannah continues to delay and soon finds herself with just a day to go and nothing resembling a finished manuscript. Meanwhile, she's apprehensive about sharing her book with her parents. Why? Our best bet is that it details all her sexual exploits and she no doubt rails against them for not continuing to pay her rent until she's 35. It looks like dark times are ahead for Hannah. It's possible that we'll see a hint of real post-college life on Girls after all!

HBO's Girls: Hipsterism gone awry>>

Jessa

We know nothing of Jessa , of course. They play her so close to the belt and so sporadically, it's just not fair.

Adam

Despite being crazy as hell, Adam manages to score a new girlfriend. It happens during an AA meeting when a woman comes up to him and suggests he meet her daughter, Natalia. That's right. This woman wants to hook up her daughter with a man who has just started AA. What a winner. By the end of the season , Adam and Natalia will have their first fight. We have a sneaking suspicion that things won't end well.

What are you hoping is resolved by the end of Season 2? What do you want to see from Season 3? Tell us everything!

Images courtesy of HBO

More spoilers!

Shocking spoilers for Downton Abbey
Spoiler alert: A new boy toy on The Carrie Diaries

With its continual straying from reality and way too much pasty skin, Girls is quickly becoming the show that millions of people hate to love. We can't look away, though! We keep waiting for Hannah to put her shirt on, Charlie to tell Marnie to shove it or Jessa to find out she has some awful STD . It's rough, we know. But we think we've got something that can help.

Enter the Girls drinking game!

First, you need a drink...

We scoured our sister site to find the perfect drink for watching Girls with your BFF. This is the one we thought was most fitting.

Three Stages of Friendship*

3.3 oz Jack Daniel's® Tennessee whiskey
3.3 oz tequila
3.3 oz 151 proof rum

*If you and your friend start fighting your way through the three stages of friendship, please discontinue the game.

The rules

Take a shot any time...

• Hannah and Marnie argue over who's the better/worse friend
• Shoshana doesn't understand a reference
• Charlie tries to get back together with Marnie
• Jessa references her time spent traveling
• Something completely unbelievable happens
• Marnie gives that look and acts like she's better than her friends
• Adam says something insane
• Ray smiles

Take three shots anytime Hannah...

• Takes off her shirt
• Talks about how she's unique/offbeat

There you have it! We've given you everything you need to get through an episode of Girls, except for the shotglasses and the HBO subscription. Enjoy and remember... SheKnows.com is not responsible for any injury, death, drunk text or booty caused by playing this game.

What will you drink to when you watch Girls?

Dear Lena Dunham:

I know I was critical of your show last week, but as a fellow writer, I'm sure you respect my ability to opine.

Here's the thing, Ms. Dunham. I really, really liked the first season of Girls. You followed your gut and created something original. You've no doubt got mad skills. And while biologically I know they don't exist, metaphorically speaking, you've got some balls, girl. After all, I'm sure it's not easy to tell yourself to take off all your clothes in front of the camera.

Here's the other thing: I really, really haven't liked the second season of Girls. Sure, you still follow your gut. Your skills, especially as a director, are growing. And boy, Ms. Dunhan, your balls must be bigger than ever. I mean, seriously, do you see the outfits you put yourself in?

The problem is, you're really starting to lose that freshness you brought to the table last year. Your recycled characters are about as played out right now as the Harlem Shake.

So, writer to writer, let me offer you a little piece of advice that will not only save this season but also ensure long-term success.

I can't take credit for the wisdom since it came from my seventh-grade English teacher, who always used to say, "Write what you know." And for you, Ms. Dunham, that starts with your show's title.

Girls needs to become Boys because they're what bring out the best in your show. You've wasted five episodes so far this season floundering in the futility of trying to grow the characters of Hannah, Marnie , Shoshanna, and Jessa.

But it's simply not working.

Take Sunday night's episode, ironically titled "Boys," as stone-cold evidence that your lady characters are putting us to sleep. Hannah inks an e-book deal. Marnie splits with Booth Jonathan. Shosh has her first fight with Ray. And Jessa remains the same melancholy b**** she's always been.

Yaaaaawwwwwnnnn.

The girls of Girls may have won our hearts during Season 1, but ask yourself this, Ms. Dunham: Were you expecting people to be elated for Hannah when she finally got her big break? Do you think fans shed a tear for Marnie when she lied on the phone to Hannah? Do you secretly wish you could climb inside the TV and wring Jessa by the neck?

You may need to be drunk to keep up the ladies of Girls >> 

Now ask yourself this: What was the most compelling scene in Sunday's episode?

I know your character Hannah struggles at times with honesty, but Ms. Dunham, you have to agree with me on this one: The best parts of Sunday's episode orbited about storylines involving the gentlemen. And that's no fluke. Because the best part about Girls, in general, is the boys.

Ms. Dunham, you may fancy yourself attuned to the minds of women lost in the cacophony of their mid-20s, but you're actually much more in tune with the minds of men.

Your hidden testosterone spawned the scene of the season — and perhaps the entire series. How clever it was to put Ray  and Adam — two of the quirkiest dudes on TV — into a fantastically creative adventure involving Little Women, a dog named "Dog" and a gun-toting Staten Island teen.

If you're brave enough, we've got Season 2 spoilers!>> 

I'll be honest, Ms. Dunham, since that's what you do for us fans every Sunday night. I'm not sure I've enjoyed a scene on TV this past year as much as I did soaking up the witty dialogue exchanged by Ray and Adam. Their quips about dating 54-year-old women, the semantics of "coy" and dealing with aging were authentic, insightful and shrewd.

Best of all, they made me laugh out loud, something your show hasn't made me do in a long time.

I like how you didn't stop with just Ray and Adam in Staten Island. Your debilitating voyage into the fragile psyche of Booth Jonathan was so intense, you managed to make me take pity on the little twerp.

And, of course, you sealed the episode by giving us poor Ray — all alone with Dog and the Manhattan skyline — and forcing him into a tearful submission.

Whether you want to admit it or not, Ms. Dunham, you know boys better than you know girls. You write the characters of Adam, Ray, Booth — even Elijah, Charlie, Laird and the African-American Republican — with a reckless abandon that allows you to avoid the convention that now engulfs your lady characters.

So, Ms. Dunham, there you have it. Change Girls to Boys because that's what you do best.

Sincerely,

The guy who writes a column on a show about girls for a women's website

PS: What really happened that night with Laird?

Images courtesy of HBO

More on Girls

Girls mixes dating and politics
Girls Season 2 kicks off with a bang
Want Lena Dunham's advice? It's apparently worth $3.5M

This week Girls took a brief departure from its mostly girl-themed storyline to focus on the boys in their lives. Along the way, though, we watched as the girls tried to figure out and maintain their friendships. Here's how it all went down...

Ray and Adam take on Staten Island!

First, Hannah leaves Ray's copy of Little Women at Adam's house. That may not seem like a big deal, but it was a pretty important book to Ray and contained notes from someone special. Hannah refuses to retrieve the book and, after being ganged-up on by Hannah and Shosh, Ray sets out to Adam's to get back his book.

One man's opinion of this week's episode>>

The guys immediately butt heads and Ray is about to leave when Adam asks for backup in returning a dog he stole. Ray, ever the geeky guy, is pretty honored to be considered as backup and agrees to help out. One problem... the dog was from Staten Island. The guys have some pretty harsh feelings toward Staten Island. All of them are justified during their visit .

Of course, the guys end up in a tussle involving Ray's opinion of Hannah. After Adam describes her as an unwanted Tweety Bird stuffed animal, Ray agrees with some pretty harsh things about Hannah. Suddenly, Adam's pissed at Ray for talking about Hannah like that. Then, when Ray backs down, Adam accuses him of sleeping with Hannah. Eventually Adam storms off and leaves Ray with the dog. Further proof of what we knew all along: Adam is insane.

After meeting the dog's owner, Ray ends up keeping the dog. He needs a bath, but he's pretty cute.

Hannah gains a mentor and sees the end of a friendship

Meanwhile, after a few essays and the incident with coke, Hannah has landed herself an e-book deal with one of her favorite editors. He's a little weird. He goes on about not knowing what pistachios are and not quite getting Hannah's generation, but she's still pretty thrilled. The only downside is that he needs her book in a month.

Girls spoilers for the rest of the season>>

Another big bummer for Hannah has become her relationship with Marnie . The two "friends" have barely hung out recently and Marnie has taken forever to get back to Hannah to find out her news. When Hannah shows up at a party and tries to tell Marnie about her book deal, she's once again blown off by her one-time best friend.

Even as Marnie's "relationship" with Booth falls apart, she's still too stubborn to admit it to Hannah. In the end, when Hannah tries once again to tell Marnie of her book deal, their line of communication falters. Both girls hang up the phone looking deflated and forlorn. For years they've treated each other awfully, but now that the end of their friendship is in sight, it seems pretty heart-wrenching.

Playing on the sidelines

Jessa is a mess. Despite always playing it cool and nonchalant, she fell hard for her husband. After that blow-up with his parents and their subsequent parting of ways, she's incredibly depressed. Her depression comes out in the form of meanness towards Hannah. As if the girl doesn't have enough on her plate.

Last week's recap>>

Meanwhile, Shoshana may be pushing a little too hard on Ray. When she suggests that he go to a speaking event to hear what Donald Trump has to say about becoming an entrepreneur, he refuses. He doesn't want to be that kind of guy. Ray is content with slacking off and getting by on the bare minimum. Things seem destined to end between them. No matter how much we want to see otherwise.

We're only a month into season two of Girls, so keep it here for all the latest recaps and news on the show.

Images courtesy of HBO

Last week on Girls, Lena Dunham was called a racial slur by one of her pals and remained silent about it until someone called her out on Twitter.

Oh sorry, that wasn't a plot device — that actually happened.

Dunham's friend Lisa Lampanelli posted a twit pic of the actress with the caption, "Me with my n***a ‪@LenaDunham of ‪@HBOGirls — I love this beyotch!!‬‬"

Obviously, this made a lot of people extremely uncomfortable, even more so when comedian Lampanelli tried to defend herself by saying it means "friend" and refusing to stop using the word.

An open letter to Lena Dunham about Girls>>

"Ask any person who knows the urban dictionary, it means 'friend,'" she said, according to the Huffington Post. "I have been using these words since I started in comedy and guess what, people? I won't stop anytime soon, just because your ass is up on Twitter."

Well, OK then.

Fans of the Girls star were getting more and more frustrated because she didn't step up to smack her pal down for using such an ugly word in a nonchalant way, but Dunham finally spoke up today on Twitter after she was called out by a journalist.

"That's not a word I would EVER use," Dunham wrote. "Its implications are beyond my comprehension. I was made supremely uncomfortable by it."

Drinking game: Watch Girls or pass out trying>>

"Perhaps I should have addressed it, but the fact is I've learned that twitter debates breed more twitter debates. Don't like the idea that my silence read to you as tacit approval. It wasn't. But 140 characters will never be enough for the kind of dialogue that will actually help us address issues of race and class.

"My personal criteria for engaging in twitter debate: I wait until something just sits so wrong in my belly & bones that I must finally speak... I'm sorry that any of those feelings were evoked for you, especially by a sentence with my name in it."

Lampanelli's take?

"To me, it's acceptable if the joke is funny and if it is said in a context of no hate. It's about taking the hate out of the word."

Tell us: Is it OK to use the N-word under any circumstances?

Image courtesy Alberto Reyes/WENN.com

Meet
our new obsession

This hip rap/comedy/writing star has been rocking both the stand-up scene and the TV screen for years. But he brought his smooth-and-sexy oeuvre to a whole new audience on HBO's Girls this season, as one of Lena Dunham's love interests. More visibility equals more Donald to drool over!

He's funny as all get-out

After two red-hot episodes of Girls, America is getting to know Donald — but he's been working the comedy circuit for a while. He's been on NBC's Community since 2009 and is known for his killer stand-up comedy and his writing-room skills: He's written video shorts and penned stories for big-deal shows like 30 Rock. But he's also known for things like his ability to make crying funny .

"People think I was on 30 Rock and I got offered Community and I left,"he told the AV Club. "I had left 30 Rock already. Now looking back, I’m like, 'That was stupid.' It’s funny. I was like, 'I’m gonna do stand-up.' Leave this great job where I poop Emmys and go do stand-up, because I had fallen in love with stand-up, and I was like, 'I’m gonna do this. I love it. I’m going to work it every night and do stand-up.' But then I auditioned for this thing that they asked me to do, and I happened to get it."

We think everything turned out more than OK!

He's a lyrical gangsta

With the stage name "Childish Gambino" , the Don has a foothold in the music industry as well as the TV and stand-up world. But his brand of rap isn't exactly run of the mill: He's been known in the past for being self-deprecating as an artist , and his music makes references to cultural icons like classic film directors such as François Truffaut. He once said he fancies himself a "Woody Allen-esque rapper" just trying to make sense of the world.

"Everybody is kind of a kid,"he told NPR. "I personally don't believe people really grow. They just learn stuff when they were a kid, and hold on to it, and that affects every relationship they have. So the album is about learning the good stuff and taking away the good stuff, and continuing to grow — as opposed to staying 12 years old forever with relationships, which sometimes I feel like I still am."

We feel like we are too occasionally, Donald.

He's so hot right now

Cuter-than-cute baby face aside, making a cameo on Girls immediately puts you on the hot list these days, especially when you're filmed in flagrante delicto with Lena Dunham herself, playing Hannah Horvath's Republican love interest, Sandy. And Lena herself is on the bandwagon too:

"We always wanted to work with Donald — he’s the cutest and the funniest, and why would you not want to kiss him on TV?"she told Vulture.

Note to self: Write award-winning TV show so we can cozy up to Donald...

Donald Glover's relationship status:

In the past, Donald has been linked with DJ So Super Sam, rapper Angel Haze and even his Community co-star Alison Brie. We're not sure who he's seeing exclusively now, but, as he told British GQ, he's got the inside scoop on how to impress a woman, courtesy of one of the most impressive women in the business:

"Tina Fey told me, 'If you really want a woman to like you, just be really good at something.' The love, care and the focus you have on one thing is attractive, because women then think, 'I can be that thing.' It's true — how do you think magicians get women?"

Don't worry: You've got us already, Donald!

More comedic cuties

Man Candy Mondays: Paul Rudd
Man Candy Mondays: Ashton Kutcher
Man Candy Mondays: John Krasinski

Photo credits: Ivan Nikolov/WENN.com, Brian To/WENN.com

With the Oscars engrossing the world, Girls bestowed wonderful advice about how to cure a urinary tract infection. Use garlic, Jessa tells Hannah. “But I think you have to use a whole clove and really shove it up there.”

And then we see two old people stare at Hannah's butt cheeks as she takes a leak.

Things should only go up from here for Hannah. But we know they won't.

Sunday's episode, "Video Games," is a depressingly genuine tale of young people struggling to connect with their parents. While some of the plot devices are exaggerated, "Video Games" is a rock-solid follow-up to last week's sterling episode.

Jessa takes Hannah on a journey to her estranged father’s house in the countryside north of Manhattan. We’ve never met Jessa’s dad, but from a brief conversation about him, Jessa hints it’s not chummy.

We see, from the moment we meet her father, where Jessa inherits her accent and her contempt for convention. She’s a chip off the old hippie block.

How many drinks did this Girls episode lead to?>>

Jessa’s father lives with a woman who is not Jessa’s mother. Rosanna Arquette delivers a dynamite cameo as Petula, a cynical rabbit killer who takes an immediate liking to Hannah.

“You’re the cushion,” Petula tells Hannah. Petula senses Jessa’s disdain, so she latches on to Hannah while Jessa spends time with her dad.

We also meet Petula’s son, Frank. It’s not clear whether Jessa and Frank share a father, but Hannah takes an immediate liking to Frank . Frank, with his fire truck red turtleneck and retro boom box, is like a younger, skinnier version of Warren from Something About Mary.

As Hannah tries to flirt with Frank, Jessa and Poppa Hippie play catch-up as he waters the lawn. Of course, he deplores landscaping because of its banality.

Lena Dunham takes heat for friend's tweet >> 

The father-daughter moment eventually turns poignant. Jessa reveals a vulnerable side we rarely see. Not since she induced an abortion by blasting it out in a bathroom have we seen her so unguarded. She laments, to dad, her marriage woes and shows genuine disappointment after things with Thomas John fell apart.

Jessa is much more likable as a fragile, confused young woman. She shines in the suburbs, leaving her usual arrogance and self-aggrandizement back in Brooklyn.

Jessa’s best work takes place in between scenes when she discovers an old Penthouse magazine. While Hannah immaturely mocks the plethora of pubic hair, Jessa rattles off a sophisticated supposition about pinups’ nobility. Sure, Jessa’s delivery is — as always — hyperbolized, but at least she’s talking with Hannah rather than down to her friend.

Things start to get weird for Hannah at the dinner table when she realizes the rabbit she pet earlier is now her main entrée. Petula sums it up best: “A rabbit a day keeps the doctor away!”

A surprise visitor, however, bails Hannah out. Tyler, one of Frank’s buddies, arrives and interrupts the family meal. Upon learning Tyler is a poet, Hannah seems smitten. Tyler invites Jessa and Hannah out, but Jessa quickly declines. She’s hoping to spend more time with Poppa Hippie. Too bad he and the girlfriend have plans.

We've got Season 2 spoilers! >> 

Jessa attempts to mask her insecurities with debaucheries like stealing beer, encouraging Hannah to do whip hits, and blindfolding Tyler as he drives. Hannah demands they pull over so she can throw up in the woods. Frank ends up finding Hannah in a graveyard where they share a magical 10 seconds.

But Hannah’s tryst with a teenager isn’t the point. “Video Games” comes full circle to its blistering commentary on parents.

Jessa loses all hope when her father never returns to pick her up at the grocery store. The futility leads to an ambiguous farewell note that reads, “See you around my love.”

Did Jessa decide to take an earlier train?

Did she go look for her father?

Is she gone forever?

Either way, Hannah is on her own for the return voyage to Manhattan.

Waiting for the train, she calls home. Watching Jessa struggle with her father moves Hannah to connect with her own parents. But what was meant to be a touching moment turns into a misinterpreted mistake.

Nothing goes right for Hannah.

Not even taking a leak.

Images courtesy of HBO

More on Girls

An Open Letter to Lena Dunham
Girls mixes dating and politics
Want Lena Dunham's advice? It's apparently worth $3.5M

Lena Dunham has a message for the "Hathahaters" who have been roundly mocking Oscar winner Anne Hathaway on blogs and Twitter: Back off, and focus on celebs who really harm women.

"Ladies: Anne Hathaway is a feminist and she has amazing teeth," Dunham wrote. "Let's save our bad attitudes for the ones who aren't advancing the cause."

The message got some uncomplimentary feedback, with respondents tweeting things like "Katherine Heigl and Lena Dunham are taking up too much space for me to add Anne Hathaway to my hate list,""Anne Hathaway and Lena Dunham on the phone for six hours saying 'No you hang up!'" and "FYI, disliking Anne Hathaway is not cool anymore. Disliking Lena Dunham? Apparently still ok."

Dunham crankily responded, "Hey ragers. 'The ones who aren't advancing the cause' I mentioned aren't always, or mostly, women. Case in point: I saw your boobs."

In other words, hate Seth MacFarlane, not Anne Hathaway.

MacFarlane has been taking considerable heat for his Oscar song stylings, including Jezebel's Lindy West dismissing the song as "tacky jokes from a dancing cartoonist," Vulture noting that MacFarlane's stint was "a black-tie celebration of the straight white male gaze" and The New Yorker writing that the host's jokes drove home the point that women in Hollywood are "for dating men in Hollywood, until the men decided that they're too old."

Anne Hathaway's nipples get their own Twitter account>>

Salon and other outlets also noted that many of the boob-displaying scenes referenced in "We Saw Your Boobs" were actually scenes in which women were getting sexually assaulted, such as Jodie Foster's rape scene in The Accused.

For Hathaway's part, she's getting hated on for nothing more than the vague conclusion that she seems smug. Yeah, that doesn't look so bad next to rape jokes.

Hathaway told Us Weekly that the haters do bother her, but she tries to brush it off: "I live my life with love. I live my life with compassion. I live my life hoping the best for absolutely everyone, no matter how they feel about me. And when you live that way, it's amazing how beautiful every day can be."

Image courtesy Alberto Reyes/WENN.com

In honor of Hannah's obsessive-compulsive disorder , here are the eight best moments from Sunday night’s Girls episode .

1) Where is Jessa?!

We speculated last week that Jessa could be gone for good. And based on Shoshanna's emotional outburst, our prediction looks solid. Shosh freaks out, wondering where her cousin absconded to and, most importantly, whether Jessa has on the appropriate outfit. The torture of not knowing is on the verge of tearing the fabric of Shosh's being... when she bumps into a college buddy on rollerblades. It looks safe to say we've seen the last of Jessa this season.

2) Hannah's parents suck

Their appearance in "It's Back" marks Mr. and Mrs. Horvath's first major screen time this season. Immediately, we're reminded why Hannah dreads their visits. Mr. Horvath isn't so bad. He's quite adept as the stooge and delivers a few solid one-liners. Hannah's mother, on the other hand, is a nasty, cold-hearted b****. She's either busying raving about some intellectual conference or dragging Hannah to a concert for geriatrics. Mrs. Horvath is the only character who makes siding with Hannah easy.

3) Honest Adam spills his guts

Adam once hinted he is an alcoholic, but we've never seen him actually struggle with the sauce. After a one-episode hiatus, Adam delivers the performance of the night while hanging with a group of dopey-faced AA members. His confession about his relationship with Hannah is chillingly honest, yet brutally funny. The scene is proof that only Adam can deliver the most serious and still laugh-out-loud moment of the show.

Lena Dunham slams Seth MacFarlane on Twitter! >>

4) Charlie gets rich

It's been a while since Charlie rejected Marnie by shouting, "You'll never get any of THIS anymore!!" Charlie, the consummate scorned lover, turns his disdain for Marnie into a get-rich-quick app that makes a $10 profit when someone dials a forbidden person's number. Marnie, in shock, shows up at Charlie's office to find him the epicenter of a business that comes complete with assistants wearing ironic glasses. The idea for the app is pure genius. And, of course, Marnie served as Charlie's inspiration. When it finally sinks in that Marne is to Charlie what Mr. Watson is to Alexander Graham Bell, Marnie seems on the verge of a breakdown.

5) Shoshanna steps out

Shoshanna and Ray put their love to the test when Shosh attends a college party without Ray. He sits out on principle while she goes to rediscover herself. Shosh leaves the party abruptly but cannot fend off a doorman’s overtly cheesy flirtation. She winds up hooking up in the closet while Ray sits at home, reading in his boxers.

6) Marnie shows off her pipes

No, unfortunately we don't see Allison Williams breasts... sigh. But we do hear Marnie sing her heart out. Disillusioned with her job and Charlie's success, Marnie — with some prodding from Ray — declares that singing is her true dream. She belts out a wonderful melody, which can only foreshadow the inevitable "Marnie finally gets her break!!!" moment in the season finale when Marnie leaves New York to join Ryan Seacrest's band of merry idolers.

How many shots did you rack up during this week's episode of Girls? >>

7) The best blind date ever

Adam meets a wacky woman in his AA meeting who wants to him to call her daughter. Adam begrudgingly agrees and sets up a blind date with Natalia at a swanky restaurant. Much to Adam's surprise, Natalia turns out to be a knockout. The two hit it off while they try to one-up the other's quirkiness. Natalia's job as a private eye's assistant turns on Adam, while she's impressed by his blunt honesty and semi-dashing good looks. After the AA speech, the blind date scene is the best five minutes of Sunday's episode.

8) Something's really wrong with Hannah

We've always known something was off about Hannah. Now we know she suffers from a case of OCD, which forces her to do everything in eights. A phone call from Adam thrusts Hannah back into a funk that forces her to do nearly everything eight times. At first, we're not sure why she eats exactly eight potato chips. It seems like just another function of Hannah's awkwardness. But, as the episode wraps, we learn that Hannah suffers from a debilitating case of OCD that left her sore in the thighs and zombie-like through high school. "It's Back" ends in a truly depressing scene with Hannah and her parents on the subway. Hannah holds a bag of pills while her sucky parents make no attempt to console her.

Can the OCD explain all of Hannah’s peculiarity? We only have two episodes left to find out...

Images courtesy of HBO

More on Girls

An open letter to Lena Dunham about Girls
Girls spoilers! How Season 2 shapes up
Want Lena Dunham's advice? It's apparently worth $3.5M

This season of Girls is unraveling, just like many of its main characters.

All appears well from the start for Adam and Natalia . As their relationship heats up, Adam discovers how clear his new girlfriend is about her bedroom preferences.

Things aren’t so smooth for Shoshanna and Ray. Shosh , who spent last episode hooking up with a doorman in a closet, overcompensates for her guilt by prancing around the apartment serving Ray coffee.

Marnie interrupts to ask Ray for some help laying down a track on Garage Band. She’s chasing her dream, of course, to make it as a singer. Marnie’s also pining for Charlie who conveniently forgets their lunch date. As a consolation, he invites her to an office party in honor of Forbid’s 20,000th Average Monthly User .

While the main gang hangs together at Charlie’s party, Hannah continues to suffer from her OCD. Hannah’s editor is disappointed by her first drafts. “What happened to your hymen?” he asks.

His point is clear. Without sex, Hannah's writing is boring. And she is worthless.

Help SheKnows.com's Girls drinking game get more A.M.U.s than Forbid! >>

Instead of working on her book, Hannah spends precious time in the emergency room. Not only does she get a giant splinter up her ass, Hannah wedges a Q-tip in her eardrum.

The circumstances lead to an awkward chance meeting with Adam. Despite his alcoholism, Natalia takes Adam to an engagement party at a bar. Feeling overwhelmed, Adam steps out where he bumps into Hannah.

Back at Charlie’s party, Shosh struts her stuff and flirts with everyone at the party. Ray demands an explanation. “I held the doorman’s hand,” Shosh whimpers.

The lie is effective. And it’s further evidence of Shoshanna’s evolution. Once the adorable, naive virgin, Shoshanna's transformed into a bonafide "Girl." Just like Jessa, Marnie and Hannah, Shosh sleeps around, manipulates men and struggles with love.

Marnie’s singing debut is the party’s main event when she delivers a tepid Kanye West a cappella performance. The rendition doesn’t win a Grammy, but it wins over Charlie. The two wind up indisposed on Charlie’s desk in a position once familiar.

The theme of old flames rekindling doesn’t heat up for Adam and Hannah. Their clumsy encounter does, however, have a Pavlovian impact on Adam. He rushes inside the bar and orders a Jack and Ginger. Off the wagon, Adam tears up the dance floor at the party. Then it’s back to his dungeon-like apartment where Natalia learns the purpose of Adam’s craftsmanship. “I’m going to sail down the Mississippi,” he declares.

Lena Dunham finally addresses controversies over Girls >> 

The next thing Adam says results in the climax of the episode. Natalia is ordered to crawl to the bedroom on all fours. The demand is reminiscent of the bizarre sex-games Adam once played with Hannah. He winds up nearly ruining two things: Natalia’s dress and their relationship.

It’s clear, as Adam cleans up his mess, that Natalia is not Hannah. Perhaps it was the alcohol. Perhaps Adam truly longs for Hannah.

The only sure thing is that after next week’s season finale, we won’t be missing Girls on HBO.

More on Girls

An open letter to Lena Dunham about Girls

Girls spoilers! How Season 2 shapes up

Want Lena Dunham's advice? It's apparently worth $3.5M

Lena Dunham and Playboy. Not exactly a predictable combination but then again, fortune-telling is always a difficult practice.

Playboy nabbed Dunham for a fascinating interview that delves into the mind of the young creator of HBO's Girls in a way that's just as annoying as it is refreshing. It's a very conflicted spot.

Top 8 moments from this week's Girls>> 

While the interview is captivating in the familiar way that Dunham dissects her perspective on what's wrong with Hollywood, the irony of her chatting with Playboy is somehow lost. And of course, she tells Playboy how she doesn't aim to match the sultry, oversexed version of beauty they — and others like them — feature each month.

Lena Dunham represent herself very well but it's the idea that she represents a generation of women that is bothersome. A generation that seems to exclude experiences outside of the liberal, middle-to-upper class educated environment. If Girls is Dunham's tribute to just her own experiences, that's fine. Many women, the author of this article included, can identify with HBO's hit show. Dunham just needs to take ownership that Girls and her world view is narrow.

Lena Dunham finally addresses the N-word issue>>

Asks Playboy, "How do you want Girls to contribute to the ongoing conversation about feminism?" To which Lena Dunham responds in a typical Hannah Horvath way:

"On Girls I like being a mouthpiece for the issues I think young females face today. It's always shocking when people question whether it's a feminist show. How could a show about women exploring women not be? Feminism isn't a dirty word. It's not like we're a deranged group who think women should take over the planet, raise our young on our own, and eliminate men from the picture. Feminism is about women having all the rights that men have."

An open letter to Lena Dunham about Girls>>

And don't think for a minute — if you ever did — that Lena Dunham craves that enviable Victoria's Secret body. Hey, it's society's standards of beauty that make those VS models enviable anyway. Dunham's not fooled.

"I don't think I'd like it very much," she says of the thought of her magically waking up with the body of a Victoria's Secret model. "There would be all kinds of challenges to deal with that I don't have to deal with now. I don't want to go through life wondering if people are talking to me because I have a big rack."

Point taken, Lena.

You can read the full interview with Lena Dunham in Playboy's April issue which is available in print on Friday.

Photo courtesy of Playboy/Autumn de Wilde

In a second season that labored through a sophomore slump, HBO's Girls ended in an unusual way: Romance prevails.

The finale starts with Hannah on the brink of disaster. Her book editor chews her out for lack of production. Hannah’s best excuse is to blame her self-induced ear concussion, but the editor threatens a lawsuit if he doesn’t see pages.

So, Hannah sets out to write an entire book in one day, which for Hannah means endlessly shoveling Cool Whip into her mouth. Oh, and she decides it’s time for a haircut. A Carey Mulligan magazine photo inspires Hannah to go retro and chop her hair into the likes of a 14th century squire .

Did you play SheKnows' Girls drinking game during the finale? >>

The coif change is an unmitigated disaster. Yet, Hannah’s decision gives us the return of Laird — the basement junkie who Hannah hooked up with in a drunken stupor earlier this season. Laird gives the haircut its finishing touch. He also plays a pivotal role in delivering a spine-tingling critique of Hannah’s cantankerous personality. “You have rotten insides,” Laird scolds.

Speaking of blunt confessions, Shoshanna and Ray hit splitsville following a nasty tiff that turns super personal. Shosh tells Ray she pities him as if he were a caged monkey. Ray senses the breakup and calls hers bluff. Shosh makes sure to guard her secret about the doorman, but breaks it off because Ray’s just too damn negative. Ray shouts, points his finger in Shosh’s face, and then storms off with his Andy Kaufman cutout poster.

Shoshanna bawls her eyes out, but the sting of losing Ray doesn’t last. The final image we see of Shosh is her making out with a random blond dude in a bar.

While Shosh and Ray meet their doom, Marnie and Charlie are back for good. Whether it’s his recently enlarged bank account or his finely tuned tornado tongue, Marnie is a woman possessed. When Charlie hints that he likes things the way they are, Marnie snaps at the notion of just having "casual sex." She delivers an ultimatum, leading to a teary-eyed admission that she longs to make Charlie late-night snacks… and have his kids, too.

“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. I love you,” Charlie responds.

And just like that, Charlie and Marnie live happily ever after .

5 Finale follow-up questions for Girls>>

That brings us back to Hannah. Marnie swings by her former best friend’s apartment to share the news about Charlie. Hannah plays hermit and hides out of sight next to the bed. Marnie though, sneaks a peek at the first line of Hannah’s book. It’s a subtle moment, but Hannah’s thesis seems to have somehow put things with Marnie at ease — for now.

The stage is then set for Adam’s dramatic rescue operation. Things with Natalia become icy — especially in bed — leaving Adam in a fit of rage that he takes out on his wannabe Huck Finn raft. A timely FaceTime call from Hannah is the only thing that prevents Adam from total annihilation. Adam cares less about Hannah’s messy haircut than the befuddling Apple technology. “Shiri operate! Operate!”

Adam then sets out on a shirtless sprint through the streets to Hannah’s apartment. She won’t answer the door, so he kicks through before sweeping Hannah off the bed. As Adam holds Hannah in his arms, she incredulously asks, “You’re here?”

“I was always here,” Adam responds.

A sweaty kiss puts a cap on Girls' second season. It’s a heroic denouement to not just the second season — but the Girls series.

Images courtesy of HBO

More on Girls

An open letter to Lena Dunham about Girls
How did SheKnows do in revealing Girls Season 2 spoilers?
Lena Dunham reveals herself to Playboy

It’s no secret that we fostered a great deal of disdain for Girls’ second season. Heck, we wrote that the show should change its name and put more emphasis on the Boys.

But Season 2's finale, which featured the romantic return of Adam and Hannah, confirmed what is now clearer than ever: Girls is a one-hit wonder.

I know, I know. I can hear the detractors already.

“It’s a fun show! If you want plot, go watch Breaking Bad or Mad Men.”

“Lena Dunham is the voice of her generation — a true virtuoso!”

“Of course you don’t like Girls. You’re a guy!”

Try the Girls drinking game one more time! >> 

Season 3 of Girls won’t be must-see-TV because it lacks the week-to-week intrigue. You could have predicted the makeups and breakups after two episodes. This year’s 10 episodes truly lacked plot — and most important — character development.

Far too much was left unanswered. So here are five burning questions we have about Season 2.

1) Would Adam really not know about FaceTime?

Adam makes like Zoolander trying to open a computer when Hannah calls him at the finale’s end. “Shiri , operate! Operate!” Adam then asks Hannah if what they’re talking on is “Facespace or whatever.” There’s no denying that Adam is one bizarre dude. But what’s crazier is trying to pretend there’s a 20-something living in New York City who doesn’t know about FaceTime. If Girls is supposed to be a microcosm of post-college life in the Big City, the show went too far out of its way to make Adam into a lovable luddite.

2) Is Girls still too vanilla?

Lena Dunham took a great deal of heat for Season 1’s lack of diversity. So right off the bat, the show introduces Sandy, Hannah’s new African-American boyfriend. Sandy got a quick hook, but not because he is black. Nope, Hannah dumped Sandy because he is a gun-loving Republican.

Bringing in an African-American character, immediately at the start of the season, came off as an erroneous move by Dunham. It was too little, too soon. Even worse, though, is how far she tipped her hand with her political vibes.

3) How much is Charlie really worth?

get lucky with this Irishman

What is it about smart guys who can make us laugh? Chris O'Dowd is a stone-cold fox anyway, but his comedic talent coupled with a knack for picking roles in projects we love make for one super-powerful aphrodisiac.

He even makes yuppies look hot

If you've been watching this season of HBO's Girls, you've already recognized Chris as free-spirit Jessa's yuppie, Williamsburg-dwelling husband, Thomas-John. We knew we were supposed to find Thomas-John, his turntables and his blind ambition lame, but we couldn't help but swoon a little whenever he appeared onscreen, with his scruffy facial hair and sweet smile. Of course, it certainly doesn't hurt that Girls writer/director/producer Lena Dunham is behind the character — and Chris is the first to acknowledge the power of great writing.

"For some reason, I find that in the course of my career I've worked with more women than most men have,"he told GQ. "It's just a coincidence, but the first major role [I had] was written and directed by a woman, and I think I've worked with maybe five female auteurs, and, I don't know, maybe there is something in female writing that I'm attracted to. I think, without being too cliché about it, that they obviously write women better, and I think it just makes the relationships more believable. I just am so tired of really badly written women. It's so boring."

Tell us more, Chris! We adore men who give credit to intelligent women.

Chris O'Dowd and wife Dawn Porter

He was swoon-worthy in Bridesmaids

There's nothing like a man in uniform, and in Kristen Wiig's 2011 megahit Bridesmaids, Chris played the role of hot, caring cop oh so well. But according to Chris, self-effacing guy that he is, the character, not Chris, made him so desirable to women everywhere.

"'It was just a really well-written character,"he told the Telegraph. "I do think Saddam Hussein could have made that character sexy. He was a good listener, and there aren’t an awful lot of good listeners on screen, because it’s hard to write a good reactive character."

We're gonna have to disagree with you there, Chris — we love a good listener, but you're eye candy, whether you admit it or not!

He's a respected comedian

Sure, the public knows Chris from his prominent roles in high-profile films like This Is 40 and Friends with Kids, but you're missing out if you've never seen Chris as Roy, a grumble-prone tech guy, in the British sitcom The IT Crowd .

"A lot of IT people really love it, and I do hear a lot of women saying, 'Oh my God, he's just like my boyfriend,'" and all that," he told the British Comedy Guide. "People are very nice, and a lot of IT geek girls find Roy very attractive."

And we can see why... despite the fact that Chris recently said to British GQ, "I just don't think women look at me as sexual. They see me more like a guy they would like to set their sister up with. I play very sweet characters, so people look at me like I'm the kid from The Wonder Years, rather than Brad Pitt."

No way, Chris. We'd never give you away — even to our sister. The IT Crowd is now available on Netflix in the U.S., so check it out.

Chris O'Dowd's relationship status

We knew Chris would have impeccable taste in women! He's been married to British writer/performer Dawn Porter, whose documentaries have raised awareness for issues like breast cancer and cultural obsession with thinness, since last year.

“She’s relaxed and bright and great,” he told the Telegraph. “Going out with other actors is never good; actresses are neurotic, and actors are horrendous egotists.”

But Chris himself could never be an egotist, right? We love a pairing that's also a meeting of the minds!

Other Irish hunks

Man Candy Mondays: Jason O'Mara
Man Candy Mondays: Colin Farrell
Man Candy Mondays: Michael Fassbender

Photo credit: WENN.com, Apega/WENN.com

Girls recently started production on their third season, but it looks like things aren't off to such a great start. The hottest guy on set is no longer there.

Christopher Abbott, who played Marnie's boyfriend Charlie, has left the show. This isn't just a nasty rumor either, ladies. His rep released the following statement:

"[Chris] is grateful for the experience of collaborating with Lena, Judd [Apatow] and the entire Girls cast and crew, but right now he's working on numerous other projects and has decided not to return to the show."

A different Girls' star talks about drugs & LiLo>>

Sadness! Charlie was, without a doubt, one of the few redeeming qualities about the show. During the first season, viewers watched as Charlie dealt with each of the girls' self-centeredness. Despite dating one of the main characters, Marnie , Charlie had a bit of an outsider's view because he was a guy and he was less self-involved. He was also seriously adorable.

After a nasty breakup with Marnie, Season 2 showed Charlie coming into his own. He developed a successful phone app and turned his heartache into profit. Major profit. So, of course Marnie showed up, again, suddenly realizing he was what she wanted all along. Season 2 ended with Charlie and Marnie in a state of coupled bliss. It was a place we thought we'd visit again in Season 3, but apparently not.

An open letter to Lena Dunham>>

The men of Girls have, from the very beginning, been one of the major reasons Girls was so good. Nothing is more entertaining than watching a guy figure out what the hell his girlfriend and her friends are talking, crying or obsessing about. While we love Ray and Adam , it was Charlie/Christopher Abbott who sealed the deal. He was the first one to break away from the toxicity. He was also probably the most fun to look at.

That leaves us to wonder: Will we still tune in to Girls even without the depth, sarcasm and hotness that Abbott brought to the show?

Image courtesy of HBO