Review: Girls - "The Return”– How to Have Fun: A Michigan Getaway and a Sex Injury

Review: Girls, S1, E6 – “The Return”

Air date: Sunday, May 20, 2012, 10:30/9:30c on HBO

Rating: ★★★★★

As Marnie (Allison Williams) reminds Hannah (Lena Dunham) about the rent, Hannah heads home to Michigan to be questioned by her parents regarding her non-existent job situation. Will her visit to celebrate her parent’s 30^th wedding anniversary turn into a nightmare or will it help her financial situation?

Loreen (Becky Ann Baker) and Tad Horvath (Peter Scolari) pick up their daughter Hannah (Lena Dunham) at the airport.

At first, being home makes Hannah go into full-brat mode. In my opinion, the built-in stress from what she’s been going through in the last few weeks doesn’t mix well with the domesticity in her parent’s home: Loreen (Becky Ann Baker) and Tad Horvath (Peter Scolari). The day after Hannah arrives; her mother wakes her up at 11am desperate to have her menopause prescription refilled. Hannah takes her time completing the errand, filling up her social calendar faster than Adam (Adam Driver) returns any of her calls. Whoever said clichés aren’t based on reality is a liar!

So after some reconnecting with former classmates, Hannah finally arrives at the pharmacy. No more hot flashes for Loreen, yay! And…is there some secret agreement Volvos must be the responsible parent’s vehicle in most shows or films? Anyhow, the trip to the pharmacy turns out to be a triple win for Hannah. She leaves with freebies (pantyhose for her and lube for her mom) and a date with Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci) a former classmate and co-owner of the pharmacy. Next, we witness how shrewd Hannah can be when she cleverly manipulates loose facts to ditch her parents’ dinner while avoiding a confrontation all together.

Review: Girls - "The Return”– How to Have Fun: A Michigan Getaway and a Sex Injury 1

Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci) seeks to impress Hannah.

“I’ve been dating a guy that treats my heart like monkey meat…I need to learn to be treated well before it’s too late for me.” How loud can you say ‘suckas’?

Eric and Hannah attend the benefit for a missing former classmate in which “Heather (Vanessa Ray) and the Twist-arounds” put on a slightly inappropriate but better than expected show. Hannah rates it high on the delusional and cheese ball scale…and this comes from the person who sings to Jewel’s “Hands” in the car? We’ll come back to this! The date with charming Eric continues but in spite of taking Hannah out to dinner, doesn’t pressure her for sex… he still isn’t challenging or fiery enough for her. At this point, I start wondering if she’s incapable of appreciating things that come easy to her?

Loreen and Tad’s ‘Wet n’ Wild’ intercourse session looked, umm…painful? That would have been the perfect moment to use the free lube tube! Instead, we witness a a freak shower accident. Personally, I’m not sure how or why Tad fell down but Scolari, Baker and Dunham excel in this scene which would have resulted in a creepy awkward one if executed wrong. Dunham’s acting instincts are spot on as she portrays Hannah in a realistic way while showing a compassionate demeanor towards her parents.

Hannah’s post-accident conversation with her mom deserves mentioning. It’s interesting when Loreen eases into the topic of their relinquishing financial assistance and Hannah doesn’t seize the opportunity to secure money she desperately needs. Really? Perhaps the shower accident made her face her parent’s mortality or maybe she’s maturing as a person. In spite of raising a daughter who lacks employable skills, it appears Tad and Loreen have raised a caring human being.

Review: Girls - "The Return”– How to Have Fun: A Michigan Getaway and a Sex Injury 2

Hannah doesn't quite feel at "home" in Michigan anymore.

“The Return” offered a refreshing change of scenery and pace. I liked seeing Hannah out of her element and as a result, we see her in a slightly different light. I can’t help but snicker at the 20-somethings need to claim something trivial or in a mere conceptual stage and making it sound like a meaningful achievement. It’s no surprise to see Hannah purposely emphasizing she lives in New York and telling others she’s writing a book. It’s also interesting (and a bit heartbreaking) seeing her stand in front of the mirror right before her date trying to reassure herself. Then, we see her simmer in her mixed feelings of friendship, jealousy and dismissal towards Heather –this may be the first time we see an unprovoked Hannah hating on someone.

I should point out that although “The Return” isn’t all about character development and advancing of the plot, it has some truly funny moments too that I loved. Hannah’s non-traditional luggage choice and her attire alone are worth paragraphs of text. To be nice, I’ll say it’s colorful, creative yet unflattering. But this isn’t just a case of the wardrobe department having fun; Hannah’s clothes are a device meant to draw sympathy to her character’s flaws.

As the weekend comes to an end, it’s obvious Michigan isn’t home anymore for Hannah. She misses New York and her life there badly. More surprisingly, we learn Adam misses her too. As Hannah invests more time and effort into her so-called relationship with Adam and is still without rent money, it looks like she’s back to square one. Things are going to get interesting when she gets back home… and by that, I mean NYC.

Tune in to Girls on Sundays at 10:30/9:30c on HBO. For more on the show, visit www.hbo.com/girls/index.html.

Follow @girlsHBO on Twitter.

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Soaker of life. I like to experience things and see the world. I consider myself a professional traveler. My love for movies and television goes way back but I'm a sucker for action-oriented films and shows. Oh, and I make excellent martinis! Follow me on twitter @LutzElle.