Tad & Loreen & Avi & Shanaz Plot Summary
In tis week’s episode of Girls, we see the real problems and hardships that the characters are going through, in particular that of Hannah’s parents Tad and Loreen (Becky Ann Baker and Peter Scolari).
Welcome back Tad, Loreen, Avi, Shanaz, and the Girls.
This week’s episode finally lit back up that fire that Girls had merely weeks ago. By adding Hannah’s parents into the mix this week, some may have thought that it would only add two more plotlines to a show that may already have a million or two, but that my friend is a grave misconception.
Going into the episode, the fear of the shit show it has become lately was greatly looming over my shoulders, but the episode hit a home run in my book.
The episode took out any unnecessary characters, (looking at you Mimi-Rose), and only touched a little bit on everyone’s story arc to show what problems they were facing that day. The real shocker of the episode was that all of those stories were soap opera-free and very realistic to what people worry about in this modern day (e.g. money problems, relationship woes, and the occasional urge to fit in even if it is with people half your age.)
With taking out all the unnecessary, the episode was able to focus on the necessary. The acting was spot on, the writing was fabulous (although they give too much dialogue to characters that needed very little to convey their point) and the fact that the episode took a step away from what the show had been focusing on the past few week’s and added a storyline like Tad and Loreen’s was just a magnificent choice.
To start, the acting this episode was just something too extraordinary to ignore. Scolari and Baker’s performances as Tad and Loreen were something so heartfelt and real you wholeheartedly felt for these characters the whole time. Even though it may have been a risk to add their plotline into the mix for the show, it was an excellent and well-needed risk.
Scolari’s performance as a man coming out to his wife after years of hiding it was such an emotional scene. You could tell how tortured he was, yet how relieved he was, that everything had finally come out. It was also a great nod to season one when Elijah (Andrew Rannells) outed him to Hannah after a dispute they had.
It was something extremely special to see that the Girls’ writers still had this in their head the whole time, and it was an excellent move on their part to keep the jokes out of those scenes and really show the emotion that comes with his deceleration.
As for the writing, without the dialogue written by Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner, this episode most likely would have fallen flat. The episode always has a certain mark of tender love and care when Dunham is writing it, so for an episode as emotional and huge as this one, it was refreshing to see and hear Dunham’s distinct voice in it.
Besides the emotional scenes, a much needed mention has to go to Hannah’s scenes trying to be cool with the kids. She really shined ramping up Hannah’s narcissism, which really really helped lighten the mood of the episode. This further proves that Dunham as writer of an episode is just a smart choice every time.
Thank you Lena Dunham for that!
However, side note, scaling back the dialogue given to annoying characters such as Marnie (Allison Williams) and Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) would also greatly benefit the show.
All in all, the episode was a huge success.  It showed the hearts and souls of other characters that needed a little showing too. Who would have guessed that the secret to saving Girls once again from pure tedium and the brink of darkness was actually to focus on two people other than the girls? With showcasing such an emotional roller-coaster that this episode was, it reminded me just exactly what made Girls special in the first place. That reality and the issues that come with it will always be showcased first on Girls, and the soapy TV drama doesn’t always have to be there to make a success. Let’s hope that this type of reality and realness stays with the show during its last few episodes this season, and we get some more glimpses at Tad and Loreen’s most heartbreaking adventure.
Rating: 9 out of 10
All Photos Credit: HBO PR
===========================================================================================================
Laura Dengrove is the one of youngest members of the Pop-Break staff and is a critic for television/movies of all types on Pop-Break. She’s in her first year at college where she will be studying to obtain her bachelors degree at Rutgers University for Journalism/Public Relations. She was the editor for the Arts and Entertainment section of her school newspaper, runs her own blog (Pop Culture Darling), and interns for Design New Jersey. She also has an in-depth knowledge about all things True Blood and an avid Eric and Sookie shipper.
===========================================================================================================
