First, let’s address the elephant in the room: I am not fond of this modern version of what are considered “full” seasons. With many shows that currently follow this trend, they only consist of about 10 episodes with a new one being aired each week. Insecure, on the other hand, only has eight episodes to a season. Therefore, we are being short-changed for less than 300 minutes (since Insecure is only a 30-minute show) each “season.” I miss the days of 20-25 episodes per season. Just to put it in perspective, if I wanted to watch Living Single according to these new standards, it would take roughly 20 seasons for those 100 episodes to be aired. Or, if Insecure had the old season length, we would get more bang for our buck and feel less rushed with each character journey, we could feel more conclusion, there would more storyline development, and we could be entertained fully from fall to spring. Or maybe Hollywood just doesn’t want black audiences to be happy. Who knows.
Nonetheless, there were a number of things that we learned from season 2 of Insecure: Don’t be a hoe if you’re not a professional or can’t learn to be a professional…or HOEfessional, don’t play baseball if you don’t know how to catch and don’t play dodgeball if you know you’re gonna get hit during the first round, don’t welcome an open relationship if feelings may be involved. Then, if an open relationship is placed on the table, make sure that both parties of said-relationship know that the relationship is “open.”
With all of these issues in mind, issues that — in the black community, at least — we experience on a consistent basis to the point where we begin to think that it’s normal, the finale was a little lukewarm for me in addressing these concerns. The mood was immediately set with Issa’s “NIGGAS” T-shirt she wore while walking around the gentrifying area of Inglewood, or I-Wood. And I don’t like to use the term because it holds such a negative connotation no matter how you spell or use it, but it definitely defined how the female audience was feeling towards any man in the show. Shit, maybe in our lives or just in general. Issa’s downward spiral with Lawrence, her on-again-off-again with Daniel (of course mostly for her own faults), Molly getting caught up with a man who says he’s in an open-marriage but really probably isn’t and instead is playing her and his wife (while they’re in the same social circle, by the way), the white men at Molly’s legal firm who are clearly sexually (and possibly racially) discriminating against her and not giving her equal pay; overall, we’re done with half-ass, lackadaisical, always-making-an-excuse having, thinking-they-can-tie-us-over-for-the-moment-with-a-rising-star-award men.
However, there were some memorable moments of the finale:
- Aparna (Lawrence’s new-new girlfriend he met at work) having the utmost self-respect and finality when Lawrence challenged her loyalty and past because she had a previous relationship with a co-worker, and he put his insecurities completely on display for all to shop. Every woman should be this confident and cut-throat; maybe it would actually stop men from being stupid.
- Issa moving from her iconic apartment in The Dunes was also a vital sign of growth, moving on to the next chapter away from previous immaturity and her dreams and the visions that she thought she’d experience in that residence.
- There were humbling moments, like when we think no one else is concerned or looking for us, maybe they are but we’re just not seeing their reality because we’re so caught up in our own. This happened multiple times during the episode showing a course of events over 30 days. Each character moved along in their lives always interacting with the others but from a distance.
- The value of true friendship was also displayed by Molly providing a themed dinner after something seemed to happen at Issa’s job (we still don’t know, but it’s somewhere along the lines of termination or demotion). Either way, the sincerely and consideration put into the entire experience is something any woman needs. Besides, true friendships keep us from doing something stupid, like date men we really KNOW we are worthless.
- And there was a bit of foreshadowing at the end when Lawrence went to Issa’s apartment to pick up his things before they both turned in their keys on moving day. However, before walking out the door, Lawrence didn’t take anything with him and a box was still sitting against the wall in the livingroom. Maybe it was some sort of sign that he was leaving the relationship open?
But the major takeaway, for me at least, of the episode was about respect after a breakup. If nothing else was taught during those 30 minutes, the moral showed how much we have to be there for one another even as previous lovers. Issa and Lawrence had such a truthful moment near the end, breaking down their feelings and emotions for one another, admitting their wrongs. We all know that this NEVER happens. EVER. EEEVVVVEERRR. But regardless of the pain they brought to one another, they were able to hold on to that vulnerability for just a second and share it. Share how they were weak and the importance of the other. That within itself was so huge because sometimes in breakups, we forget why we even fell for the person. Why we were attracted to them in the beginning. We enter a lengthy stage of denial and play victim. And sometimes, that just isn’t the case. Sometimes, maybe the two in the relationship just aren’t meant to be forever. Maybe better as friends. Regardless, Issa and Lawrence showed that they could have that mutual respect for one another. No hard feelings, no malice. Just maturity.
Brooke Leigh Howard 