‘Insecure’ Season 5 Episode 1 Recap: “Reunited, Okay?!”

Insecure owned my Sunday nights in 2020. Between protesting police brutality and the isolation of sheltering in place, all of us gathered across the (Black) Twitter water cooler to debate, meme, and relate to those characters we’ve grown to like. Season 5 returns at a barely much less chaotic time on this planet, and in addition apparently within the lives of Issa, Molly & the gang.

With mud settled from the season 4 finale’s bombshells — Condola’s sudden being pregnant, Issa & Molly’s falling out, Tiff’s battles with postpartum melancholy — we discover the crew headed again to the place all of it started: Stanford for his or her 10 12 months faculty reunion…. Because the title states, we’re all “Reunited, okay?!”

From the opening pictures — mountains? Winding roads? Uh oh, we’re not in LA anymore — Insecure season 5 is giving us the sudden. Kelli carpools to the reunion from LA; in the meantime, Issa’s gliding off a flight to San Francisco… is she going to satisfy Lawrence? Did he take the job? Undecided… however for now, she’s headed to satisfy everybody for the reunion (together with Molly).

The crew strolls round campus earlier than a reunion get together “trying like a variety brochure,” with Issa pretending to recollect folks — together with an alumnus who used to flirt with Derek by whispering Mystikal lyrics in his ear, mating name of black millenials of a sure age.  This episode appears like a time capsule for viewers who’ve come to establish with the characters, the milestones of their lives, & cultural touchstones they mark them by. A love letter to the early aughts.

Insecure is at its funniest on the reunion get together. As our characters arrive, we’re handled to a black feminine flutist doing The Humpty Dance to “Blow the Whistle”. Now, Insecure provides me fomo from aerial b-roll, so I’m not shocked to wish to enroll at this fictional model of Stanford as a result of it appears black as hell.

They run right into a fellow scholar Cheyenne who I’ll name a strolling crimson flag! Tiff, ever grown & clever, opts out as a result of Chey was all the time “too loopy” for her, whereas Molly, Issa, Kelly & their outdated buddy instantly lauch into hilarious lyrics from their former rap group Entice Behavior: “Tricking niggas is a behavior. // Depart ‘em with the newborn. Inform his mama she will be able to have it!”

“Ain’t shit modified” turns into Cheyenne’s chorus… and Cheyenne our cautionary story: what would our characters be like in the event that they’d by no means developed?

Viewers criticisms of Kelli’s lack of character depth had been tackled head-on after a mix-up leads reunion organizers to consider she’s died. Throughout an in memoriam tribute, all her tutorial friends needed to say about her was “humorous”, “nice stanky leg,” & “all the time carried a handbag.” If I needed to tag myself within the season opener of Insecure, it’d be Kelli Prenny doing a melancholy stanky leg in a powder blue babydoll gown & white gogo boots to commemorate her personal dying.

My favourite scene from the Season 5 trailer was Issa within the mirror reconnecting together with her youthful self. And the episode greater than delivers. No rapping this time, however considered one of my favourite Insecure staples is Issa hyping herself up within the mirror. And she or he’s obtained lots purpose to be proud & mirror this time round: she’s been flewed out by her alma mater to talk on an entrepreneurship panel.

Of the panelists, Issa’s on the earliest phases of her entrepreneurship journey & proven in sharp, awkward reduction to them & their assured, press-ready responses. She will barely bear in mind the title of her firm & the panel host mispronounces it as The Blow-CC as a substitute of The Blocc…. Even nonetheless, Issa’s cheering part bigs her up earlier than they cut up for the afternoon — Kelli to band reunion — Tiff to an AKA factor with Derek — leaving Issa & Molly to relax…. With drinks…..

In a present like Insecure the place there’s a lot to like, the wardrobe and equipment stand out! Inexperienced plaid satin co-ords for Issa & Molly with the earth toned go well with, mules, & Bottega clutch. Earlier, the Telfar luggage with their Stanford sweatshirts. Molly’s Cartier watch! I’m vehemently anti-capitalist & I nonetheless yelled out “STUNT ON EM!” as Issa stole the pair a handful of drinks from the bar.

Over lunch, there are indicators of hope for the present’s most necessary friendship. Prompted by a protest flyer being dropped on the desk, Molly asks in the event that they’re gonna be okay…. Issa wonders if she means the world or … them? Earlier than we get the decision we crave, Kelli hits the group textual content with plans for the gang at an Oakland membership Issa was thrown out of in undergrad.

Again to the equipment, and to not victim-blame, however Issa & Molly are robbed at gunpoint on the best way to Oakland at a liquor retailer detour made at Cheyenne’s suggestion within the funniest scene of the episode. Between gasps of an entire meltdown, Cheyenne observes that Molly’s watch is Cartier – virtually instantly revealing she’d arrange a stick up with the assistance of  a buddy from the Bay – a masked assailant who by accident drops her title. Cheyenne yells her chorus “Ain’t shit modified” whereas using off into the night time together with her sick gotten drip.

Molly & Issa explode into laughter recounting their harrowing expertise to Kelli & Tiff & it’s probably the most joyous interplay we’ve seen from these two since season 3 – although we noticed glimpses in the course of the block get together earlier than the battle to finish all fights. Regardless that it took a close to dying expertise, you like to see it.

At brunch the subsequent day, the women give Kelli a correct memorial & Issa & Molly conform to let go of expectations & simply transfer ahead.

Again in LA, Kelli ponders her mortality & asks podcast listeners what they’d do with a second probability at life. We hear this over Derek & Tiff with their child Simone within the Stanford legacy onesie. With Molly within the mirror pondering herself & her hair – perhaps foreshadowing the massive chop we noticed within the trailer. And with Lawrence nonetheless in LA, choosing up Issa from the airport with a kiss.

After a clumsy automotive experience, Lawrence’s open ended “ought to we…” which means…. ought to we go upstairs into your house? begins the toughest scene to look at. I’ve come to anticipate the concrete questions in Insecure have summary solutions. Are we… Molly and Issa and the world… gonna be okay? Ought to we… Lawrence & Issa, proceed this difficult relationship?

Like this season to date, this breakup feels mature and remaining. But when I’ve discovered something the final 4 seasons, it’s to anticipate the sudden from Insecure.

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Extra Ideas:

• If Molly & Issa are at “ma’am standing” with Gen Z people, then so am I.
• Omari making an attempt to “reapply for the fuckbuddy scholarship” gave us yet one more stunning black man to argue about on Twitter. Thanks, Issa… although I don’t suppose we’ll be seeing way more of him or his king dimension mattress.
• Everyone must take heed to Kelly! Molly requested for recommendation on how Kelli patched her relationship with Tiff & it at first looks as if gibberish however the jist was: time, effort, be there for her, chuckle at jokes, and fill her speedy wants the place you may. Molly succeeds at breaking the ice later by asking if a grumpy Issa has eaten. Later Lawrence pretends to chuckle at a joke Issa makes within the automotive as an effort to protect their relationship… Kelly was on to one thing!
• And Kelli’s “what makes her hair develop?” recommendation sounds foolish however the groupchat proper now’s closely about OUR hair development cures (jamaican black castor oil, henna, amla, & coconut oil btw)…
• They didn’t need to do Issa’s sneakers like that!!

Rebecca O’Neal is a get up comic and author in Brooklyn. She hosts a comedy present – Angel Child at Purgatory – in Bushwick (November 4th & twenty seventh). Take a look at her jokes on Comedy Central.

Watch Insecure Season 5 Episode 1 on HBO Max