Why Every Girl Should Watch HBO's Girls

I'm beginning to make a habit of starting posts with an obligatory apology for how long it's been. In this case it has been one month and five days. Rather bad.

However, one of the excuses I have this time is the hit HBO American show that is almost filling a Gossip Girl-shaped hole in my heart - Girls. Whilst it certainly seems like your stereotypical 4 dysfunctional best friends living out their career dreams in NYC with on/off boyfriends and touching 3am moments of being 'there', it isn't. Not quite. The best thing about Girls is that from the outside it does follow these teen drama conventions, for example:

• The Best Friends | In classic SATC style, they are all very different and we all know that in the real world, Carrie would not be friends with Miranda. In Girls, however, you have...

Hannah: The self-centered, often inappropriate main character who aspires to be a writer but struggles with her 'I don't care' attitude. Often hilarious without meaning to be, for example joking about date rape at a job interview and jokingly accusing the interviewer of having raped girls at uni... Seriously. And the time she goes for an HIV test and ends up convincing herself (out loud, in front of the doctor, whilst being examined) that actually, HIV may just be the best thing for her right now and she actually wants HIV as then everyone would get off her back about paying rent and finding a proper job.
Marnie: The sensible (or as Jessa would say, uptight), clean cut best friend of Hannah, presenting a 'normal' alternative to Hannah. Marnie works as an art gallery assistant and rarely does anything stupid. Or funny. However, we do see flashes of adventurousness underneath as in one episode she passionately kisses Jessa (almost in an attempt to disprove her apparent uptightness) and in another masturbates in a public toilet.
Jessa: My personal favourite, style and personality wise. An unpredictable bohemian world traveller who takes each day as it comes. Jessa reveals she is pregnant in Series 1 from one of her many one night stands and books an abortion, but whilst hooking up with a stranger in some public toilets whilst her abortion is supposed to be happening, she suddenly gets her period and skips out of the heavy, possible pregnancy situation scar-free, in typical Jessa style. Jessa is easily the most quotable character.
Shoshanna: A bubbly, innocent NYU prepster. Jessa's (polar opposite) cousin whose biggest secret is that she's still a virgin.

• The Location | Yep, naturally, it's set in New York. But don't think Gossip Girl and SATC - rarely will you see a landmark in Girls. Mainly set in what is probably Brooklyn, it shows the rougher, more realistic side of city living.

• The Relationship Problems | Well obviously. It is called Girls.

The main thing that separates Girls from every other girly comedy drama set in NYC is how real it is. They're not rich (a main story line of the first series is Hannah's parents cutting off all forms of monetary support), the sex scenes are incredibly awkward, the male characters sometimes rather vile, the worryingly lifelike just-put-my-foot-in-it moments and real life problems such as STIs and abortions. The thing I love about these heavy issues is the way Girls deals with them - not in the typical 'we must address this problem to raise awareness' way television so often does, following with an advert at the end advertising FRANK or Childline. They deal with them realistically, sometimes uncomfortably so. For example, the whole abortion episode features Jessa giving a genuinely touching speech (well, more of a rant) over how she really wants to be a mother, with kids from several different men of different ethnicities and how she's going to be amazing at it. It then cuts to her smoking and drinking a White Russian at 11am whilst she should be having her abortion, before having sex with a stranger in the public toilet and laughing wickedly when she gets her period.

And that, is why you should all watch Girls. I shall even provide you with a link: http://www.free-tv-video-online.me/internet/girls/

After my long blogging break I return with good news for those of you who care - I am now on Polyvore! And whose style to better celebrate than Jessa's?

Jessa Johansson by rionadoherty featuring strappy heels

Bises,

Riona