‘Girls’ Recap, Season Four, Episode Seven: “Ask Me My Name”

The beginning of “Ask Me My Name” is probably the first time we feel real hope for Hannah. Never has she looked more comfortable in her own skin than when she is being the funny and cool teacher leading what looks like a middle school or early high school class (complete with student Maude Apatow) in a discussion of Oedipus Rex. She is absolutely captivated as she compliments a student on his sense of humor and casually drops the term “MILF” in the lesson.

After completely killing it in front of the class, Hannah retires to the teachers’ lounge where we learn that she’s only a substitute teacher, which seems like a shame because it’s pretty clear that teaching is what she was born to do. What isn’t disappointing is that she hits it off with a hot, juice box swilling teacher named Fran played by Obvious Child’s Jake Lacy. This is a score on par with Shoshanna’s landing a date with Josh Ritter on last week’s episode. Also, that’s the only time we’re going to mention Shosh in this recap because she doesn’t appear in this episode, in keeping with this season’s trend of at least one girl being absent or barely visible per episode.

While we don’t check in with Shosh, we do get to spend a little bit of time with Elijah, who spends his his grand appearance as Hannah’s pre-date outfit planning focus group and rightfully vetoes an outfit by telling Hannah, “I mean, if you want him to think you killed your kids and have been living in the Florida panhandle, knock yourself out.” The two then engage in some simultaneous masturbation separated only by a curtain. For Hannah, it’s a pre-date anxiety-reducer. Elijah doesn’t really need a reason. Bless the two of them.

Hannah and Fran are getting along famously. Between her finding her groove with the teaching gig and then hitting it off with a legitimately charming guy, Hannah seems to be on a definite upswing. However, this is Girls, so moments of clarity are fleeting, bursts of maturity are short-lived, and backsliding and regression is drawn-out, painful, and embarrassing for everyone involved. Since Hannah and the undeniably adorable Fran are having a great time, she decides to ruin it by bringing him to Mimi-Rose’s bizarre performance art show which consists of everyone wearing green smocks that read “Ask Me My Name” emblazoned across the front. Marnie, Jessa, and Adam are all suitably horrified to see her, and I’m suitably horrified to see Marnie there, given that she’s supposed to be more Hannah’s friend than Adam’s. I’m also horrified to see Desi by her side, but there’s still a few episodes left in the season for Desi to ignite this ill-fated union with whatever emotional napalm he’s been stockpiling.

Fran quickly realizes that he’s a pawn used strictly to get a reaction out of Adam and because he’s apparently the smartest person on the show, immediately blows the hell out of there.

Oddly enough, the only person happy to see Hannah is Mimi-Rose, who rushes over to her and profusely thanks her for coming to the puzzling show. She also insists that Hannah go to the after party and engineers it so that she shares a cab with Hannah while Adam shares a cab with Ace, Mimi-Rose’s former partner, played by Zachary Quinto in a particularly douchebaggy role that I wouldn’t be surprised to learn was written for Jason Schwartzman. It probably wasn’t, but still, it really feels like a Jason Schwartzman role. Anyway, it’s when the splitting off happens is that everyone’s troubles really begin.

Adam obviously hates having to share a cab with Ace, who is a hipster art scene cliche who sucks on a toothbrush as a bizarre affectation. He tries to undermine Adam’s confidence by talking shit on Mimi-Roses’s well-constructed, whimsically enlightened, pixie-ish personality only to almost immediately tip his hand and tell Adam he’s still in love with her and he’s going to get her back. Anyway, you have to hand it to Zachary Quinto for the fact that the episode’s most unlikable character isn’t one of the four girls. That’s really an accomplishment.

In the other cab, Mim-Rose does her best to project the best version of herself. the self-actualized and accomplished artist with the boyfriend, the career and the book in progress.

“It’s a psychosexual thriller told from the perspective of a dead woman who solves her own murder using this hologram technology she invented.” Mimi-Rose explains to a Hannah who can barely contain her revulsion.

Still, it’s hard for Hannah to hear Mimi-Rose about the successful artist’s life that has so far eluded her. While she seemed happy to be teaching kids, she breaks down and admits that she left grad school because she wasn’t talented enough and treats her fate of working an ordinary job and leading an ordinary life like a death sentence.

After the cab driver mows down an old lady and knocks her to the ground, the two women continue to break down each others’ defenses. First, Mimi-Rose asks Hannah if she resents her for going out with Adam. At first, Hannah takes the noble route and says that she won’t resent Mimi-Rose for something Adam did under the guise of not playing into patriarchy. Fair enough.

However, after enduring more of Mimi-Rose’s whimsy (i.e. charming the pants off of a woman in a laundromat by trying to leave a poem in her dryer), their conversation takes a turn.

“Do you still want Adam back?” Mimi-Rose says to Hannah. “I might say you can have him.”

Right, as if Adam didn’t leave Hannah of his own accord. Anyway, Hannah is rightfully cautious of this glorified hostage exchange and hilariously points out that she won’t fall for Mimi-Rose’s “beaver trap,” so she presses the issue further.

“Are you mad because you gave up on art?” Mimi Rose asks, “ Or because you gave up on Adam? Or is it both?”

Hannah finally unleashes a cathartic wave of anger and finally calls Mimi-Rose out for stealing Adam while she was away. this in turn, causes Mimi-Rose to admit that she knows that Hannah hated her ridiculous art show and she fears it’s how everyone perceives her. Although some poor old lady had to shatter her hip in the process, Hannah and Mimi-Rose finally reach a mutual point of respect. Hey, they may actually even like each other.

Back at the after party, Adam reveals to Jessa Ace’s plan to get back with Mimi-Rose, which upsets Jessa to no end considering that she set up Adam and Mimi-Rose for the sole purpose of having Ace all to herself and ending her best friend’s relationship in the process, thus consistently establishing her as the show’s worst person.

“I’ll be pregnant with his twins by May.” Jessa mutters to herself, clearly not willing to be deterred. Bitch needs to go back to rehab and take it seriously this time.

Hannah emerges at the after party and spends just enough time there to tell Hannah that she really likes MHR and she gets why he is with her. The jury is still out as to what Hannah’s motivation was for approaching him, but I’m giving her the benefit of the doubt. I really like this Hannah and I hope she sticks around for a while.

Maggie Serota is a Staff Editor at Death and Taxes and a freelance writer who loves TV more than life itself.

 

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Photos: HBO