Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Whether you’re #TeamIssa or #TeamLawrence, the one thing we all can come together and agree on, is that we’re damn thankful Insecure season 2 is here. If you need a little refresher, or gasp!, you aren’t caught up, HBO is streaming season 1 for free for 24 hours on Sunday to lead up to that night’s season 2 premiere. So go ahead, and watch it all over again for the first or the 100th time, you’ll be happy you did.
Season 2 picks up not long after the aftermath of the season 1 finale. You know, when Lawrence (Jay Ellis) packed up his shit from the apartment and moved out, wasting no time bending over Tasha (Dominique Perry) the bank clerk. Issa (Issa Rae) is picking up the pieces of her life, working up the courage to sit through awkward date after awkward date, and honestly, watching someone on terrible dates has never been more fun. As the show cuts back and forth from reality to the things Issa wants to say, and really, what we’ve ALL wanted to say, it’s so entertaining you might even consider firing up that Tinder/Bumble/Hinge/Coffee Meets Bagel app yourself. Well, once the episode is over.
Not that Insecure is at all making dating look fun, but there’s something about the way Issa faces it head-on that makes it feel utterly relatable, and maybe even tolerable, especially if it comes with this soundtrack and these hotties and Issa’s raps. Because oh yes, those classic bars for the mirror are back in a big way. Issa’s skills have only improved in season two, with wittier words and a steadier flow.
Issa brings that same boldness to her job, fighting for what she believes in while navigating a tricky racial situation at the same time. Oh, and it’s not only her job. Molly (Yvonne Orji) attempts to move up at work, but gets trapped in comparing herself to the white dude at the office (literally, White Josh from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, David Hull).
The friendships are more dynamic, the sex scenes are hotter (like, way hotter), and it’s clear that this show has truly gelled into something special. The jokes are funnier and more frequent, and you’ll find yourself feeling even more invested in these characters than you already do. You root for them, you want them to find love, and you want them to do the right thing. And what Insecure nails so perfectly, is that a lot of things these people do are wrong, but they’re still right. You can see where they’re coming from, and if you can’t, you surely have a friend that will happily explain it to you.
The season 1 finale got the internet all riled up, debating if it was Issa or Lawrence that truly messed up (it was both, but still firmly #TeamIssa). Season 2 aims to do it all again. You won’t agree with everything that happens, or every move these characters make. Yet somehow, something just feels right with the world for that one half-hour every Sunday night when we can watch them in action…and then take to the internet to debate and discuss it all for a week until the next episode.
