The premiere episode of the final season of Insecure sparked bittersweet social-media reactions from fans of the hit HBO comedy.
The highly anticipated return of Insecure found Issa and her bestie, Molly, attempting to resolve their issues as they headed to their 10-year college reunion at Stanford University alongside their longtime friends, Kelli, Tiffany and Derek.
Show creator and star Issa Rae tweeted about the filming experience, writing, “Shout out to @Stanford for breaking their ‘no filming’ rule for us!” Rae graduated from the Ivy League school in 2007.
In the episode, her character was paid to attend and speak on a Stanford panel about her entrepreneurial career and her company, The BLOCC (Black Lives, Opportunities, Culture and Connection). Back on their old campus, the crew continued to navigate their friend-group dynamic, revisiting their college-age exploits while Issa and Molly (Yvonne Orji) tread lightly in each others’ company after a fallout.
Yet, there was still another relationship hanging in the balance: the one between Issa and Lawrence, who, at the end of Season Four, found out he was having a baby with his ex-girlfriend, Condola.
The Insecure characters and their life choices made for great Twitter conversation before, during and after the Season Five premiere.
“I love how Insecure literally plays out the insecurities of adulthood. Everybody is dealing with the shifts in friendships, goals, aspirations, family, careers, everything. That’s real AF,” one fan tweeted.
Show producer and writer Prentice Penny hinted on Twitter: “Are we gonna be okay is the theme of the entire season. You should watch it from that lens.”
“#InsecureHBO has been a transformative show, not just for Black culture, but the entire industry. As a comedy exec, there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t hear it talked about or brought up in a pitch. Both new and veteran creators use it as a reference. It’s a new blueprint,” television insider Jasmyn Lawson shared.
One fan referenced the show’s realism, writing, “Realizing that you’re not where u said u would be 10 years ago is rough af. First episode and the topics are on point honey ! One of the many reasons this show is so important and real.”
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