Things Get ‘Hella’ Real on the Season 2 Finale of ‘Insecure’

Pricilla Kumar

Lately, it seems that Issa Rae is everywhere. From securing a unique position at HBO as the original series showrunner for “Insecure” to slaying the red carpets in style, Rae has grown to be a reckoning force in the entertainment world. Viewers of her infectious series are immersed in the world of a young, vibrant and confused woman, Issa Rae (Issa Rae) and fans are praising “Insecure” on social media platforms, popularizing the hashtag #TeamIssa. Proving the series continues to be a hit, with thousands tuning in weekly to check on Issa’s status.

Season two explores in detail one of the most hindering constituents in Issa’s life; her love life or the lack of one, that is. Issa’s tangled web of romance is a further challenge with her boyfriend Lawrence Walker (Jay Ellis) as Issa deals with the thorniest of situations and their storyline fully develops throughout season two. As the series finale, “Hella Blows,” addresses the most major conflict in Issa’s life, viewers will see a shift in both the character’s personality and her attitude towards what love truly is. But, in true Issa fashion, it is all but kosher with awkward life moments continuing to be the driving force of her life.

Over the course of season two, “Insecure” has pushed more boundaries and has become bolder with valorous dialogue and steamier love scenes. Plotlines have become more dynamic, characters have kept it real and the writers have not held back with sentimental storylines.  

Molly Carter (Yvonne Orji) also battles out her own relationships with men; problems that are opposite of Issa’s. The season finale see’s Molly trying to juggle her career, both professionally and personally. Molly takes her career into her own hands and starts interviewing all over town on hunt for redemption. However, the road has been paved with roadblocks and she finds herself repeating the same omissions. Her love triangle with Lionel, Dro and co-worker Quentin hints at the fact that Molly is slowly unraveling; coping with her emotions the best way she knows how, sex. 

Lawrence has a newfound love interest with co-worker Aparna whose onscreen chemistry is anything but sizzling. When Lawrence witnesses Aparna texting Colin who she has slept with in the past, it is apparent that Issa’s past cheating still haunts him. But bringing Aparna to Derek’s fancy dinner party was the icing on the cake that was easily one of the more tension filled scenes in the season.  

What makes “Insecure” such a widespread success is that Rae’s character is incredibly relatable, which plays well on and off screen. Witnessing her heartbreak and her constant struggle to understand the humanity of men is both charming and despairing. The audience wants Issa to win but with a price. Adding in humor only heightens the relatability of the characters. And both the supporting cast (Orji and Ellis) and Issa’s main character mesh together in the most perfect union. 

The serie’s freshest seasons ends with the characters in the same predicament that they have fought so hard to avoid. Issa ends up moving in with ex-flame Danny and Mo opens up her doors to Dro, who is still very married. The most tender moment of the entire season is the heart to heart that Issa and Lawrence have in the empty kitchen they had shared for many years. The exchange is meaningful and chock-full of emotion, a raw moment that is rare for the series, but much needed in moving the story forward. In true Issa fashion, the sincere moment is followed with a fantasy sequence of Issa and Lawrence getting married and starting a family together, again quickly shut down with the reality of their goodbye. Still, however, the moment evokes an emotion that has us rooting for Issa. 

Season three can’t come soon enough with many questions arising from the storms that were created throughout season two. Will Issa and Danny hook up when she moves in with him? Will the relationship between Issa and Lawrence fizzle or get stronger? Will Molly still continue her scandalous rendezvous with Dro? Will Colin and Aparna still entertain a fling? We will have to wait until next year to find out.

“Insecure” is created by Issa Rae and Larry Wilmore; executive produced by Issa Rae, Prentice Penny, Melina Matsoukas, Michael Rotenberg, Dave Becky and Jonathan Berry.

The season 2 finale of “Insecure” aired Sept. 10 on HBO.