Latest Episode Of Girls Airs, Attempts To Undermine Likability Of Mimi-Rose Just To Spite Me
Ever since I espoused the virtues of Mimi-Rose, it seems Lena Dunham has taken it upon herself to undermine the character’s likability factor. (Never you mind that she wrote those episodes before I ever gave my two cents.)
A couple episodes ago on HBO's Girls, after Mimi-Rose revealed herself to be a strong, independent, confident woman – a type of female character unlike that of which Dunham has ever put forth on Girls without undercutting one or more of those characteristics – Miss Mimi set up a trap unbefitting of her assured self worth when she sent Adam away in a cab with her ex and trapped Hannah alone with her. Her apparent end goal? Torture Adam by cluing him in to the fact that Ace still loves her, and torture Hannah by offering Adam up like some kind of consolation prize.
To recap – Mimi-Rose told Hannah she might just let her have Adam back if she wanted him that badly. The end result was that Mimi-Rose ended up looking like a big, fat cat toying with a couple of half-dead mice she never actually intended to eat.
Since then, we’ve had some nice distractions from the Mimi-Rose/Adam/Hannah/Ace love square, such as the eloquently executed revelation that Hannah’s Dad is, in fact, gay – just as Hannah’s gay ex-boyfriend Elijah forewarned in Season 1. After Hannah’s mom’s initial reaction – freaking out at a party and laughing in the face of her coworker who had terrible timing when he professed to love her right after her husband came out to her – we’re now watching her and her husband contend with the aftermath of his newly revealed identity. And that’s much more interesting than whatever’s got Hannah’s panties in a twist at the moment.
Back to this Sunday’s episode. Jessa, who had been sacrificing some of her dignity by trying to fascinate Ace in the way she had successfully fascinated other men failed miserably when he forced their way into Mimi-Rose’s/Adam’s apartment. And she failed even more miserably when Mimi-Rose, in one of her fits of not-so-altruistic honesty, proclaimed she wanted Ace back just as he wanted her back.
To follow up, she proclaimed her choice was to remain alone, rather than going with Ace or Adam. My gut reaction was: “That’s some shady shit, Mimi-Rose. Trying to make yourself all the more desirable to the men who want you by telling both of them they can’t have you. Enjoy your colossal ego trip.” But perhaps my gut reaction was wrong. Perhaps she realized neither Ace nor Adam would make her happy, so she valiantly chose her own self and happiness. That’s uncommon on TV. That’s likeable. (Can you hear me trying to convince myself?)
But then, why the cat and mouse game with Jessa and Adam as victims? Oh well, adieu, likeable version of Mimi-Rose. It was fun while it lasted. Now we’ll all go back to adoring Ray, whose heart was stomped upon by Marnie now that she is engaged to her musical partner clearly just because she got caught up in the idea of it all, not because they are actually right for one another.