So, the day has finally come. After 5 hilarious, emotional, and poignant seasons, Issa Rae’s hit HBO show, Insecure, has finally come to an end. Many fans, I included, were nervous after seeing many great shows have very unsatisfying endings and leaving a bad taste in the mouths of viewers who were excited to see how it all ends. I’m glad to say that Insecure’s finale does not follow in that tradition and delivers an emotionally satisfying closer for the beloved show. (Spoilers ahead for the series finale)
Much to fans enjoyment, the episode was 40 minutes long, which gave the series finale some much needed room to breathe, as this episode covers the span of a year and some change. The episode jumps in time to each of the four best friends, Issa, Molly, Kelli, and Tiffany’s, birthdays. A full circle moment as the show opened on Issa’s birthday, and the last scene takes place on her birthday as well. An interesting choice as we get to see the characters grow and make big life changes as the episode continues. There’s so many beautiful and satisfying moments here, my favorite being the wedding between Molly and Taurean; the pairing became one of my favorite developments of this final season.
Molly, whose character growth has been rewarding if not a bit exhausting to watch, getting her happy ending was also very gratifying to see after watching all the things she goes through during the show’s run. But the wedding also led to my favorite scene of the whole finale. A scene between Molly and Issa, the last scene we see them in the same room interacting, in which Issa is helping Molly out of her gown. The two share their usual banter that has become a beloved staple of the show. Then things get serious when Molly tells Issa thank you for all she’s done for her, for loving her even when she wasn’t at her best. The two share a tearful embrace that honestly would leave any viewer’s eyes watering.
Issa also gets her happy ending as well. Yes, she finally picks Lawrence for real, ending the will-they-won’t-they drama that this season was building up, but the true happy ending for me and the beautiful last message the show ends on is Issa choosing to be confident in herself and her choices. Throughout the show, Issa doubted herself at every turn, whether it was about relationships, her career, or her friends, but in a poignant speech she gives to Lawrence, Issa points out that the doubters were all in her head; “The only person that was doubting me was me.” A very relatable sentiment for me and many of the other viewers that watched the show and identified with the many struggles Issa faced. In the end, when she looked in the mirror, her cynical mirror reflection version of herself was no longer around, signifying that Issa was no longer insecure, a beautiful symbolic note to close on. The world owes Issa Rae and the people behind Insecure a thank you for bringing us a show that revolutionized black television, that entertained, and gave representation to a generation that will definitely share it with the next.
