Insecure: Season 2/ Episode 2 “Hella Questions” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

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My name is Amari and I’d like to hand in my #TeamLawrence card due to him being an F*** boy. Who do I need to talk to? […] No, I don’t wish to subscribe to #TeamIssa, though I do enjoy her storyline more than ever. Is there a #TeamMolly or even a #TeamTasha subscription available though?

The Way Life “Should” Be: Molly

Molly finally opens up in her therapy sessions with Dr. Pine and it leads Dr. Pine to note how Molly uses the word “Should” a lot when talking about her life. How she should be in a relationship, how something should be with family or at work, and it leads to Molly hearing something she isn’t fond of. That is, the idea of accepting things or even changing her goals to accommodate the way life is.

Which isn’t said in a matter of fact way. Being that Dr. Pine herself is a Black woman, she gets it. She understands Molly’s obstacles. However, we’re seemingly on this path that I think Issa brought up in season 1. Of which is Molly having to realize she has to expand what she is willing to accept as progress and accomplishments.

Though, with her already kind of giving up on dating, there is seemingly this need to at least do well in her career. Hence why, with the help of Renee (Leshay Tomlinson), a Black assistant, she tries to make headway into the office’s Boys Club. Which, at first, it seems she may have made progress. She is charming, makes some of them laugh, but the next day her boss isn’t receptive to her. Granted, she was interrupting a conversation already in progress, but it seems her expectations didn’t meet what reality was willing to give.

So while hesitant, it seems she may need to schedule her next appointment as she continues to reprogram herself.

Commentary

You know, one of the important things this show does is expose, in a good way, Black people to the idea of therapy. Something which still seems a bit taboo and sketchy in the culture, though maybe growing in acceptance. But what also matters is the fact Molly talked about shopping around for a therapist and her finding one, a Black woman, who gets it. She puts her guidance in context of Molly’s life and there isn’t this cultural barrier since the only thing separating them is age. So with that, I feel like Molly is helping to demystify the experience. Especially in terms of therapy minus brain chemistry altering drugs.

But with that said, I wonder if, at the end of the day, is Molly happy? It’s clear there are a lot of things which frustrate her and she isn’t sure how to process but is she happy? When was the last time the feeling was consistent? Because, between dating and work, a lot of the time it seems like Molly is on auto-pilot. She is reaching for the things she should want rather than the things she does need. And I think the goal of Dr. Pine right now is trying to help Molly reconcile the two. Assuming that is possible.

For while we can’t speak on Molly in terms of dating right now, since it isn’t clear how her current growth could affect a relationship, work wise it seems clear she is having issues with her current environment. One which is, as you can imagine, and she says, is a Boys Club. The type where, so it seems, Hannah realized the only way she could do better is by heading to Chicago. Something Molly may end up doing for if she wants equal pay and advancement, it seems the glass ceiling is actually painted cement there.

So while she could hammer away until she has swallowed enough dust to make her cough like she took the cinnamon challenge, it may really best to move on. Which, in the long run, may not be the worse idea. For work wise, being under Hannah could mean all the work she did may finally get rewarded and noticed. Much less, cultural wise, maybe the perfect partner for her is in Chicago and LA dudes just don’t click with her right? Not to say the type of men Molly is used to may not be in Chicago, but with her growing as a person, what better way to close a chapter than planning to start a new one in a new city?

As for how that would work with this show? Well, it isn’t like Issa is tied down to LA county either and couldn’t use a change in scenery. Much less a new job.

Looking Out For Our Own: Issa, Frieda

The school Issa is working with is overpopulated, not at all prepared for its Spanish speaking population, and really could use We Got Ya’ll. Hence why when Vice Principal Gaines (A. Russell Andrews) is directly approached by Issa, he puts stuff together to help. That and because she is Black.

However, in his being colloquial with Issa, Frieda picks up on some prejudice. Mostly against the Spanish students in terms of VP Gaines telling some to speak English in the school, talking about building a wall, and things of that nature. Also, one could take his whole “We need to stick together like the Jews and Mexicans offensive,” but being that there is some truth in that offensive comment, like Issa, there is a desire to let that slide.

Which is such an issue for Frieda since she wants to be that woke white friend. However, how can she stand by and listen to this Black man say what are racist things? For it isn’t like this is casual conversations on the street. His prejudice is met with a position of power and he is coming down on these kids. She looks to Issa for comradery but being that Issa’s Blackness is benefiting her for once in her job, much less VP Gaines is drastically helping her look good, she kind of shrugs it off. Much to Frieda’s disappointment.

Commentary

Can I just say, speaking from my experience, middle aged Black folk like VP Gaines kind of seem the norm. Sort of like Joe on The Carmichael Show, they can be very prejudice and ignorant. For while they are old enough to know of real deal, in your face, discrimination, that doesn’t stop them from looking down and messing with Hispanics. If only because, like white people in a way, they realize the power shift isn’t going to benefit them. In fact, it may make life worse.

So, like Issa in a way, I sort of shrugged off what VP Gaines said and did. Especially because, I understood Issa’s point of view in both ways. One being, she was not trying to screw up things finally going good for her on this project, but also the fact that it is so rare to deal with Black people in power positions. Much less ones who are willing to help their own get ahead. So when you meet someone like that, you are not trying to burn a single damn bridge.

After all, while VP of just one school, you never know where this man may end up. Also, who knows what connections he may have on the board and how easy or hard he could make life for Issa. So yeah, he maybe a little prejudice, and has the power to make the Spanish speaking kids uncomfortable, but it isn’t like Issa isn’t probably used to older Black folk like him. So I don’t take her shrugging it off being purely about what he can and has done for her. More so her being used to old Black folk talking like him. Doesn’t make it right but, Issa isn’t on some SJW stuff like Frieda seems to be.

The D*** Must Be Too Bomb: Issa, Molly, Tiffany, Lawrence, Tasha

Would it be wrong to call Lawrence an ain’t s*** N****? I’m just saying, outside of his sex game, and the fact he now has a job, I’m finding it hard to see the appeal at this point. For it really does seem people have to give him ultimatums or really push their point for him to get his s*** together. Like, just in terms of moving out of Chad’s apartment, he was hemming and hawing in the last episode and does damn near the same thing when Chad seemingly is giving him the hookup. For, the realtor Eboni (Kiki Turner), is one of Chad’s exes. Someone who likely is trying to give her exes’ friend a good deal.

But, that isn’t the only example. It is confirmed what happened in the last episode was not a dream. Issa and Lawrence had sex. Thus sending mixed signals to Issa and with Lawrence trying to be some type of good guy and confessing to Tasha, she temporarily is done with him. However, the d*** must be too bomb. For Issa has Molly hunt Lawrence down for some answers, because he is sending one-word texts. Then with Tasha, after an apology and what not, she comes around to starting the healing process.

Though it may not just be Issa and Tasha with man issues though. Tiffany drops that Derek and her were going through some issues. The type they would rather keep on the low so while she reveals it to relate, she shuts down any and all inquiries.

Commentary

I’ve sort of given up on Lawrence. For while he has shown he does have the tools to be a good boyfriend and even a decent man, it seems to consistently take someone putting a foot against his behind, and pushing, for him to reach his potential. But with that said, with Issa you know it is 5 years of her life that she is trying to not feel like she wasted. What is Tasha’s excuse? At least to my preferences, she is a very attractive girl and seems like a sweetheart. So why is it, even if they never talked about being exclusive, she lets Lawrence back into her life?

For while they may not have been exclusive, they weren’t F*** buddies either. I’d even argue, if Lawrence had common sense, he would understand through talking with her, much less Chad, that she wanted someone thing exclusive. So her doing what he wanted was to make a down payment. But I guess the moral of this story is how some must be willing to put up with quite a bit of BS if the person has potential, much less can maybe satisfy their sexual needs. Otherwise, I don’t get it.

Leaving Tiffany. I don’t know about you, but between her and Kelli I would love to know more about these characters. So with Tiffany dropping that little tidbit, my eyes were as open as hers when she was shutting Molly down. For when I heard my favorite Black and Bougie couple were having problems, maybe with cheating, I was shocked and wanted details. So here is hoping Tiffany hasn’t effectively shut down that topic. For while I have no clue what direction they may have for the character, I think what she just mentioned gives a nice parallel story to Issa’s. That is, one couple being together after infidelity vs. another breaking up and moving on. As Issa seeming is doing since she maybe entering a sexually liberal phase [note]For a lack of a better term.[/note]