Photo by Bave Pictures on Unsplash

The end of Insecure is like a punch in the gut. Kinda like when Issa cheated on Lawrence. I find myself asking some of the same questions, “why is this happening? It’s giving very much, “how could she do this? vibes all over again. Totally like Issa to do something that should make us hate her but we root for her anyway. Saying goodbye after 5 seasons to the characters we’ve grown to LOVE, and I mean LOVE, is one of the reasons the Insecure fan-base has been characteristically vocal about the show ending – myself included.

If you haven’t watched the series before, you may not understand why it’s so monumental for the show to be ending. After all, popular series end all the time. But, to understand why the end of Insecure is so significant, you have to take a look at the whole landscape of television at the time the show started. Insecure came about at a time when most of us didn’t have anything like it. In the 2014-2015 timeframe, we had TV shows like Scandal, Power, Black-Ish, Empire, and Being Mary Jane. While they’re all very interesting shows – nothing gave what Insecure was giving — a young woman realistically navigating life in Los Angeles.

What initially stood out is that Insecure wasn’t a show about Hood Culture; it was a show about being Black and just living. It wasn’t a cinematic think-piece on social justice and awareness like a lot of television centered around Black characters tend to be. While shows like these are necessary and helpful to drive conversation, in Insecure these topics were naturally embedded. It felt less like the TV was preaching at you, and more like casual conversation with a friend.

Characters like Issa & Molly’s were so special because of how overwhelmingly normal they were. They each had a healthy family relationship, were highly educated, and had real, deep friendships. Molly was killing it as an attorney. Issa was navigating life and the work world, albeit somewhat awkwardly, just like most women early in their careers with a dream. Each character was written with sincere thought and had a way of reminding you of people you know and love. Especially within a really specific age group. All of us 20-somethings that go to Sunday brunch with your Management-Trainee friend from Enterprise and the other that works as an attorney could relate to the range of characters in the show and the type of dialogue that takes place between them.

The series drama wasn’t too exaggerated. It was based on realistic scenarios. This made it incredibly easy to root for the characters, even when they disappoint you, and really fed into the fun of debating every episode with your watch-party crew. Basically, Insecure never tried to do too much. They just kept it real – and we felt that. With the show leaving the scene, we’ll definitely feel the absence of something so representative of our daily life. I’d argue now that there isn’t currently anything else on TV that feels so authentic.

While we know the show is ending, we aren’t there just yet. So, let’s have a quick chat about where Season 4 left our favorite west coast crew – to refresh you for the upcoming season 5 set to air later this year. There are spoilers below!

Issa

After finally having her epic block party, Issa is in a solid place with her career. It’s still early but taking off, and she’s far more confident than she was back in Season 1 working at We Got Y’all.

If you recall (and I’m sure you do), she just reunited with Lawrence. If you ship Lawrence and Issa, then cross your fingers hella hard cause this is their last chance to get it right! Lawrence had just accepted a job in San Francisco, and Issa agreed to make it work long distance. But then…

Lawrence

Lawrence had a few relationships since his split with Issa. He also had some success in his career and much-needed personal growth. In season 4, he started seeing Condola (insert major side-eye). Their relationship was going fine until they had a conversation about their exes. Lawrence was convinced he was a rebound after Condola’s divorce. Condola was convinced Lawrence would still be with Issa if she never cheated. So, they split up. Then, just when it looked like we were going to get the Lawrence and Issa love story we signed up for, Condola pops up at his doorstep with the old-fashioned “Surprise! It’s yours!” speech and the decision to keep the baby.

Issa has a less than ideal reaction to the news. She declares, “This is too much – I thought things were finally good” before the scene ends without additional context. We’ll just have to wait and see if this is what breaks the Issa-Lawrence union up forever or if they take on the challenge together.

Molly

The enemy of Black Twitter all Season 4. Molly had a whole season of what felt like a regression – but it was actually just revelation. She spent a good amount of the season in therapy, and while it was much needed, it didn’t feel like we saw any real growth until the very last episode. After a season of ups and downs in her relationship with Andrew, we see them break up. By the end of the scene, Molly realizes she may be holding on to what they have just for the sake of holding on.

Molly and Andrew’s breakup is followed by the pivotal moment of Issa and Molly at the Ethiopian Restaurant they started the series in. Hopefully, this is a sign that if no other relationship is ok, maybe this one will. Even if it’s not like before.

Let’s hope for a happy ending, guys. I’m excited for whatever happens as Issa, Yvonne, and Jay go on in their careers. And let’s all agree not berate Issa on Instagram.