Girls: The 10 Best Episodes (According To IMDb)

One of the most polarizing shows of the 2010s has to be Girls. Lena Dunham’s semi-autobiographical series about millennials struggling through adulthood wholeheartedly accomplished the goal of protagonist Hannah Horvath — it captured the voice of a generation.

Many found that voice cloying, whiny, and entitled. But buried in the muck of Hannah and co.’s ridiculous behavior were nuggets of raw relatability. While Generation Z has Euphoria, we doubt that any other generation has a series so distinctly theirs as millennials have with Girls. We’re not alone in believing that this show is something to celebrate. The users of IMDb have weighed in, and here are their favorite episodes of this one-of-a-kind HBO series.

10 Sit-In (Season 4, Episode 5) – 8.0

How many viewers were taking bets on how when Hannah would leave Iowa? Those who rolled the dice on the middle of Season 4 were cashing in as Hannah returns to New York only to find Adam with new girlfriend, Mimi Rose Howard — and the lovely new couple is playing house in Hannah’s apartment.

Cue the (understandable) temper tantrum. Hannah holes herself up in her bedroom and the rest of the episode is a carousel of main characters, each taking their shot at getting through to their friend. This is what makes “Sit-In” a standout. We not only get to see every character exactly as they are, but also how they relate to Hannah. Her relationship with Jessa has always been steeped in volatility, so it’s no wonder the two devolve into fisticuffs. And don’t even get us started on how long it takes Marnie to show up.

9 It’s A Shame About Ray (Season 2, Episode 4) – 8.0

This Season 2 episode finds our protagonist throwing a classy dinner party to celebrate a career milestone, only for grudges and revelations to bubble to the surface as they are wont to do over the course of a night of fine food and drink.

These characters take a lot of flack for their noxious personalities, but this episode finds them showing flickering glimpses of what their best selves look like. Despite being at loggerheads with Marnie, Hannah still defends her to “nice guy” Charlie. Jessa leaves her dumpster fire of a marriage to Thomas John. But best of all is the tender love confession between Shoshanna and Ray, the show’s most likable characters.

8 The Bounce (Season 6, Episode 7) – 8.1

The show’s final season finds each of the characters growing up in some way, and “The Bounce” is a prime example. Elijah auditions for a musical, choosing the unknown path to professional success over the retread one of romantic dysfunction. Hannah has a painful conversation with the father of her unborn child. Marnie finally — finally — starts to clue in that she’s responsible for her actions and their consequences.

In the case of Elijah and Marnie, we had two characters getting exactly what they deserve. For all his selfishness, Elijah is a sparkling delight who finally got a break in his acting career. As for Marnie, the delightful pawn shop owner became the voice of the audience, making it a surprise that #YASPawnShopOwner didn’t start trending on social media.

7 Japan (Season 5, Episode 3) – 8.1

Love ’em or hate ’em, Girls is famous for its one-off episodes.  “Japan” almost falls into that category, with most of the story devoted to Shoshanna as she thrives at her job in Japan, seeming to fit in way better there than in New York.

Can we all just agree that Shosh is the best character on the show, bar none? That’s likely why the episode ranks so high among viewers. Sure, she behaves with that trademark self-centeredness Girls is known for, conveniently kind-of forgetting about her sweet boyfriend back home, but we also get to see her grow and blossom, and that’s pretty awesome.

6 Beach House (Season 3, Episode 7) – 8.2

This episode finds the micro-managing Marnie meticulously planning a beachy vacation for the girls. As the booze flows freely, so does the cruelty, and the gang has themselves in an oceanside mud-fling fest, sharing everything they don’t like about each other.

What’s not to like about this episode? Fans seem to love when a character becomes the voice of the audience, whether that’s a pawn shop owner or everybody’s fave, Shoshanna. Her drunken verbal sniper attacks at her friends are definitely mean, but is she not just saying what we’re all thinking?

5 What Will We Do This Time About Adam? (Season 6, Episode 8) – 8.3

One of the last episodes of the series, “What Will We Do This Time About Adam?” is our farewell to the flighty Adam Sackler. After repeatedly professing that Jessa is his true love, Adam spreads his wings once more, leaving her to return to Hannah. This lasts a whopping day. In terms of actual romance built to last, we find sweetheart Ray rapidly falling for Shosh’s former boss, Abigail (the effervescent Aidy Bryant).

Yes, Adam is a cad. But he’s also a charming, vulnerable one, thanks to a star-making performance by Adam Driver. Fans dug his swan song, and judging by the IMDb score, they were also thrilled that two of the show’s most likable characters in Ray and Abigail found love.

4 Goodbye Tour (Season 6, Episode 9) – 8.3

It makes sense that Girls‘ penultimate episode is a roller coaster for Hannah. On the high point, she gets a teaching job offer, answering the question of how she will afford to have a baby. But on the low, she was excluded from Shoshanna’s engagement party and in typical Hannah fashion, she crashes the party to share her feelings.

“Goodbye Tour” is an apt title, as it marks Jessa and Shosh’s final appearances. The latter takes her leave by officially declaring she no longer wants to be friends with any of the girls. (For real, how many fans were applauding this moment?) Girls fans really love to see characters break up or make up, as Hannah and Jessa bury the hatchet — at least for a night.

3 I Love You Baby (Season 5, Episode 10) – 8.5

The Season 5 finale marks a high point for the girls — mostly. Hannah is inspired to start writing again. Marnie and Ray reconcile — oh Ray, why? Shoshanna saves the coffee shop. Only Jessa seems to be at a low point, as she and Adam get into a knock-down, drag-out fight about Hannah, only for it to end with a fruit basket, courtesy of the protagonist herself.

Fans loved not only seeing Hannah return to her literary roots, but also channeling her pain through her writing. She may be an oversharer, but there’s bravery in bearing your wounds for all to see. As Hannah unpacks the betrayal she feels over Adam and Jessa’s relationship, she’s able to heal . While Adam and Jessa may not be free of Hannah, she’s free of them. Watching her skip through the streets of Brooklyn is one of the show’s most inspiring, touching moments.

2 American B*tch (Season 6, Episode 3) – 8.5

In the most quietly explosive episode of the entire series, Hannah is invited to meet with Chuck Palmer (Matthew Rhys), a controversial author. She wrote a scathing piece about him using his celebrity to sexually manipulate young women. Throughout the course of their time together, Chuck, gaslight master extraordinaire, shows Hannah a side of his twisted behavior while making her feel complicit in it.

“American B*tch” completely proves the case why Girls is ahead of its time and has its finger totally on the pulse of our cultural climate. This episode aired in February of 2017, eight months prior to the #MeToo movement rocking the social landscape as we know it. Had the episode been released a year later, Chuck may very well have experienced the reckoning he deserves. No matter how one feels about Lena Dunham, there’s no denying her bravery.

1 The Panic in Central Park (Season 5, Episode 6) – 8.9

In the show’s most Marnie-centric episode, we find Marnie and Desi’s marriage crumbling around them — literally. She storms out, only to run into Charlie, having done a complete 180 from nerdy “nice guy” to soulful grifter. Marnie spends the night with Charlie, ready to run away with him, only to be confronted with harsh reality. This becomes a push for her to leave Desi.

Honestly, nobody likes Marnie. But getting to see an entire episode through her perspective proved to be absolutely catnip for fans, as it’s far and away the series’ highest-rated episode. Plus, if there’s one character fans despise more than Marnie, it’s Desi. So watching Marnie, barefoot and donning a soaking wet red evening gown, have a total “I dump your ass” moment was a total delight.

About The Author