[RatskyWatsky]

It's in my HBO Go backlog ;)

Good. :3

[Akainu]

Can't imagine any dude in 2012 would think that "has a tattoo" is a dealbreaker.

I would, tattoos are horrible.

[Expendable.]

Looking forward to this. Neat that HBO is putting up the 1st ep for this and Veep for free everywhere after it airs.

[Cornballer]

- memles' review over at cultural learnings: The Disarming Appeal of HBO’s Girls

Lena Dunham may not be the voice of a generation, but she’s a capable writer and director who has crafted a nuanced comic portrait of the drama of, if not everyday life, than a set of everyday lives, well worth watching.

[ilikeme]

urr-durr

[Draft]

Is the main actress related to Michael Cera?

[RatskyWatsky]

Is the main actress related to Michael Cera?

Yes, I believe they're twins actually.

[Milhouse]

I'm pumped for this.

As for Tiny Furn', it was a'ight.

[Cornballer]

Series premiere is tonight.

Pilot Hannah is shocked when her parents cut her off financially; Marnie hosts a dinner party for Jessa.

Note that the premiere will be up for free a lot of places tomorrow morning:

HBO will offer free access on multiple platforms to the premiere episodes of its two newest comedy series, Girls and Veep. The day after their debuts on HBO, pilots for Girls and Veep will go live on HBO.com, YouTube, DailyMotion, TV.com, and multiple distributors’ Free On Demand platforms. Girls will be available April 16-May 14 after its premiere April 15 on HBO, and Veep will be available April 23-May 21 following its bow April 22. Veep‘s pilot will also be available free on iTunes during its sampling period.

[animlboogy]

You like homely klutzettes?

She seems like she'd be interesting IRL. Would.

[anaron]

AVclub gives 'Girls' an A.

Girls might not have the laughs-per-minute ratio of a more mainstream comedy, but to me it’s a funny show because its characters are actually funny people —a rather crucial distinction, if you ask me. Marnie, Hannah, et al. aren’t merely vehicles for delivering punchlines or bad puns, they’re three-dimensional humans who happen to make lots of droll observations and witty allusions. And while other much-hyped women-centric shows this season have tried—and mostly failed—to capture the casual vulgarity of the urban 20something, the rape and vagina jokes on Girls work because they feel organic. They exist to serve a larger storytelling purpose, not merely to shock. To me, this is the most realistic aspect of Girls—that it not just “proves” that women, too, can be funny (as if that’s even necessary), but that it actually captures the way real young (and young-ish) people talk to each other. The Girls are over-educated, snarky, and crass, but there’s also real warmth and affection between them. Who knows if Lena Dunham is, in fact, “the voice of her generation,” but she certainly has a very good ear.

[Emerson]

Not really intrigued by the premise or trailers but I can't ignore any new HBO show and the reviews are quite good.

Also, first page is an unexpected ban graveyard.

[RatskyWatsky]

There's way too many shows airing on Sunday nights, so I think I'll watch this tomorrow.

[anaron]

There's way too many shows airing on Sunday nights, so I think I'll watch this tomorrow.

With Veep joining the ranks next week, especially. HBO is really bringing it lately.

[Sirpopopop]

It's rather interesting that I've read a lot of comments on this show from non-reviewers which suggest that a backlash is already building against Girls before it even airs!

Edit:

The backlash seems to be boil down to this:

1. Criticism towards the "voice of a generation" line.

2. Criticism about this being an NYC show starring white people.

3. Criticism that the show is very unrealistic.

4. It portrays women in a bad light, and so many shows do this already. (I'm not sure I understand this criticism. I could understand it if it was pointing towards a damsel in distress problem, which is still a big problem in television. However, the show seems to be referring to women struggling to make it through their 20s. This is not exactly territory that's been mined to death on television.)


Looking forward to watching the show to see how it stacks up against these lines of criticism.

[xbhaskarx]

Setting DVR...

[-Mikey-]

All of the commercials for this have me pretty interested. Hoping for the best.

[Quazar]

Its not on my guide for tonight, why is this?

[Cornballer]

Its not on my guide for tonight, why is this?

It should be on after Game of Thrones and Eastbound & Down.

[Kayhan]

4. It portrays women in a bad light, and so many shows do this already. (I'm not sure I understand this criticism. I could understand it if it was pointing towards a damsel in distress problem, which is still a big problem in television. However, the show seems to be referring to women struggling to make it through their 20s. This is not exactly territory that's been mined to death on television.)

Ah yes, in contrast to all those shows that portray men in a positive light and not at all as bumbling idiots........

/sarcasm

[Quazar]

It should be on after Game of Thrones and Eastbound & Down.

Sure is, weird my guide was stuck on yesterday.

Does this mean I just time traveled?

[ivysaur12]

Sure is, weird my guide was stuck on yesterday. Does this mean I just time traveled?

:O

[Draft]

It's rather interesting that I've read a lot of comments on this show from non-reviewers which suggest that a backlash is already building against Girls before it even airs!

Universal critical praise usually produces internet backlash.

[kingocfs]

Really excited for this.

[ivysaur12]

Any praise usually produces internet backlash.

Fixed.

[anaron]

It's rather interesting that I've read a lot of comments on this show from non-reviewers which suggest that a backlash is already building against Girls before it even airs! Edit: The backlash seems to be boil down to this: 1. Criticism towards the "voice of a generation" line. 2. Criticism about this being an NYC show starring white people. 3. Criticism that the show is very unrealistic. 4. It portrays women in a bad light, and so many shows do this already. (I'm not sure I understand this criticism. I could understand it if it was pointing towards a damsel in distress problem, which is still a big problem in television. However, the show seems to be referring to women struggling to make it through their 20s. This is not exactly territory that's been mined to death on television.) Looking forward to watching the show to see how it stacks up against these lines of criticism.

I'm interested in seeing the validity of these as well. I find most of them to be hilarious reaching - based on a marketing campaign, no less - but I have certain reservations myself.

[RatskyWatsky]

With Veep joining the ranks next week, especially. HBO is really bringing it lately.

O lawd I forgot about Veep. That'll make six shows airing on Sunday nights.

[Magnus]

I'm 15 minutes in, and I absolutely hate the main character. I went from expecting to totally sympathize with her, being so similar in so many ways, to hating her ungrateful, spoiled, entitled ass.

I'm still really interested in watching this show; now the impetus to watch is to see her crash and burn.

[Sol..]

Superb show. I really enjoy the writing.

[Van Owen]

First episode fucking sucked.

[Magnus]

Superb show. I really enjoy the writing.

First episode fucking sucked.

I love GAF.

[NYR]

Can't imagine any dude in 2012 would think that "has a tattoo" is a dealbreaker.

Ugly tattoo like the crap she has? Yep, hi.

[ezekial45]

I actually really liked it. I'm sticking with this one.

My favorite scene was the main character having sex with that other guy (i'm terrible with names). It was very awkward, but at the same time it was quite charming in a weird way.

[Van Owen]

I just really hate this hip type of "humor".

They make this or how to make it in america and cancel Lucky Louie. Don't get hbo sometimes.

[Magnus]

I just really hate this hip type of "humor". They make this or how to make it in america and cancel Lucky Louie. Don't get hbo sometimes.

They canned How to Make It. :(

[xbhaskarx]

Wow that was great.

I'm not going to proclaim Lena Dunham to be this or that (a voice of a generation) based on having seen one half hour episode of television, but she hit all the right notes in her acting, directing, and writing. I will definitely keep watching, and will check out her movie as well.

To me it was quintessentially New York, I sensed Woody Allen and Whit Stillman influences in the writing, among others. I know he's not a New Yorker but perhaps a little Wes Anderson as well....

I'm a big fan of Zosia Mamet (David Mamet's daughter) and the criminally underutilized Chris Eigeman (he was in all three of Whit Stillman's movies), I hope both are series regulars although I'm concerned the latter might not be....

[BenjaminBirdie]

Wow that was great. I'm not going to proclaim Lena Dunham to be this or that (a voice of a generation) based on having seen one half hour episode of television, but she hit all the right notes in her acting, directing, and writing. I will definitely keep watching, and will check out her movie as well. To me it was quintessentially New York, I sensed Woody Allen and Whit Stillman influences in the writing, among others. I know he's not a New Yorker but perhaps a little Wes Anderson as well.... I'm a big fan of Zosia Mamet (David Mamet's daughter) and the criminally underutilized Chris Eigeman (he was in all three of Whit Stillman's movies), I hope both are series regulars although I'm concerned the latter might not be....

You got the wrong Eigeman. This was Kicking And Screaming '012.

;D

I love this shit.

[Cornballer]

I had fun with this tonight - will watch more.

EDIT:
- Sepinwall's review of the pilot
- Ken Tucker with a few thoughts on the pilot *some spoilers*
- IndieWire

[BenjaminBirdie]

God damn that was some directing too. I love that HBO type shit, man.

[vatstep]

I thoroughly enjoyed the pilot.

[xbhaskarx]

You got the wrong Eigeman. This was Kicking And Screaming '012. ;D I love this shit.

Yeah well that too. Speaking of Noah Baumbach movies, Chris Eigeman was in Kicking and Screaming, and Zosia Mamet had a small role in Greenberg. Although she is probably best known for Mad Men. And given that this is GAF, Eigeman is probably best known for Malcolm in the Middle....

[Barrage]

Fuck that was great. It's hard to credit the show without throwing around superlatives, because what the show does well is very rare. The characters are just incredibly three-dimensional, while still containing so much promise for character growth.

I like that none of the characters are anywhere near perfect. It makes them feel like friends, instead of ideals or chariactures. I definently felt an isolation from the characters, the setting, everything..I think that's a feeling of authenticity. This is the story of upper-class white women in New York...I should be playing a little bit of catchup.

The hardest part, for me, will be selling the show to my friends. Not exactly something I can extoll the virtues of at a Kegger.

The part where Andy ruffled the condom and threw it was laugh-out-loud funny for me.

Can't wait for the next episode.

[ivysaur12]

That sex scene was unreal.

[BenjaminBirdie]

That sex scene was unreal.

In that it was like the realest ever?

[ivysaur12]

In that it was like the realest ever?

It was like looking a mirror, but if Lena Dunham was a dude.

[ezekial45]

That sex scene was unreal.

In what way? I actually thought it was quite REAL. The random banter, the questions, the awkwardness, and the strange requests that a person can ask - It was, too me, a very honest representation of sex between these odd people.

[BenjaminBirdie]

If you all haven't seen Tiny Furniture, go. It's as good as this.

[ivysaur12]

I used unreal in a "I-went-through-highschool-in-the-2000s" way, not in the literal sense.

[xbhaskarx]

Rolling Stone:
"Above all else, Lena Dunham's 'Girls' is keeping it real." Our series premiere recap: http://t.co/l7RM12VB #GIRLSnight @GirlsHBO

[Sirpopopop]

I liked the first episode quite a bit.

I'm not sure I can offer much in the way of in-depth thoughts on it, just quite yet. I feel like the show gave us a broad sense of what this show is going to be about, and that it's mainly going to be about the lives of these four girls, whom all seem to be messes that each have their own problems, all of them, the result of their own doing.

It's not very interested in making large statements, which is fine. After all, not every TV show needs to be a modern masterpiece that says something about our society overtly.