Insecure Season 3 Ep. 8 Recap: 'Ghost-Like'

Photo: Merie W. Wallace/HBO

So this is where we leave Insecure...for now. In a season where Issa and Molly vowed to "know better, do better," the series underwent its own maturation, shedding people (bye for now Daniel, bye Frieda...hope you got that cat girl) and places (We Got Y'all) that no longer served the larger narrative, while also introducing new characters and expanding or reconfiguring old ones' roles.  "Ghost-Like" finds both Issa and Molly being confronted by romances of the not-too-distant past, making it clear our heroines need to acknowledge and release the toxic spirits of these unions if they want to be ready for whatever comes next.

As any avid viewer of Insecure (or say, anyone on the other side of 25) can attest, the notion of "know better, do better" is easier said than done. Molly in particular has struggled to live up to the woman who bragged to her best friend she was winning at both the boardroom and in the bedroom in the season premiere. Of course to hear Molly tell it, giving a presentation behind Taurean's back was necessary to get the partners' attention, and curving Andrew had to happen because he crossed the line between "being honest and being a dick." Blip, blam, bloop! Oh Molly.

Molly's success from her solo presentation has landed her a spot as the co-lead with Taurean for Metra, a huge client for the firm. It proves to be a pyrrhic victory however, when Taurean tells her he's working on another case, then joins Stacy and Felicia in the latter's office. Both women offer her hollow congratulations, and basically stare her like "Mmph, guess you got what wanted didn't 'cha boo?" before she walks away. In the process of getting what she wanted, Molly's burned everything to the ground. Later, she has a run in with Jared, the man she discarded back in season one because she couldn't look past his one-time hookup with a guy. When another man comes along asking about he and Jared's blanket, Molly assumes---damn near cheers--at the fact Jared must be gay. However, like her assumption all was well between she and her coworkers despite her Annalise Keating tactics, this one also blows up in her face when Jared and his brother, not boyfriend, along with their girlfriends, walk over to introduce themselves. Molly is serving pure Emma, or her 90's inspiration, Cher Horowitz; traipsing around, thinking she knows everything, when she doesn't know shit.

All of this comes to a head when Molly tells Issa she shooed Nathan away when he showed up at her door, then cops a "girl you welcome" attitude when Issa reacts badly to the news. "You been on some real negative shit lately bitch. Like you keep assuming the worst in everybody," Issa says, alluding to what she did to Taurean. Molly tries to counter ruthlessness at work is required, lest she end up "stalled out at associate," but Issa's not trying to hear it. "What's your angle," Issa asks. "You gon' be partner alone with everybody hating you? 'Cause that's not you. That's never been you." It's the most combative exchange we've seen between these two since season one's "Real as Fuck." Though while that back and forth was brimming with built up resentment, Issa's intent here is not to hit Molly where it hurts, but to try and snap her out of the self-aborsbed, pessimistic spell she's been under. It seems to work, as Molly reaches out Andrew and apologizes, while also acknowleding how deeply the situation with Dro hurt her. Andrew doesn't leap for joy at her honesty, but doesn't hang up the phone either. Fingers crossed Molly doesn't further sabotage this one?

Issa meanwhile is turning the big 3-0, and gets treated by Molly and Kelli to an outdoor screening of one of her favorite films, The Last Dragon. The audience, almost entirely black, is exactly the kind of crowd Issa is looking to attract for her block party in Inglewood. Except she's abandoned the idea, laying blame at Nathan's feet for gassing her up about it in the first place. She applies for a few non-profit positions, including one at The Beat Crew, but finds herself inspired by Condola, a friend of Tiffany's who organized the outdoor screening. The two chat after the film ends and have a productive meeting the next day. This is an exciting development for Issa. Molly and Kelli have treated her community organizing plans with skepticism at best, so it's good to have someone in her corner who's on a similar path and possesses the experience to guide her.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on whether or not you want to see these two together again) Issa's recommittment comes too little too late for Lawrence. Motivated by his father's advice and Chad's conversion from king of the fuckboys to holder of his fiance Leah's purse, he strolls by Issa, Kelli and Mollie's blanket area bearing Raisinets, the birthday girl's favorite. Once Issa reveals she's pressing pause on the block party, his facial expression changes; in his mind, her choice is classic Issa, falling back on what's easy rather than trying what's hard, so he chooses to keep things platonic.

All of this goes right over Issa's head, which is probably for the best, since the reappearance of Nathan provides more than enough romantic drama. So what does young Nanceford--who dipped out for an entire month--have to say for himself? Just that he gets really down and negative sometimes, you know? So he had to go back to Houston and not call or text her because he didn't want to put Issa through all those bad, bad emotions. It's the standard "I was saving you from me" mess, and Issa is not amused. To be fair, Nathan could have been suffering from a bout of depression, and didn't feel comfortable enough with Issa to allow her to see him at his most vulnerable. However, with nothing to go off of other than an abrupt, month-long lack of communication and his vague explanation, Issa's reaction is understandable. "I didn't ask for you to come into my life. You came after me and you left, like it was nothing," she replies. She tells him she needs time to figure out what she wants and goes back inside her place. Rather than sulk, she instead hosts a party for one, throwing on some music and sprucing up her apartment. Yes, no more cardboard box nightstands! After putting so much of her time, energy and sense of self into propping up or being propped up by the men in her life, Issa is alone.Though judging from the smile on her face as she sits on the couch, admiring her private space, she's ok with that.

See ya'll next summer for season four!

Other Thoughts:

• While it brought the funny and the feels, "Ghost-Like" could've easily been the eighth installment of a 10-episode season, rather than the finale. So much more could've been explored. How does Molly go about repairing her reputation at work? Do she and Andrew go beyond a phone call to a full-on couple? How does Issa deal with her new bestie Condola dating Lawrence? Pssh, what about Kelli and Qwantrell? Again, a good season, but with only eight episodes the series cut out just as it felt like we were getting into the thick of things.

• Tiffany squashed the beef over the baby shower by making Kelli the little's one godmother. Half of me wants to call child services at the idea of Kelli being anybody's guardian, but the other half believes if things did in fact get that real, she'd rise to the challenge.

• I get the graveyard served as a good visual metaphor for the ghosts of past relationships and all, but why have the movie screening there? I mean, The Last Dragon's an action flick, not a horror movie.

Those One Liners Tho'

• Issa: "He's just bringing salt to your shady chips." Molly: "Don't be proud of that."

• "Do I hear white pople music?"

• "You tryin' to Annalise Keating your coworkers sounds stressful as fuck, but good for you girl."

• "Nigga I done watched so much Project Runway I could sew an A-line skirt." Am I the only one who wants to see that?

• "I forgot I'm fasting. Ramadan."

• "I didn't mean 'fuck you.' I meant 'What the fuck you doin'?'"

• "You ain't a window nigga!" 

• "We are not da-ting!" (insert handclaps with each word for full effect)