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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
Do you turn your back, or do you face the situation head-on? The third episode of Insecure‘s fourth season is titled “Lowkey Thankful;” it is directed by Mark Sadlek and written by Phil Augusta Jackson.
Some spoilers ahead for those who have not yet watched this episode or seen the series. If you haven’t done either, you should get to that now, then return to this article!
This season, Insecure is going on a holiday theme. Last week’s episode took place around Halloweentime, and this week shows us we have to be grateful for what we have. Molly Carter (Yvonne Orji) spends Thanksgiving with her family, still coping with the fact that her father cheated on her mother. Issa Dee (Issa Rae) eats out at a restaurant with her brother Ahmel (Jean Elie). Meanwhile, Lawrence Walker (Jay Ellis) invites himself to Condola’s small party at her home with her friends. “Lowkey Thankful” showcases the trio of relationships with which one must cope: relations with friends, relations with family, and relations with romantic partners.
Issa and Molly criticize each other for the current choices they’ve made with others; Issa dealing with an ex dating a friend, and Molly dealing with the pacing of her relationship with Andrew. Whether they choose to continue acting this way may be dealt with in the future, but the important part of growth is understanding.
Family will always be there for you, in thickness and in thin. Molly’s familial issue is forgiving her father for his past mistakes, but she is gradually getting to this point. Issa takes some advice from her brother, who assures her, “You have a right to feel however you want to feel. Seriously.”
Finally, individuals must cope with their romantic partners, whether they’re from a past relationship, current, or imminent. Molly chooses not to invite Andrew to her family’s Thanksgiving get-together, and the result of this should manifest later this season. The bigger highlights are Issa’s and Lawrence’s predicaments.
Issa is doing some work while at a cafe, when she sees her ex-boyfriend with his current girlfriend. She awkwardly leaves but not before looking back in, showing that perhaps there are lingering feelings for the mistake she should never have made. Lawrence might just be sharing similar sentiments, and Condola asks him, “If [Issa] hadn’t [cheated], would you [two] still be together?”
The episode ends on a message sent via social media, and a cliffhanger as to what the reply being typed out. This week’s episode of Insecure shows that we are all living our own lives and yet they impact those of others. It makes some references to black films such as Coming to America and Set It Off, and also adds more to its soundtrack including Vince Staples’s “So What? (Episode 01)” and KIRBY’s “Kool Aid.” The series continues to balance the comedy with the drama as it simultaneously ties the genres in with its ever-growing musical score.
“Lowkey Thankful” teaches the fans to be accepting of what we have, or to at least discuss matters amongst each other like decent human beings.
9/10
What do you think? Have you seen this series? If not, do you plan to binge it sometime in the near future? Let us know! For more Insecure and HBO-related news and reviews follow The Cinema Spot on Twitter (@TheCinemaSpot) and Instagram (@thecinemaspot_).
Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
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