‘Insecure’ Series Finale Non-Spoiler Review – “Everything Gonna Be, Okay?!”

Whip out the Kleenex, everybody. The end is here, however, nothing is ever over. Following immediately after last week’s penultimate episode, Issa Rae and Prentice Penny’s hit HBO comedy-drama series Insecure shows us how to quell the insecurities of its primary characters. The series finale is titled, “Everything Gonna Be, Okay?!” Series creator/ executive producer/ Issa Dee actress Issa Rae serves as the writer of the episode. Meanwhile, co-showrunner/ executive producer Prentice Penny returns to the director’s chair.

In this review, I will be discussing the Insecure series finale. There will be no spoilers present, as the title of this article suggests. Nonetheless, please read ahead at your own discretion to avoid any potential reveals.

Plot Synopsis

According to Warner Media, here is the synopsis of the Insecure series finale.

Issa reflects on everything it took to get to where she is today.

The Cast of the Insecure Finale

As always, Issa Rae and Yvonne Orji portray Issa Dee and Molly Carter, respectively. Natasha Rothwell and Amanda Seales play their respective friends, Kelli Prenny and Tiffany DuBois. Jay Ellis, Kendrick Sampson, and Leonard Robinson star as Martin Lawrence Walker, Nathan Campbell, and Taurean Jackson, respectively. Courtney Taylor portrays Sequoia “Quoia”, Issa’s assistant at BLOCC.

Sharar Ali-Speakes, Londyn Ariah, Brittany Baker, Susan Beaubian, Courtney Burrell, Mieko Clark, Christopher Flanagan, Masika Kalysha, Leland B. Martin, and Lauren Wilkins make appearances in the finale.

Series story editor Kindsey Young also makes an appearance. Teresa Jelks-Kirkley plays Aunt Kiki, while Eric Mack Jr. returns as Goop. Richard Whitney Gardenhire Jr. appears as a character’s son.

Wade Allain-Marcus guest stars as Derek DuBois, while Jean Elie appears as Ahmal Dee, Issa’s brother. Nikiva Dionne and Kelsey Scott appear as Stacy Sutton and Felicia, Molly and Taurean’s respective colleagues at Hayward.

L. Scott Caldwell and Gregg Daniel guest star as Molly’s respective parents, Carol and David Carter. Malcolm David Kelley and Richard Nevels appear as Molly’s brothers, Jerome and Curtis Carter. Harry Lennix and April Grace return as Lawrence’s parents.

Tristen J. Winger appears Thug Yoda, Issa and Lawrence’s former neighbor at the Dunes building, while Lisa Joyce and Sujata Day appear as Frieda and Sarah, Issa’s former colleagues at We Got Y’all, respectively. Don Franklin appears as Malcolm, while James Bland and Sean Patrick Thomas also make an appearance.

The Crew of the Insecure Finale

Ava Berkofsky returns as the director of photography for the episode. Series producer Mark Sadlek serves as the editor for the series finale, with Michael H. Friedlander as the assistant editor.

As always, Shiona L. Turini is the series’ costume designer, with Raphael Saadiq and Kier Lehman working on the musical curation and Dylan Wiggins on additional music. Walt Bost and Michael Brake are the editors of sound and music, respectively, with Hotae Alexander Jung as the scoring engineer. Eli Wilson Pelton and Syreeta Singleton are the executive story editors, while Mike Gauyo and Kindsey Young serve as story editors.

Molly Peters, Erica Rice, and Yashua Simmons serve as assistant costume designers. Sataro Green serves as the costume supervisor, Christina Johnson as the key costumers, with Erika Williams, Jessica Davis, and Lisa Marie Evans as set costumers. Naikea Cheri Ward joins Diane Bunch, Alex Kim, and Kristina Elaine Taylor as costumers of the episode.

Vonda Morris and Yvette Shelton are the respective heads of the make-up and hair departments. Shian Banks serves as the key hair stylist, while Kym Nicole Oubre serves as the key make-up artist. Lauren Guzman, Mark Starr, Alyssa Hudson, Michelle Bear, and Yvettra H. Grantham serve as make-up artists. Kimberly Berry, Elizabeth Burnett, and Crystal Haynes join Lindsay Rogers and Nichelle Young as hairstylists.

Set Crew

Lia Burton and Jubilate Cox serve as set designers, while Amber Haley serves as the set decorator. Erick Garibay serves as the supervising prop master, while Cody Shields and Cara Cirrincione are the assistant prop masters and Kristina Parsons as the assistant for props.

Sean Anthony, A.J. Carpenter, Andi Choi, Tenniel Chu, Reginald Davis, Jared Drummond, Guillermo Fion, Roger J. Gunnip, Brahm Harper, Robert P. Herdman, David Hernandez , Kevin Hernandez, Christine Hyunh, Xylon Jones, Scott McDonald, Alex Potter, Andre Price, Steven V. Rawlings, Edwin Reyes, Michael Reynoso, Bob Roddy, Vanessa Rodriguez, S.L. Wade, and Trevor Ysaguirre serve as the set dressers of the finale.

Discussion

At a length of 41 minutes, the Insecure series finale has a lot going for it, so much so that it is deserving of an Emmy Award. It feels like an eternity having seen just this one episode, therefore – without spoilers – I will divide every aspect of the finale up into smaller sections.

Writing

First of all, I must commend Rae, Chris Sanford, and the rest of the writers’ room for such an astounding job at the build-up to this finale. It all comes full circle. If you were to examine the previous four seasons each as a literal season (i.e. spring, summer, fall, winter) in the characters’ lives, it really has not felt that long. However, the fact that we got to see this all transpire in a span of over five years (in real-time) makes it feel like we as fans have grown alongside these characters.

I felt this season’s writing of dialogue and the scene set-up to be a little love letter to the fans who have invested in this tale of love, laughter, pain, and overall, Black life. There is a line spoken from one character to another, although it felt as if it was directed to the fans themselves:

I always thought that people come into your life for a reason, and you have made up so many good reasons for me, and I hope that I did the same for you because I don’t want you to regret anything.

There is an extrapolation of the message of this little monologue in the latter half of the episode, but I believe this specific line was worth pointing out.

The Insecure Series Finale Teleplay: A Good or Bad Thing?

While many fans felt much of Season 5’s writing to be rushed or not properly developed, the finale is able to wrap it all up in a conclusion on the same level as The Sopranos (and definitely better than Game of Thrones‘s, as Rae promised). It was always going to be messy; hell, that adjective is part of the Insecure package. As the finale’s logline suggests, the protagonist passes through the different points in her life where times had been rough; this includes her time at the Dunes with Lawrence, her job at We Got Y’all, and the Rite Aid/ Best Buy location. At the same time, we also peek into the major events that Issa and her girl friends experience over time.

It also makes sense why most previous episodes were condensed to just a bit under or over half-an-hour long. The pacing in this particular episode is well-done, and while you will feel as if everything is coming fast like it’s all a dream (as it was for Episode 508 – “Choices, Okay?!”), the writers assure you that it is all too real.

As I will discuss in the next section, the finale urges the viewer to look at the bigger picture. I will admit that I got to see this last episode of Insecure three times to truly grasp the conclusion that it’s met. I am curious about how the ending to the series was put together and how this was finalized into what becomes the shooting script. There are so many signs, mirrors, and frames backgrounded and present in most (if not all) scenes of the episode that beg to be noticed. Not only that, but even the smaller things need to be appreciated as time takes its course.

Music and Cinematography

The music means everything in the entire show, and this finale takes things full circle. There’s a surprise in the final lines of dialogue that takes fans back to the series’ pilot, and it’s the object in front of the viewer that urges us to reflect on ourselves as well. Let’s just say I cannot not love how that worked out, and I would be lying if I denied this.

In combination with Berkofsky’s principal photography, there is a way that the episode takes viewers through the different seasons of the narrative specifically unique to Insecure. This finale’s music-cinematography style of scene transitions are awe-inspiring albeit requiring some getting used to. It’s the narrative’s kairos mode of rhetorical appeal that I felt was clever. These transitions show the viewer that time speeds up or slows down for its characters. They present the various points in time for the finale’s story.

In general, the framing is just marvelous. As I said earlier, there are major events that transpire, and many frames in the episode are remarkable and worthy of analysis. Aside from her mirror self, Issa also sees a reflection of herself (or rather, her self) in a picture frame. There is also a scene between her and a second character in which they see her meet success; you can see a pole divide them, representing the line to separate or to be crossed. It’s reminiscent of Episode 408 (“Lowkey Happy”) featuring Issa and Lawrence. Thirdly, there are the other cinematic frames, such as one in a character’s monumental milestone. Everything looks pretty and full of glee. When you see it, be happy for that individual.

What’s also splendid about the cinematography is how each scene begins and ends.

Appearances

Speaking of milestones, this episode cannot be Insecure not just without its music and cinematography, but also without its use of hair and make-up. The way each scene and its characters are set up was thought out well (see the section on the crew members). Every object and individual is in their rightful place, and this includes clothing, hair, make-up, props, and the sets themselves. The appearances that we see them in are indicative of the different seasons (or points in time) taking place within the narrative of the episode.

This is noticeable mainly with Issa and Molly, and maybe with Kelli and Tiffany. Although, I cannot say this is that much the same case for the men characters of the series. The tops, robes, dresses, t-shirts, etc. convey the radiance of the scene and set the mood for how they are to be seen.

Performances and Character Developments

My goodness, I cannot decide whose performance is better: Rae’s or Orji’s.

Again, going back to the finale’s logline/ synopsis, Issa reflects on her journey over the course of the series, and this involves a literal reflection with her mirror self. I love the juxtaposition between Reality Issa and Reflection Issa. This is a recurring theme of Insecure, so to see the mirror version of the character in the finale facilitates the neat wrap-up.

Orji’s performance hits home just as much. Molly has developed so much throughout the series, especially with her relationship with Issa being mended in the final season premiere. Her fate by the end of the series might be somewhat obvious for many. While that is the case, Orji’s delivery and execution really take the cake. They just beg the Television Academy to hand her an Emmy.

Seales, Rothwell, and Elie perform great as their respective characters, Tiffany, Kelli, and Ahmal, even with what allotted screentime they are given. While we thought last week was the end of the DuBois family, that was not a proper goodbye. Seales continues to remain a queen as Tiffany, and I’m sure fans are hopeful for what becomes of her in the future.

I also love Kelli and Ahmal, who share one last scene together of “I hate you”/ “I hate you more”. Rothwell and Elie should have a spin-off special or miniseries to further develop their characters because I really want to know more about them. Here’s to hoping this comes to fruition.

Sampson’s Nathan has appreciative character development in the choice regarding his well-being made in the episode. Ellis is good as well, however, Lawrence is not given enough space to really develop. Additionally, the absence or lack of Condola leaves out an explanation as to how certain fates were worked out.

Final Thoughts

“Everything Gonna Be, Okay?!” serves its purpose. If you’ve seen the Insecure Season 2 finale, then think of this episode as the moment that that episode had postponed. Insecure‘s series finale in its fifth season exhibits a beautiful combination of comedy with that drama. It tells its viewers how to be secure in their minds, in their bodies, in relationships, and in life.

It’s difficult to end seasonal narratives. More so, it’s hard to conclude overarching narratives in television series finales, especially those that have grown to become successful. Growing up in my 20s with the prospects of romance has been rough, but Insecure helped me endure such harshnesses. The show’s finale episode is iconic. It proves that things will definitely be alright if you trust your gut and give it a shot.

While Issa Rae’s state of insecurity has come to a close, we will see her again in the near future. In fact, she will voice Spider-Woman in Sony Pictures Animation’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Part One, where Insecure music supervisor Kier Lehman will probably return as the curator for the film’s soundtrack. Until then, Insecure is available to watch on HBO and HBO Max!

Have you seen this series yet? If so, what are your thoughts on it? Let us know! For more comedy and drama-related news and reviews visit and follow The Cinema Spot on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!