When ‘Insecure’ made its HBO debut last year it was greeted with instant critical acclaim. Created and written by Issa Rae, who started it as a web series on YouTube, ‘Insecure’ followed the hilariously tumultuous life of Issa, a black, female educator possibly in her late 20s or early 30s.
In the first season, the world was introduced to Issa in all her awkward glory.
Issa rapped to herself in the mirror – always a cringeworthy but oh-so-watchable experience. Her job at a non-profit that worked with inner city children in Los Angeles was littered with racist and sexist hurdles that made for riveting uh-huh-you-tell-em-girl moments.
Her love life drove at 20 in a 100-mile zone on the best of days; and her relationship with her friends was spiky, full of venom, envy and betrayal.
The soundtrack buzzed with alternative hip-hop and trap soul songs, and each episode delivered a satisfying helping of schadenfreude and catharsis in equal measure.
In other words, then, it was a poignant portrayal of certain aspects of 20- and 30-something life with a distinct black twist which rivaled the whitewashed comedy and drama series that most viewers are used to on Netflix and HBO.
It was, in my opinion, a triumph.
It had its pitfalls, though. It was far from perfect.
The show relied on embedded and learned stereotypes, sometimes mocking them, but sometimes blithely letting them escape without interrogation. We are talking racial, sexual, gender, cultural and class-based stereotypes. Some of them were a mess.
But, then again, ‘Insecure’, like many pioneering black shows, often the first of their kind, was never designed to address everything perfectly – it is, at its heart, a messy and funny exploration of urban life and romance. And it does those spectacularly well.
‘Insecure”s second season just ended. I watched all of it in a day because I respect myself and weekly rationing is for the significantly weaker species. What kind of savage does that anyway?
Like its predecessor, the second season has so many amusing moments it is impossible to choose a handful to discuss without having to talk about how they are all connected, how break-ups become messy, toxic affairs with revenge plots more twisted than a Shakespearean play, or how work, in your early 30s, becomes a defining aspect of one’s character, capable of controlling their highs and, unfortunately, the lows too.
‘Insecure’ remains well-written, filled with punchy, gutsy dialogue which never bores and continues to explore minority narratives of love and life in Los Angeles.
The soundtrack is as edgy as ever – the sound direction is nearly impeccable – and, of course, the continuing exploration of black narratives told by black people themselves is as enjoyable as ever.
The second season needs to be watched and dissected over and over again because of its cultural richness, but the replay button needs to be double-tapped because it is just a fiercely entertaining show.
