Insecure: The perfect ode to millennials
I’m a hardcore Insecure fan and have rewatched all five seasons more times than I can count. I was one of those loyal fans who would camp on a reliable illegal site impatiently waiting for the latest pirated episode to drop before it premiered on ShowMax on Monday evening (not proud of this by the way). At some point, I’d watch reaction videos, listen to podcast episodes and read endless threads on Twitter analysing the dynamic between the characters of the show because Insecure was just that good.
Season one had fans in a love-hate relationship with some of the characters after Issa stepped out on Lawrence and we spent most of the season watching her unravel in the aftermath. This had us deciding if we were #TeamLawrence, #TeamDaniel or even #TeamIssa for choosing herself. The second and third season were marked by the characters navigating millennial experiences in their careers, relationships, families and friendships. Here, we saw characters like Lawrence stepping into their own, Molly running into more of herself, Issa leaving her job and later introducing us to a new love interest, Nathan.
It was season four that solidified how much of a fan I was when we watched the strained friendship between Issa and Molly go through a rough patch because of a changing dynamic between the two and their longstanding issues that were never addressed since the series started. So much of that season was eye-opening and relatable for me that I even recorded a YouTube video sharing my reflections on navigating friendship difficulties and breakups. Season five was just the bow that tied everything together and gave everyone a happy ending to mark the end of the series.
I share this brief recap to introduce why Insecure will forever be famous in my books. When I watched the series for the umpteenth time over the December holidays, I related to Issa more than I ever have before. Between season 1 – 3, we watched Issa shed versions of herself and take bold steps to build the life that she wanted live. Yes, this came with some backlash, but her cheating was actually a refusal to settle for an unfulfilling relationship and this was the first time on the show we saw her boldy choosing herself. And even after unraveling in the aftermath, she was able to reflect and atone for the role she played in the demise of her relationship.
She later opened herself up to a new love showing a level self-forgiveness and willingness to give herself another chance at love after a mishap. When she rejected settling for a job she didn’t like, she took a leap of faith with just a plan to drive Lyft, be a property manager and launch BLOCC which ended up changing the trajectory of her career and her life. Issa became the master of her own fate, she took ownership of her life by redefining what a healthy friendship, a healthy love and a thriving career looks like.
This recent rewatch carried so much profundity because I, too, have been shedding alot over the last few years. My shedding has culminated to a bold decision that I recently made to redefine the life that I want and to move in the direction of my purpose. I have had to reject experiences that don’t align with what I want and who I want to become. I’m demanding more from life and remaining expectant that more will be given and delivered accordingly. Just like Issa, I am meeting life where it is asking me to be and that is in the place of being more and receiving more.
I hope you do the same.
