‘Girls’: The Must-Watch Episodes to Revisit Before the Revival
Time to head back to Brooklyn.
HBO has confirmed that Lena Dunham‘s Girls is returning for a five-episode revival, bringing audiences back into the messy, complicated, and often painfully awkward world of its beloved characters.
The groundbreaking comedy, which originally aired from 2012 to 2017, followed four young women navigating friendship, relationships, careers, and adulthood in New York City. At the center of the chaos were Hannah (Dunham), Marnie (Allison Williams), Jessa (Jemima Kirke), and Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet), along with the men in their lives, including Elijah (Andrew Rannells), Ray (Alex Karpovsky), and Adam (Adam Driver).
Over six seasons, Girls delivered plenty of cringe-worthy moments, disastrous romances, fractured friendships, and brutally honest conversations about adulting. And with a new chapter on the horizon, there’s no better time to revisit the episodes that helped define the series.
From explosive fights to unexpected romantic encounters and major turning points, here are the essential Girls episodes to rewatch before the revival.
Girls, Seasons 1-6, HBO Max
Girls, Season 7, TBA, HBO Max
"Pilot"
Season 1 Episode 1
This pilot introduces the masses to aspiring writer Hannah Horvath and her group of twenty-something friends living in New York City. Not only is it our first intro to the girls of Girls, but we can understand how far they have grown (or not) in the new season.
"All Adventurous Women Do"
Season 1 Episode 3
After learning she has HPV, Hannah meets with her ex-boyfriend Elijah to determine where she contracted the infection, only to discover he’s now openly gay. The episode brings Elijah into the fold as a recurring cast member. In the episode, we also learn that Shosh is a virgin.
“Welcome to Bushwick a.k.a. The Crackcident”
Season 1 Episode 7
The group attends a chaotic Brooklyn warehouse party where Shoshanna accidentally smokes crack and spirals into a drug-fueled panic that leads to an encounter with Ray. Meanwhile, Hannah is forced to confront her own self-centeredness, while Adam reveals a more vulnerable side. In this episode, Adam shares that he is a recovering alcoholic, and it also marks the first time all four main characters interact together in the same social setting.
“One Man's Trash”
Season 2 Episode 5
After a dispute about garbage bins, Hannah shares a brief romance with a handsome, wealthy doctor (Patrick Wilson), which brings out her softer side as she admits her desire for happiness, stability, and love. It’s a bottle episode that offers a rare glimpse into Hannah outside of her sometimes selfish, immediate desires as she allows herself to be vulnerable.
"Beach House"
Season 3 Episode 7
It’s the ultimate group-trip explosion, where long-simmering resentments, drifting friendships, and brutal honesty come to a head. The four young women attempt to reconnect in the Hamptons, but a disastrous dinner and an equally disastrous day culminate in an explosive fight where they air their grievances, exposing the resentment, jealousy, and selfishness simmering beneath their friendships. It is the beginning of the end, but with a fun, choreographed dance routine.
"Japan"
Season 5 Episode 3
Shoshanna moves to Tokyo and embraces total independence, marking one of the show’s few truly redemptive character arcs as the experience allows Shosh to grow as a person and develop without the judgment of the other girls.
"The Panic in Central Park"
Season 5 Episode 6
A Marnie-centric episode follows her unexpected reunion with ex-boyfriend Charlie (Christopher Abbott), whose life has taken a troubling turn since their breakup. Their whirlwind night together forces Marnie to confront her past, her unhappy marriage to Desi (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and what she really wants out of life.
"I Love You Baby"
Season 5 Episode 10
Hannah participates in a Moth Story Slam to share a monologue about letting go of her jealousy regarding Adam and Jessa’s new relationship, which puts her on a path of becoming a scholar. And we get to see how two volatile people self-implode when Jessa and Adam have their first big blowout. Mix in the emotional support from Elijah and Hannah’s mom (Becky Ann Baker), the episode blends the chaos of Jessa and Adam with Hannah’s emotional maturity to create an vulnerability in the characters not often displayed on the show.
“American B*tch”
Season 6 Episode 3
One of Girls‘ most provocative episodes tackles sexual misconduct, power dynamics, and the treatment of women who speak out against influential men. Hannah visits a celebrated novelist, Chuck Palmer (Matthew Rhys), who has been accused of sexual misconduct. Their conversation about the allegations morphs into an unsettling demonstration of how men can manipulate women and exploit their trust. The episode proves that Girls can move beyond its characters and their grievances to tell a provocative story about abuse and power.
"Goodbye Tour"
Season 6 Episode 10
This is how it all ended between the group. The episode marks the last time all four women appear together and offers a realistic conclusion to their complicated friendships, which, in the adult world, can mean growing apart from the people who defined you as a younger person.
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