Insecure's girls trip gets derailed by a surprise return
Last week’s episode, “Fresh-Like” felt like a huge step for Insecure. The episode felt like an exciting pivot for Molly and Issa that set up momentum for the rest of the season. It’s fair that “High-Like” doesn’t try to build off that momentum (obviously Issa wasn’t going to tackle her unemployment immediately), but it does feel like it pulls the narrative a few steps back. “High-Like” wants to be a feel-good episode with a focus on female friendship, but it’s about as successful at doing that as the girls are at seeing Beyoncé.
“High-Like” is a hilarious episode of Insecure. It provides some of the best Kelli moments we’ve ever seen. It’s the best ensemble episode we’ve had between the girls. Maybe that’s why it’s so disappointing that their trip gets derailed. The gang goes to Coachella so they can see Beyoncé and celebrate Tiffany. Neither one of these things happens and rather than feeling closer after the trip, it might be time for them to admit that their friend group has a shelf life. That’s real. Friend groups change and Molly and Issa have always been closer than they have been with Tiffany and Kelli, so it’s only natural that they’d eventually drift apart.
Still, Insecure has never really shown us the weight of this friend group. This episode wants to feel like Girl’s Trip (it even has a scene where someone pisses themself) or Girlfriends or Living Single, but Tiffany and Kelli have never felt as fully-formed as characters to earn those comparisons. Tiffany and Kelli have only served as a chorus to analyze Issa and Molly’s problems. The friendship between Tiffany and Kelli has also been left unexplored. What’s really changed between them since Tiffany’s pregnancy? Yes, Kelli is annoyed that Tiffany can’t drink and she takes naps, but has there really been a shift in the ways they support each other?
Insecure has always felt like Issa and Molly’s story, even with Amanda Seales and Natasha Rothwell being treated as regulars. We don’t even know how this group came to be friends. What is Tiffany so afraid of losing if the group separates? Are these pregnancy hormones or a legit fear? She feels left out, but it’s not like we’ve seen Kelli, Issa and Molly having a ton of fun without her (other than that group chat). The conversation between Tiffany and Issa should have more impact, but it just tells us that a friendship we haven’t really seen is in danger. The moment feels slightly hollow and it’s completely ruined by the episode’s final twist: Lawrence.