Girls HBO: How Shoshanna Became The Best Character On The Show

[@mrdad-zl9zl]

The reason Shoshana could afford to live alone in her studio was because she, as all the main characters, represented the super privileged millennials who live in NYC, and because she was still in college, her parents didn't expect her to work and supported her. Jessa also hardly worked and spent the years before she moved to NYC traveling which suggests her and Shoshana have a level of family money that the other main characters may not, despite all of them coming from well off families.

[@light_and_sound]

Exactly.

[@salamander8301]

Jessa was a bit more of a grafter that shosh. They briefly mentioned she shucked oysters, bartended and nannied to get herself around the world. I resonated more with for that

[@cahaureliano7]

@@salamander8301there is a episode where her sister mentions a trust fund so we can assume she got one too

[@monochromatic_melodramatic]

Yep she goes to NYU the most expensive school and has a decked out off campus residence funded for her

[@karinalagstrom]

In the first episode Shosh says her great aunt pays for it, and later in the series mentions how she'll be responsible for taking care of that same aunt when she's elderly

[@vins1979]

She is NOT unemployed in the last season! She is employed (as it is shown in the episode in which she lashes out against Jessa) and also engaged. She is everything all the other girls are not.

[@antiheroines-you-love]

But that's like in the first episodes of season 6? Then we don't see her character for the most part. And in the end we get an engagement and nothing else, I don't think it's clear what she's doing professionally but people can draw their own conclusions.

[@vins1979]

@@antiheroines-you-love I thought it was implied she kept working where she was at the beginning of season 6. During the group meeting in the bathroom, she talks about her news friends "who have jobs, purses and nice personalities" and she seems to fit in with them. If she had been unemployed, she would have been too busy looking for another job and she would have felt inadequate around people with careers. That's what I thought, at least.

[@antiheroines-you-love]

@@vins1979 yeah, that makes sense, you're right. I guess, I was just a bit disappointed that they veered into the whole engagement thing for her in the end. I thought it was a bit lazy and overused.

[@vins1979]

@@antiheroines-you-love I actually liked the fact that Shoshanna had less screen time in the final season. Viewers loved her and they were all expecting to see more of her in the last season. That would have been a crowd pleasing choice. However, the writers of the show decided to defy all the expectations for the sake of realism. It only makes sense that Shoshanna gets more and more distant from the other three. If you look at her arch, she basically gets disappointed with everybody. In the end, even with Ray: she helped him A LOT but then she realizes she doesn't understand him (when they bump into Shosh's previous boss). So, in the end, she hates Jessa, she never accepted the fact that Marnie slept with Ray, Hannah didn't even tell her she was pregnant... if she even felt disconnected from Ray, it means that she simply does not belong to that group anymore. Interestingly, she bonds with Elijah (and they were actually starting to bond on season 3: you can see, in the infamous 'drunk Shosh' episode, that she is more comfortable drinking wine and cracking jokes with Elijah and his friends than she is with the other three girls). And, ironically, both Shosh and Elijah seem to be the only characters who are able to move on and accomplish something (by the end of season 6, Elijah has his old boyfriend back and he gets the part in Broadway). The three girls, by contract, simply do not move on. Jessa quit studying psychology and she will never become a therapist; Marnie goes to live with Hannah because she has nothing else to do; Hannah... well, she is Hannah. In the end, by NOT showing Shoshanna with the others, the writers 'saved' her. 😃

[@AstraeaAntiope]

@@vins1979 Yeah, she really had the best ending. Getting engaged to a recovering alcoholic she met at a cupcake ATM shows that she is still herself, but "breaking up" with the other three girls shows that she is the only one making legitimate progress toward adulthood (and thus is "the winner.") I watched the bathroom fight again today and it led me to this video. That scene really sticks with me because what she says sounds so silly "pretty girls with jobs and purses and nice personalities" but it is actually the perfect end-point of her arc. She wants to be a pretty girl with a job and a purse and a nice personality, and she no longer has time for the friends who don't want those things and always kind of looked down on and diminished her for wanting them. She is free.

[@Aster_Risk]

I loved that Shoshanna unironically loved Sex and the City while living in New York. She was a relatable young woman who didn't think she already knew everything and was romantic about life. I hated how much the other girls ignored what a sweet and involved person she tried to be. She wanted to be an actual friend and do things with the girls. The first time she really goes off on the girls during their beach vacation, was one of my favorite Shoshanna episodes, but it was still the first real step to her gaining confidence. The episodes where she lived in Japan are so great, because she experiences character growth while out on her own that the other girls didn't. Then, later, the part at her engagement party when she goes off on the other girls again in the bathroom was like therapy after watching this whole show. "We can't hang out together anymore, because we cannot be in the same room without one of us making it completely and entirely about ourselves... I have come to realize how exhausting and narcissistic and ultimately boring this whole dynamic is and I finally feel brave enough to create some distance for myself. If you guys happen to know all of those really pretty girls out there who have, like, jobs and purses and nice personalities, those are now my friends. Not you guys. I think we should all just agree to call it. Okay? Great." Yes, it's not nice, but it needed to be said, and she recognizes that she is part of the problem with this dynamic. I really loved her by the end of this series.

[@Senate300]

Funny you should bring Shoshanna's love of Sex & the City. She certainly aspired to the lifestyle. Girls was often viewed as SOTC's unofficial precursor, spiritual successor or younger sibling. But for me, Girls was on it's own block.

[@Aster_Risk]

@@Senate300 Shoshanna watching SATC and aspiring to that lifestyle made so much sense, because so many women have for the last 24 years. She was so young and unjaded compared to the other gals who were already living in New York in a less glamorous way. I'm a huge fan of SATC and sort of hate watched Girls several times. (I say sort of because I enjoyed watching it, but also hated many of the characters and situations.) They really aren't that similar and were attempting to say different things. Just because they were about women in New York people wanted to reduce both shows to an unfair comparison.

[@Senate300]

​@@Aster_Risk Like comparing apples and pears, right? With the common thread being both shows set in New York. Sex & The City was all glitz, glamour and romance as navigated by four women in the upper echelons of Manhattan while at the peak of their careers. The interesting thing about Girls was that in spite of it being set in hipster populated, gentrified Brooklyn and it's four main ladies being of the lower middle class while struggling to get buy without the bank of mum and dad had a street level grit to it. Plus it also dealt with the Girls struggling to find employment in the creative/artistic fields they've studied for that were also lost to them. Just like its precursor, Tiny Furniture.

[@heatherb9588]

They had spent years dismissing Shosh also.

[@alanmckenna5608]

You know what is the worst thing about Ray? We've met him in real life. Dozens of him.

[@antiheroines-you-love]

True, good writing.

[@steamyvegetables1445]

What is a Ray? Sorry haven't watched the show.

[@ripwednesdayadams]

Lmao right? Ironic that Ray thinks going to a college party is “creepy” but doesn’t see a problem with dating them. You’re not a fully formed adult in your early 20s and their is a huge power imbalance which you rarely realize at that age. This is a more extreme example but I remember how much hatred and vitriol that was directed at Courtney Stodden who was SIXTEEN when she married Doug Hutchinson who was 50. A child was pawned off by their own parents onto a predator who was older than her father. Instead of anger and horror at a clearly abusive situation, many celebrities and tabloids dragged Courtney, dissected their body, and slut shamed a kid into oblivion. I recently found out Jerry Seinfeld dated a teenager who was 17 when they met (he was almost 40). Leonardo DiCaprio has rarely dated women older than 25. Henry Cavill dated a 19yo college student a few years ago. Billie Eilish is dating a guy 10+ years older than her. It’s so predatory and disgusting yet extremely common.

[@heatherb9588]

Rays fine. He’s not a terrible person or anything

[@Longshot678]

Genuinely do not understand why so many people think ray is a good guy

[@Empresselizabeth1800]

Giving her the recognition she deserves❤️ I REALLY needed that entire episode of Shoshanna in Japan 😔

[@ripwednesdayadams]

I know that “Girls” receives a lot of hate for some legitimate reasons. But I did appreciate seeing complicated, realistic female friendships. When I was in the my teens and early 20s, the girls who I considered my best friends were actually pretty horrible to me. Now, looking back I can relate to Shosh’s experience of trying to find your place in a friend group that isn’t actually good for you. You think everyone else has a core group of best friends who do everything together and are always there for one another. When you don’t experience that, you feel out of step- like you don’t belong. This lyric from “Run Fast” by The Julie Ruin describes the feeling best; “in the movie they show us in each other's arms but the truth is we almost always cried alone”

[@Alice-px7ev]

I was very pleased that Shoshanna decided to stop communicating with the girls at the end, as she was uncomfortable with them and surrounded herself with other people. I think it was an adult decision.

[@apierre6]

Great video. As a guy in my mid-thirties now I'm just starting to realize how creepy it is for Ray, a loser in his mid-30s, to be dating a college girl. I couldn't imagine dating a college girl right now.

[@LLlap]

Tell that to Leo.

[@moisemensah8233]

Same. I'm 33. I would never. Did that once with a 23-year old woman 2 years ago and NEVER AGAIN!

[@pcbassoon3892]

Oof yeah, I'm 35 and would never date a college guy. They are like babies.

[@balletwb94]

Shosh reminds me of myself and the growth I underwent in my 20s. She was so underrated and the character I related to the most. Naive at first but develops at her own pace without codependency like the other three. She was the most genuine as the show went on. She grew up.

[@Sisyphos420]

She's the best character because she isn't a disturbed and unsufferable narcissist as the three other girls.

[@amyy0025]

Sooo true

[@tudormiller887]

Sho, was my favourite character. So underrated. Marnie got way too much screen time for my liking. Hannah was typically Hannah. Jessa had her moments, I loved her family reunion episode. Watching from London UK 🇬🇧

[@anonymouse5910]

thought i'd seen an interiew with Lena Dunham where she says that they hadn't intended for Shoshana's character to be full on, but that the actress had won them over, so they expanded the character.

[@antiheroines-you-love]

It does feel like she's more of a supporting character in season 1, glad for any crumbs

[@spacebar9733]

Aweeee

[@AC-ze1nh]

To be fair to the production, Zosia Mamet, Shoshanna's actress had a very busy schedule and her lessened screen time was due to that. I think the writers acknowledged she was the healthiest of the girls, hence why she's the one who ends their toxic dynamic.

[@mesousagaby740]

She would voice Hekapoo in Star Vs The Forces Of Evil by the end of this show's run. A realtively minor recurring character, but had quite the impact with the fanbase due to her cool design and smirky performance. I even just made a fanfic that has her as the main character.

[@animeaddict13]

I loved Shoshanna’s character, and could see her as being neurodivergent (having autism or ADHD). It would explain her fast way of talking, her quirky mannerisms and how she dresses, her having an idea of how things “should” be done (like in season 1 when she was reading that book on do’s and don’ts of dating to the girls). She was definitely my favorite character on the show.

[@monochromatic_melodramatic]

No she is just a basic clueless childish whit girl who lives in her own head. Stop romanticizing mental illness you know nothing about. Stop wishing autism and ADHD upon people, it's painful and frustrating to suffer from that even though a lot of people manage it effectively. Mental illness is not a "quirk" to entertain the masses

[@gabriellaberman]

I’ve always felt so represented by Shosh in every way. My background is Jewish, I have ADHD and would LOVE to live in Japan someday. I definitely think she has ADHD

[@spacebar9733]

I agree she seems Autistic to me. I love her sm.

[@mimiicile]

Shoshanna gets apartment for using from grandma/cousin and that's only reason why she have to share it with Jess and why she let her in first place.

[@antiheroines-you-love]

Interesting, didn't catch it in the show

[@kohhna]

Sosh is the only person of the four mains who is actually a decent person. Her character flaw is that she's awkward and a bit annoying (tho tbh I find her cute and endearing). She gets the ending she deserves by disengaging from the toxic melters she's been knocking about with and getting on with her life.

[@jessiegriggs9872]

I love love love this video. I could relate to her little quirks so much. She deserved so much more credit than she had & she was a good friend. I would have liked a show with just her as the main character. Thanks for showing some appreciation for Shosh 💕

[@juliat1526]

Shosh, really had her shit together and if not, we put everything to make it work - instead of complaining. the other three were awful people. everyone deserved better in that show besides hanna, marnie & jessa.

[@15clank]

Hey I watched this show and I'm glad you talked about it in a way that wasn't hate filled

[@PhilospherDjPsychologist24]

My favorite part about the show, is that it ends with the Last group meeting with Jessa and Marnie, alone in the bathroom, arguing about whether our not Marnie has ever taken a shit outside. I mean say what you will about this show, but that just made me belt out laughing in the most existential way

[@antiheroines-you-love]

I think all girls' interactions as a group were hilarious and I wish there were more.

[@mr.daytona7733]

I couldn't agree more! I love Girls and Shosh has always been my favorite character, for those exact reasons.

[@MonaAlicia]

Shoshana was always my favorite character.

[@stardustG.]

She was my favorite character 🥰🌸 Jessa and Hannah were like the shadow you run away from in your 20's but, that is really there running the show and that you have to integrate in your 30's. 😂

[@shoshannasays6188]

I just got Crave and decided to revisit some of my favourite shows, including, of course, Girls. I always loved Shoshanna best (and Zosia Mamet), although I may have been a little biased. Ultimately, I stayed for her, and for the excellent writing. Great video, thank you! 💗🙃

[@Sharpiegirl777]

Tbh shoshanna was the most tolerable of the four of them I couldn’t stand the other three they were insufferable and even though shosh has some flaws and can be annoying sometimes she was the most relatable to me because sometimes I see myself in her and I was definitely in her situations and reacted the same way as her

[@ronbzoom8531]

I hate-watched Girls to the end just like I did with Downton Abby. And all the while wondering what the hell was wrong with me. I hate these people! Arrrghhh!!! But I didn't hate Shoshanna. I just thought she was ridiculous. THEN Shoshanna went to Japan! And she became the only reason for me to see this show through to the end. She called her "friends" out on their BS and became her own person. Maybe a wee bit of a mess but she's getting there. Good on you, Shoshanna!

[@RiniDiamandis]

Girls was TRULY before its time!

[@theflimsyquill]

Please do a take on Dory from Search Party! Especially after that final season...wow. I'd love to hear your take on her and her interactions within her friend group and the people/world around her.

[@antiheroines-you-love]

I've heard of that show but haven't seen it yet - will add to my watchlist. Thanks for the rec!

[@livstylerewind]

I second this

[@chigusayamamoto5063]

Shoshanna is probably the least selfish character. She’s brutally honest, but she’s not a flaker like Jessa, she doesn’t try to make an event about her like Marnie, and unlike Hannah, she thinks about the needs of others and doesn’t mooch off of others (even after yelling at Marnie for hooking up with Ray, she was willing to move on instead of demonize her). Aside from cheating once, she’s the only likable character.

[@technicolortabby4239]

I think her getting the shit end of the stick is kind of the point... she's the only one who really develops into a better person as the show progresses. All of the rest of the characters get worse and the show explores that degradation rather than exploring positive growth.

[@Zimuahaha]

Omg, finally someone else who hates Ray. I see so much love for him everywhere, and it baffles me! He's the worst.

[@sydroper4761]

I could watch like six more videos of you talking about Girls. That show was so dense and so frustrating.

[@1hayes1]

I'm not sure any of this matters, since irl she is married to Evan Jonigkeit, who might be the hottest man in New York (after Haaz Sleiman, of course).

[@jcelinacoffee]

Shoshanna was never anywhere as bad as the other girls. She felt like a real person, even with how cartoonish she came off (especially season 1). At one point it was like you got to see Shoshanna for who she really was, not through the eyes of the other girls- and that person was kind, helpful and genuine. The only time I really didn’t like her was at the Ann Taylor store interview. She didn’t get rejected, she was actually instantly offered the job of sales assistant. But she IMMEDIATELY laughed it off and admitted she was only there as interview prep, not to get hired. In her mind there was no way she was going to do retail, even though she had never had a real job before and it would have offered her great experience in a field she’s passionate about. Then she interviews at that like, insane hedge fund? Financial corporation? And is totally under qualified and in denial. Shoshanna always seemed to have an issue with belonging, and not really knowing where she fit in. The strength she finds in herself however, is realizing what’s not compatible with her. The other girls, as resentful they are of each other, “have” to stick together. Shoshanna realized she’s not like them, that she’s a good person, and there are people out there who can and would want to be a true friend to her. That’s why she ultimately ends up the most happy and stable.

[@nathanpollard1223]

I love the character, but I also love the progression.

[@StarOnTheWater]

Loved her. She had the most growth as a character which included letting her old dysfunctional friendships go.

[@SahasraraRigma]

Shoshana was the best! I thought I was the only one...

[@exeortegarubio]

Shoshanna somehow reminds me of Barbara Soprano, Tony and Janice's youngest sister, who walked away from her father's business, which eventually perpetuated the cycles of violence and toxicity her older siblings fell into.

[@bubbercakes528]

She is and was the best character on the show!

[@hiropon2985]

Shosh was always my fave (obvi)

[@lilly_youtube]

Shoshanna lived in her aunts apartment

[@aesirhog4811]

I feel like this show is almost deservingly hated by its fans and that they could do a successful spin off/ sequel series centered around shoshanna and her life down the line after what we saw and that “friend” group

[@kittencaboodle24]

Shoshana was kind of like a Miranda from SATC, interesting character but less screentime and focus put on her story.

[@mayln163]

Shoshana was my least favorite character but I enjoyed the video.

[@frankieffbaby]

I loved Shos the most from the beginning. I never finished this series though. I find Hannah and the actress that plays her insufferable. I might go back and finish it though

[@lilianaperez7969]

Loooooooved this video! Shosh was the best!

[@kristenglenn7026]

Shoshanna mentions in the early episodes that her Aunt pays for her apartment to give her the “real experience” or something like that lol

[@78deathface]

The only thing I liked about the show was Shoshana

[@DominikaDonchinka]

Omg this is my comfort show ❤

[@junksies2154]

no because i miss this show

[@Persnikity-yv3nh]

Shoshanna was the most relatable, I think. Young, idealistic, naive, and a bit judgy in college, and then driven and lost post-grad, before finally starting to figure things out. And Zosia Mamet is always a highlight of the show.

[@leh5593]

I think you're a bit biased... In "Jessa's episode" Hannah had sex with a random guy or whatever and the focus was on her... From the Japanese episode I only remember Shosh's scenes, that was pretty sure 80-90% of the time, and they were fucking amazing. On the other hand you could say - none of the other girls had a whole episode in a whole other country. And this was way cooler than the other girls's episodes. I think the moment Shosh takes control over her own life, she gets also more and more significant scenes... and more screen time too. Maybe it was concious narrative technique... Shosh was my favorite and honestly I got her mental state, I got enough info to figure it out. Marnie's, Jessa's, Adam's mental states weren't OUT THERE neither... You had to figure it out. It was the point. Honestly I never felt "Shoshanna deserved better": I mean as a matter of narrative, because sure they treated her like shit and that was annoying BUT at the end, she won. All girl were horrible to each other and they were all miserable. Shosh had the best ending. Seriousely, what better ending could be for a character than to grow, be self-aware, setting boundaries, speaking the truth?

[@j.t.sheldon729]

Shosh is hands down the best character.

[@Indomita506]

I remember tweeting a lot about wanting a Shoshana show after Girls ended (i didnt watch the last season because i cant stand Lena) i thougt i was alone in this

[@saranohmusic57]

We need a Shoshanna spinoff now, in her 30s!!

[@leslierae6416]

I love this channel so much 💗

[@rubbaduck4luck]

I hate Ray too! I can't believe he is so popular. People really do confuse negative POVs with intellectualism. Its tired and annoying.

[@reyloswiftiesarmy]

loved this video ❤

[@easewithjohn]

Loved this video - best character !

[@brittney3156]

They were all holding Shoshanna down. I'm glad she got redemption in the last episode.

[@Bob_Sacamano]

Ray was the best character in the whole show.

[@aarenblade3498]

LOVE SHOSHANNA ! i am her.

[@LLlap]

This show was awful. It's like Sunny but without humor, only terrible people. And girls all over the world imitating and loving these sociopaths.

[@Ranmarch]

Shoshana is for Girls what is Samantha for Sex and the city...the real entertainment character from the show...I can't stand Hannah and Carrie

[@actualnotanewbie]

Whats wrong with Ray? Hes one of the best characters in the show

[@nathanpollard1223]

That's not saying a lot...

[@lindenstromberg6859]

Don't shed any tears, Shoshana became successful later on when she became Ben Shapiro.

[@erikbihari3625]

Isn't she played by the same actress as hekapoo from star vs the forces of evil?

[@15clank]

Ray is actually a sympathetic character. Just because he has no ambitions late in age doesn't mean he should be looked down on. Not to mention being middle aged in America and having little to no job prospects is a difficult place for anyone to be . Back off ray he's doing his best.

[@Aster_Risk]

I don't think that's the reason they dislike Ray.

[@15clank]

@@Aster_Risk all I’m saying is like Marnie there’s a little Ray in all of us.

[@15clank]

@Julie B in the later seasons yes. Which is arguably when the show became less realistic. After all Lena Dunham becoming a professor at the end of the show was criticized as fantastical . But in the early seasons after ray goes to staton island and realizes he’s a loser . That hits man . Ray should’ve had a tragic ending and represented the forgotten man in the USA.

[@ollieno971]

He’s a fully grown man dating a college girl…

[@juliabaum8832]

Ray's a mooch who tried to lowkey live off of Shosh

[@heatherb9588]

I don’t think you’re reading her character right. She’s incredibly earnest.

[@sierrajohnson717]

And she was CLEARLY the best dressed, every time. Get em girl!

[@outlawssweetheart]

Cheating is a shitty thing to do (well, depending on the situation; if someone is in a forced marriage and/or their partner is abusive, I won't even judge it *that* much), but it's hardly *_"one of the worst things you can do to another person."_* I can think of at least 10 things, if not more, that are much worse than that to do to someone. So yeah, it's shitty at worst, but people act like cheating is abuse or some horrible sin. 🙄 Like, Kim... there's people that are dying. 😐

[@ML-di8lt]

*Side-eyes my 15 yr older, immature, childish, and hilarious boyfriend*

[@doeeyes2]

SAME!!!!!! Bahahahaah.

[@DustyBanditRepellant]

Why is her ending up engaged with new friends a disappointment? That is what all girls want.

[@jamesr141]

You're way too harsh on Ray.

[@Sheislove144]

I love this show lol

[@rooboatdeer22yu51]

cheating being low is a temporary opinion. shit happens and people treat each other terribly. once you understand the layers of awfulness life can be it's not the most low thing to do. coming from someone who'b been cheated on to many times

[@lavineamortari]

honestly, THIS

[@Aster_Risk]

I don't think cheaters are irredeemable scum in most situations. The person being cheated on has no reason to trust or respect the cheater and that's perfectly reasonable. I don't think it's fair for people outside of that relationship to hold cheating over someone's head forever, though.

[@Thesauce585]

Shoshanna was definitely my favorite tho. I coulda married her and her quirkyness.

[@spacebar9733]

Idk I relate to shoshanna so much exept im poor lol, even the poor hairstyles.

[@caramelavs]

This show is basically about spoilt jewish girls in NY...if you know uou know

[@angelacable7517]

Her aunt paid😊

[@shahani6037]

I know a person who talks, acts, and thinks like Shoshana. She is kinda annoying. Sweet intent but annoying

[@elijahwhitfield3032]

Looking back it's the perfect representation of a young Insecure Aquarius woman

[@lindadavies3281]

Since society is realizing the harm modern feminism has created, dosen't Shoshanna being unemployed and engaged turns out to be the best outcome? She'll have grandchildren surrounding and celebrating her. While as the three other girls will end up overly sexually used , on antidepressants indefinitely, left with their nightly box of wine, dog or multi cats, in a lonely apt. and most likely will die alone.

[@nathanpollard1223]

Questionable logic leads to questionable conclusions.

[@glopes956]

This doesn't make any sense

[@lindadavies3281]

@@glopes956 All feminism accomplished Is it turned women into wage slaves, sexually overused with majority guaranteed to be chronically depressed, childless; and ultimately dying alone with no family to cherish and be remembered by. Smart young women will realize this and instead like their great grandmothers marry a good man early, have many children and relish in the lifestyle that the Good Holy Book teaches. 🙏

[@knowbody9679]

🤮

[@user-mf1rz9mn3l]

Disagree, shoshana was awful