Insecure Intermissions: Goodbyes Are Said, Snacks Are Eaten, and All the Feelings Come Out, Okay?!

Every Monday of the fifth and final season of HBO’s cultural flashpoint show, Insecure, Very Smart Brothas Senior Editor Panama Jackson and Contributing Freelance Writer Shanelle Genai have broken down the latest episode. But just like the fan-favorite show, all good things must come to an end. Since Panama recently said his goodbyes, Staff Sports and Culture Writer Jay Connor will be joining in to help close out the season, okay?! Spoilers ahead.

Shanelle Genai: Aaaannnd as usual on Monday mornings, we’re back with another breakdown from last night’s episode of Insecure. This week, our “we” looks a little different, as our forever homie Panama Jackson shared his final musings with you all last week. (Big ups to my big dawg, we miss you already.) But never fear, because the keys to the Insecure Recap Kingdom are still in beyond capable hands thanks to Staff Sports and Culture Writer Jay Connor, aka my second most favorite person to argue with, lending a helping hand to close out the season.

That being said, Sunday night’s penultimate episode was A LOT, okay?! I mean, you had Molly & Taurean gone of the “ouid” and going HAM on the snacks (and in the pantry), Tiffany and Derek saying their emotional goodbyes, Issa & NATHANIEL going apartment hunting, and to top it all off, a lil tussle between Lawrence and NATHANIEL that left them both looking stupid—and no doubt Issa feeling crazy because the two men she has feelings for have nothing but fury for each other. In the words of Linneathia Leakes: whew, chile. Jay, what were your thoughts on last night’s episode?

Jay Connor: Considering the first 8 episodes of the final season came off like a trip to the grocery store where you have no idea what’s at the crib, so you’re just grabbing a bunch of shit (because why not), it was nice to see a couple of dangling plot threads make a long-overdue crash collision. I would never in life take back a woman who cheated on me and dumped me for the only barber in Los Angeles who never lines up his beard, so I hope and pray that Lawrence doesn’t make the same mistake. I really dig the Molly and Taurean dynamic though (even more so when they’re high as shit), but you already knew Dro would magically reappear to sprinkle chaos and confusion in Molly’s life. She took that shit on the chin like a G, though. You know what that is? Growth.

Shanelle Genai: That is growth and much like you, I am increasingly here for Molly and Taurean continuing to grow with one another. I mean, for all of Issa’s insecurities and issues in the love department, Molly has had her fair share of bumps in the road, too. So it feels really good to see therapy is working for the better and it’s showing in a variety of ways in her life. Of course, Dro coming back all unannounced and tall and shit felt like a glitch in the matrix, but I’m glad he wasn’t able to worm his way back into Molly’s life. Speaking of worming your way back into someone’s life though, I definitely have mixed feelings about the stunt Lawrence pulled with Issa at the end of the episode. I mean, kudos to him for being honest (although, was it really honesty, or was he just letting Chad put a battery in his back and doing what he thought he should do?) but time and place, man. He shoulda known after coming for NATHANIEL and launching “LA vs TX BBQ Wars” in the man huddle earlier, shit wasn’t sweet between them. It was all just BEYOND chaotic.

Jay Connor: Honestly, Custer’s Lawrence’s Last Stand did feel kind of forced, but I also know what it feels like to fuck things up with the woman you love and to live with the regret of not putting all your cards on the table. So I feel him from that perspective, but to your point, there’s only one way that’s gonna go with her new man around. And to that end, it might be necessary since Issa has always treated boring-ass Nathan like a third string point guard, anyway. Is she moving in with him because she genuinely wants to? Or is she only moving in with him because it feels convenient with Lawrence off raising the next president of the United States?

Shanelle Genai: I honestly don’t think it’s either one. I think she’s doing it because she thinks that’s what she’s supposed to do. Much like almost every other previous decision in her life, she’s moving as if there’s some sort of pre-established game plan she’s supposed to go by—and that’s been causing her to doubt herself at every turn. But, like Molly told her in the last episode: What if there is no plan? What if there is no right or wrong? What if she doesn’t have to move in with Nathan just because he brought it up and she doesn’t wanna hurt his feelings by saying no? You know? And what if she doesn’t have to go crawling back to Lawrence’s indecisive ass just because he laid bare his feelings like Dwayne Wayne at Whitley’s wedding? Like, what then? If Issa learns anything by the end of this show, I hope it’s that there’s no preconceived life plan she has to follow, and she can really chart her own path, no matter where it takes her and whoever comes along for the ride—or not—and that it’s okay. Okay?! With one episode left, how do you think things will wrap for our favorite friend group?

Jay Connor: In a perfect world, she’d read what you just said, drop the theatrics, and leave both Lawrence and boring-ass Nathan the hell alone (maybe he’ll finally line up his beard?) in order to focus on working on herself. But since Insecure is here to entertain, I’m inclined to believe she’ll return to the loving arms of Best Buy’s former employee of the month. I’ve never cared for Tiffany so she won’t be missed, but Derek is one of the best characters on the show that nobody ever talks about. So I hope he continues to live his best life in Denver. And after spending Season 4 embarrassing our ancestors, Molly finally seems to have her shit together—in her love life, professionally, and her relationship with Issa. I’m curious to see how things end for Kelli, though she seems primed for a spinoff of some sort. How do you think this iconic show will end?

Shanelle Genai: I honestly, truly hope Issa just decides to choose herself and not move onward with NATHANIEL or Mr. Woot-Woot. I need her to keep spinning The Blocc into what she desires for it to be and live her best Hometown Heroine life with Crenshawn (now that he seems to finally be acting right.) As for Molly, I want her to keep evolving and being open to new experiences in life and love. Tiffany and Derek, I wish them well but I also feel like there might be another bundle of joy headed their way so that might make for some tumultuous times in the great state of Colorado. Like you, I want Kelli to get her own spinoff because I need to see “Prenny’s Preguntas” grow into the number-one cultural commentary podcast. I just need to, for my sake.

And even though I gave her a hard time, I hope Controlla/Constellation/Covfefe/Constantinople Condola raises Baby ‘Jah to be better than his father in the love department. I also want Chad and Ahmal to get their things too because, much like Kelli, they gave some of the best comedic moments of this entire series and deserve to live happily ever after because of it. I really can’t believe this show is about to say its final goodbyes to us but as I said in the opening: all good things must eventually come to an end. Until next week…

The series finale of Insecure premieres Sunday, Dec. 26 at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and HBOMax. Immediately following, HBO will debut Insecure: The End, a special documentary event looking back on the iconic series.