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I do know what you’re pondering – why isn’t Girls getting rebooted like each different TV present as of late? Why isn’t Lena Dunham contorting herself to make that occur? Isn’t the whole lot else she works on going to be Women 2.0? It’s comprehensible that her new Netflix collection, Too A lot, will probably be in comparison with the present that launched her profession to world heights, nevertheless it’s a lazy distinction.
You see, I’m not a Women fan. Except for transient flashbacks of Dunham’s character Hannah spaced out on medicine whereas sporting a string vest that wasn’t hers, a lot of the present’s scenes blur into one hazy hallucination for me. That’s to not say the hit TV show was a bust in my eyes – removed from it – however 17-year-old me wasn’t able to embrace the messy actuality of womanhood when Women first aired in 2012.
Aged 30 in 2025, I couldn’t have fallen tougher for Too A lot. Set in my again backyard of London, Jessica (Megan Stalter) takes the chance to maneuver to the town for work after her ex-boyfriend, who she’s nonetheless not over, proposes to a preferred influencer. It’s not essentially the most unique lead-in to a brand new Netflix present like this, nevertheless it’s the springboard for one thing even higher.
Irrespective of your opinions on Dunham or her work, she’s in a position to stay effortlessly related in a method that’s completely astounding. The script and conditions really feel recent with out ever venturing into laughable territory, incorporating 2020s tradition like Instagram reels and TikTok magnificence hacks with profitable irony. Belief me, you’ve by no means needed to personal a hairless canine who wears bespoke turtleneck jumpers extra.
The place Dunham has largely stepped behind the digicam (except for a couple of stray appearances), Megan Stalter’s Jessica is a flawless alternative. We’ve identified she’s a comedy queen within the making since her function on Hacks, however Too A lot is her circus ring for the efficiency of a lifetime. Jessica would possibly query her decisions each 0.5 seconds, however she by no means really sacrifices her sense of self, unashamedly returning to the issues that give her pleasure in darker moments. She’s a typical 2020s twentysomething and pleased with it, and that in flip makes us really feel higher in regards to the methods we’ve tailored cliché and overdramatic habits.
Clearly Stalter is our star right here, however the remainder of the ensemble forged is simply as chaotically fleshed-out, and we wish to sink our tooth into all of them. Even higher is the frankly insane stage of celeb cameos, coming out extra ceaselessly than a teen’s pimples. It’s arduous to select a favorite, however Naomi Watts’ diabolically unfazed British housewife Ann has to cinch it for me. Preserve a detailed eye on each episode, although – I gained’t spoil it, however there’s a very good cameo in episode 9 which may remind you of a personality they’ve performed earlier than.
There are a couple of downsides, however no matter how Too A lot tackled its topic, they have been certain to be there. Jessica’s fixation on her ex-boyfriend turns into as tiring as it’s within the present as we expertise watching it ourselves, with the stereotypes of her new London friends not doing anybody any favours both. Roll the 2 collectively too ceaselessly and the present turns into its namesake, however sadly, Jessica must wade via the worst to study her classes.
Too A lot isn’t an in-depth exploration of what it means to like and reside as a younger girl in a brand new decade, and it doesn’t need to be. In hindsight, Women was heralded as precisely that for its time and place, however to evaluate Too A lot in the identical method is to overlook the uncooked emotion and humanity on show right here. It’s by no means slacking on the chaotic entrance, and going with the feelings and dangerous selections in real-time is what makes Dunham’s present really feel like a brand new tackle one thing we’ve seen earlier than. Typically you’ve simply obtained to make your peace with the very fact your life has resulted in consuming chilly prompt noodles at 1am, and that’s okay.