Second Seasons Of 'Girls' & 'Enlightened' Slated For January 2013 Premiere On HBO

Television

by Kevin Jagernauth
August 1, 2012 5:35 PM
9 Comments

When you're hot, you're hot and there has been no other new show on television so far this year that has earned quite the same amount of attention as Lena Dunham's "Girls." With the first three episodes premiering at SXSW to a huge response, "Girls" hit HBO in full force in April, averaging 3.8 million viewers over that first batch of shows, leading to a quick renewal by the network. And Dunham didn't waste a single moment, going in front of cameras this summer to shoot the second season, and in less than a year, we'll have ten new episodes to enjoy.

HBO has announced that season two of the Emmy nominated program will bow in January 2013, and we can't wait. Dunham's show is a sharp, funny and well observed look at how young women (and hell, people in general) stumble through love, life and work in their early 20s. And there are lots of questions to answer next season. Will Hannah and Marnie be friends again? Will Jessa still be married? Will Shoshanna and Ray last? Is Charlie really out of the picture? Will Adam forgive Hannah? Lots to follow up on, and we're eager to see how Dunham navigates the waters in a new season, and what changes she'll make (or won't) to the narrative and characters.

Meanwhile, this writer never watched "Enlightened" with Laura Dern and doesn't really know anyone who did, but HBO has faith and has re-upped it with a January bow also set. Mike White's show follows an ambitious executive at a global conglomerate, who returns to her fractured life after a humiliating public breakdown, determined to lead a more enlightened existence, but her new game plan has unintended repercussions. Thoughts on this show? Should we catch up with it? Let us know below.

Television

More: Television, Girls, Enlightened, HBO

9 Comments

| Reply
Michael | August 1, 2012 9:20 PMReply

I love Enlightened. There's nothing quite like it on tv, and Dern's performance is spectacular.
Duncan | August 1, 2012 8:20 PMReply

"Enlightened" is definitely worth catching up on, though its effective is cumulative, especially over the first four or five episodes. The second half builds on those first few half-hours very effectively, and while the season finale is a little disappointing in comparison to what's come before (especially in regards to the sudden shift we see in Luke Wilson's character), the second-to-last episode is very moving, and features one particularly outstanding sequence in a grocery store between two elderly women. It almost certainly works best if you've seen at least a few episodes previous to it, but its rigid focus on a supporting character makes me wonder what your thoughts would be if you were to see it cold. It's called "Consider Helen", and as people have mentioned, it's directed by "Junebug"'s Phil Morrison.
Eoin Daly | August 1, 2012 7:13 PMReply

Are you all serious Girls is in my top 5 comedies on TV. Enlightened is an awful show.
Sean | August 1, 2012 9:42 PM

Girls is okay. I wasn't as blown away with it as everyone else was with it. To me, it seemed somewhat basic. Still a decent show.
Enlightened on the other hand, I thought started off mediocre but improve as time went on. And the later half of the season was fantastic. That episode with Robin Wright was so well done. And the Helen centred episode is truly a masterpiece.
Anton Jacoves | August 1, 2012 7:34 PM

You got us! We were all kidding and think exactly like you! Although it should be pointed out that only one person directly compared the two shows. They're not in competition. You can like both.
Anton Jacoves | August 1, 2012 7:07 PMReply

ENLIGHTENED is one of the best shows on TV. I was wondering why you glossed over it in your top ten. There's a reason HBO didn't give it the axe like BORED TO DEATH, HUNG, and HOW TO MAKE IT IN AMERICA (who were all quality programs at one point or another but none achieved sustained greatness) with its horrible numbers. The episode directed by JUNEBUG director Phil Morrison is one of the top five episodes of television this young decade - right up there with "The Suitcase" and "Fly". Kudos to HBO for giving this great show such a strong lead-in.
Sean | August 1, 2012 6:29 PMReply

Enlightened is way better than Girls. Girls is a decent show but I don't really see it the same way as you guys (and gals) see it on the playlist; it's a tad overrated.
Enlightened though is fantastic. The episodes Demme directed were top notch and the Phil Morrison ep was the highlight of the show (or of any show for that matter).
Ben | August 1, 2012 5:54 PMReply

Yes, you need to catch up with ENLIGHTENED-- itt's an overlooked gem on HBO. In addition to Dern's greatness and Mike White's stellar writing, Nicole Holofcener and Jonathan Demme directed multiple episodes and they're some of the most perfectly shot half hours on teevee.
remy | August 1, 2012 5:53 PMReply

enlightened isn't like anything else on tv. it's a brilliant dramedy with a kind heart.