This week's 'Girls' was a weird one, bit like one of those 'EastEnders' specials where only Dot and Ethel, or Kat and Alfie appear, which makes the whole thing a bit stagey in Albert Square.
Over in Brooklyn, this thespy one-off was prompted by the appearance in Ray's coffee shop of a steely-eyed Patrick Wilson ('Prometheus', 'Angels in America', 'The Watchmen'), on some spurious complaint about a trash can. This prompted Hannah, the guilty party, to walk out of her job, across the road, into the house of aforementioned Joshua – NOT Josh – and basically jump his bones for the rest of the episode.
Lena Dunham and Patrick Wilson make an unlikely pairing in 'Girls'
This turn of events was head-scratching for several reasons. 1) Hannah's financial peril has been a theme since the very first episode, 2) As she put it, “I could be putting myself in a Ted Bundy situation” with a strange man, albeit one with a beautifully fitted brownstone, 3) he let her stay even after she'd admitted to her strange trash can behaviour, and 4) would this muscle-bound doctor really have found Hannah's behaviour – blurting out stuff, kissing him, apologising, repeat cycle – remotely appealing?
The explanation that he'd recently separated made his behaviour a bit more conceivable, but it seemed more likely that he reciprocated just to stop her expressing this neverending vat of Feelings with a big F. All her insecurities were sweetly on display, as well as trying to look sophisticated with a big glass of wine, acting all mature and trying on this new sophisticated lifestyle for size. So... her with nowhere else to go, and him with nothing else to do. The beginning of a beautiful relationship?
It was great that Lena Dunham got to write this Patrick Wilson fantasy into her character's life and create the perfect day – cooking, bonking, playing table tennis just in knickers (which didn't seem sexy, just... precarious) - but I just kept waiting for the shoe to drop. Would he turn out to be Ted Bundy? Or worse, Ted Boring?
Even Hannah couldn't believe how her day was turning out
Nope, the pay off came with a too-hot shower and a befuddled Hannah passing out. Which triggered a whole load more… feelings, her insecurities, his blank look, until she eventually upped and took herself back to the reality of Grumpy's.
By now, I was really missing the other girls and, ultimately, I think Hannah might have been, too. No offence, Patrick Wilson, it was a great day in your lovely house, but we can just go back to normal, messy life with Shoshanna and company next week?