Need a new show to binge? Why I’m loving ‘Insecure’

With so much couch time in 2020, it’s been easier than usual to buzz through TV shows, and I’m sure you’ve had to ask your most TV-obsessed friends what next show they recommend. If you’re between shows again, I’m that TV-obsessed friend who’s here for you, and my recommendation during this whole pandemic always starts with one incredible show: Insecure.

It’s already had four seasons, but Issa Rae’s Emmy-nominated show about 20 to 30-something friends remains criminally underseen. Here’s why it’s time to turn on HBO’s Insecure if you haven’t watched it yet.

It’s relatable (even if you’re no longer single)

The first few seasons follow Issa and her friends while they navigate career, friendship, and love lives, but at a time in their life when they’re on the precipice of really being grown-ups. Even if you’re not in that stage anymore, it’s incredibly relatable. In season four, it gets more relatable for moms when one of Issa’s close friends, Tiffany (Amanda Seales), has her first baby and then flounders in the grips of postpartum depression.

It reminds you of what it’s like to have friends

Most of us have only seen our best friends through a Zoom window or FaceTime screen this year. Our families are great, but it’s incredibly isolating not to also have your best friends to spend time with (and vent to about what’s probably one of the most difficult years of your life). You may not know Issa, Molly, Tiffany, and Kelli like you know your own group, but you’ll be invited to hang out with them for a while and remember what it was like to have friends. Sigh.

The energy is something we could all use right now

Needless to say, the characters of Insecure aren’t on a stay-at-home order. They’re living their (mostly) best pre-pandemic lives and having fun (you remember fun)—in Malibu, at Coachella, on vacation in Mexico. It’s the kind of escapism we’re all longing for. Oh, and did I mention it’s funny? There’s plenty of drama, but there are way more laughs to keep you going.