Insecure's Series Finale Almost Looked Very Different, Issa Rae Says
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SPOILER ALERT: This article contains heavy spoilers for the series finale of ‘Insecure’. Read at your own risk – and if you ignore this warning you should definitely feel insecure in your reading comprehension skills.
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Well folks, after five seasons, 44 episodes, 11 Emmy award nominations, and an emotional montage that should have singlehandedly prompted the Golden Globes' overlords to include a category for “Best Supporting Yellow Couch," HBO's beloved dramedy Insecure finally came to an end this weekend. Best described as one of the sitcom world's only competent finales (I said what I said, Seinfeld), the series' ultimate episode was full of emotions and a powerful montage depicting our favorite friends traveling through life's many milestones. Issa Dee – a.k.a the show's protagonist played by series co-creator Issa Rae's -- reconciles with her rocky friendship with her longtime bestie, Molly. Fan-favorite Kelli, who spent all season considering her legacy, finds herself in love (her wish for dick is apparently the universe's command) and expecting a child. And of course, and the loyal members of Team Lawrence were all vindicated as their favorite will-they-won't-they couple finally decided that they will, tying the knot and living happily ever after.
Yet in a new interview with Vulture, Rae revealed that her original vision for the end of her series looked a lot different – and more international -- than the installment that hit the small screen on Sunday night.
“Initially, we jumped five years into the future and had Issa and Molly reunite in Morocco and told the story of what happened through this adventure — misadventure — in Morocco," said Rae, who also served as an executive producer for the series.
Despite the fact that the international installment was “funny and exciting and different,” as the multi-hyphenate star put it, it seems there was a key component missing with this approach – the show's iconic setting of Los Angeles, California. “It just didn’t pay homage to what — you know, the show is set in L.A. and they went back to L.A. in the last couple of pages,” she continued. “A lot of that montage you see in the finale currently was still there, but setting the show away from L.A. for such a long time felt wrong."
Although leaving California for such a large portion of the episode may have felt wrong, it seems the aforementioned montage always felt right, an inclusion Rae says was inspired by the promise between Issa and Molly to always celebrate their birthdays together.
“Birthdays was just the core,” the actress explained. “I thought about the pilot and even the third season in the show: Birthdays have been such a source of significance for Issa and our characters, and when I think about my own friendships and getting older, birthdays are the only promise we have to hang out. And it is sad when we can’t make that happen.”
As we see on the screen, it seems this is a lesson our two leading pals seemingly learned the had way. “Just as a naïve promise that the girls make to each other, and Issa and Molly in particular, to always be there for each other’s birthday is — it is just that. It’s naïve, and it discounts all the events that can happen in life, and it’s still the one thing you hold on to as the celebration of your friends and the commitment you have to them,” Rae continued. "We watched them recommit to each other with the hopes of being able to hold on to that but not necessarily counting on the fact that particular events in their lives might keep them from each other. There was something beautiful in following that."
And beautiful it was. So, folks, here's to Insecure – Thanks for being what tacos are to Issa – our greatest (TV) love.
Top Image: HBO
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