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BEST

1. Real talk about STIs and sex

When you’re in your twenties, sex is something you think you should be enjoying but you’re probably not. This is because sex in your twenties is an odyssey through uncharted waters of awkwardness and sexual discovery. Unfortunately, Hollywood has fed you lies about what it means to be young. Trust us, your sex life in your twenties will not involve topless road trips or writing the Great American Novel. Luckily, Girls is here to feed you a big dose of unvarnished, HPV-ridden realness. Also, sometimes you find out your ex-boyfriends are gay. It’s OK, this should hopefully stop happening once you turn thirty.

2. Shoshanna, the uptight virgin

One of the main tropes of coming-of-age films and TV shows is that there is always (always) a nerdy virgin. If they’re a boy, they’re always the one you end up rooting for (think American Pie). If they’re a girl, well, woe betide them, because girl virgins are almost always uptight, frigid weirdos on film – the kind of girls who exist for the sake of a bad punchline and a good dose of public shaming. Shoshanna is a triumph for virgins everywhere: yeah, she may sort of conform to the “uptight virgin” stereotype, but she’s also arguably the funniest and most lovable character on Girls. We love her, accidental crack habit and all.

3. 21st century BFF-ship

Not that we hate on Sex & The City, but the entire idea of “ladies who lunch in Manhattan and talk about sex toys” is a bit passe, no? Especially given that in this economic climate, who can really afford to lunch in Manhattan? Girls isn’t as super-luxe and aspirational as SATC, but it offers up a way more realistic and down-at-heel look at friendship. And for once, it’s refreshing to see a portrayal of female friendship that isn’t undermined by romantic competition or envy.

WORST

1. The unbearable whiteness of being Girls

Dunham came under fire for her cast’s lack of diversity, but we say – just wait till Episode 7 and a Latino girl called Tako (Roberta Colindrez) shows up! For double points, she’s also a lesbian. For triple points, La Roux is playing in the scene. You would never get this kind of sexual and ethnic diversity on another HBO show (other than The Wire)! In all seriousness though, Dunham has promised to rectify the situation and has accordingly cast Community star Donald Glover in the next season.

2. How do you solve a problem like Jessa?

The manic pixie dream girl on a gap year from life? On paper, Jessa is a great idea – but something just doesn’t feel right about her character. Is it the bizarro transatlantic accent, which reaches Mischa-Barton-in-St-Trinians levels of weirdness? Is it the parade of boho-circa-2004 flopping hats and peasant skirts? Or is it because Jessa is the equivalent of your rich friend from boarding school who sits around smoking weed and complaining about how getting a job right now is sooo difficult? Who. Knows. Either way, she needs a personality update.

3. We need a resolution

This scene was probably the hottest scene in the entire series and they didn’t do anything with the Jonathan Booth storyline afterwards. Why not? Come on, Dunham. Awkward sex is great and all, but every show needs some kind of actual sexual tension.

Girls starts on Sky Atlantic on Monday, 21 October. www.mistakesgirlsmake.co.uk

Words: Zing Tsjeng

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One of your first roles on TV was in The West Wing and now you’ve come full circle with a lead role in The Newsroom. What’s working with Aaron Sorkin like the second time round?

That was a great experience but working on The Newsroom has been a dream. As an actor, the chance to say the words of a writer like Aaron Sorkin don’t come along very often so you learn to relish the opportunity should you be lucky enough to get one. Fortunately, I’ve been very lucky!

You’re perhaps best known for your Broadway roles – what convinced you to take the leap from theatre to television full time?

Actors in New York don’t always get the chance to even be considered for these kinds of projects. Most of them are cast heavily out of L.A. but it just so happened that Aaron Sorkin, Alan Poul, Scott Rudin and Greg Mottola were at the helm of this pilot. Several of them are New Yorkers and theatre lovers with backgrounds in writing and producing plays so I think they were very game to come and meet with actors more accustomed to working on stage. I struggled at first with the potential of spending so much time away but working with that calibre of talent and for a network like HBO ended up being a no-brainer, and I’ve loved every second of the result.

Do you follow any other HBO shows? Are you a Girls fan like everyone else?

I love Boardwalk Empire and I have all five seasons of The Wire on DVD – it’s one of my favourite shows of all time.

Sorkin conducted research for The Newsroom by observing several cable networks. Did you do any behind-the-scenes prep for your role?

I didn’t have any time to do hands-on research because up until the day before I left for L.A. to shoot the pilot I was doing a play on Broadway called ‘Jerusalem’. I ended up going right from a play about rural Englanders to a show about New Yorkers working in cable news! Fortunately, Aaron is such a resource on set because of his wealth of knowledge of whatever subject he’s writing about.

Do you watch a lot of cable news now?

I can’t say I do. I find it difficult to separate the news that’s being broadcast from the often heightened and formulated personality of whoever it is that’s doing the broadcasting. I’m not criticising the format – I just follow the news online more than I do on television.

Are the characters on The Newsroom as fast-paced as their West Wing peers and if so, have you managed to master the art of ‘walk and talk’?

All of Aaron’s characters are awarded the gift of eloquence and intellect and most of them also happen to be workaholics who are operating under pressure and racing to beat the clock, so naturally they do end up talking very fast! Our set on The Newsroom is not as corridor-heavy as The West Wing so things manage to stay a bit more stationary!

Finally, are you aware of Richard Schiff’s Twitter campaign to appear on The Newsroom?

No – this is news to me! He was absolutely incredible on The West Wing and he was kind to me back in 2002 when I was on an episode so I certainly wouldn’t take any issue with him visiting ACN!

Words: Frankie Mathieson (@frankiewrites)

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