by Ashley Ray-Harris, AV Club

I have been reviewing Insecure for four seasons now and there is one constant question commenters throw at me: Why do you hate Lawrence? From the moment we first met Lawrence as Issa’s absolute bum of a boyfriend, I’ve been accused of hating Lawrence, a character who is perfectly fine. If TV characters were rated by likability or who niceness, I’d have no issue with Lawrence. That’s the thing. I’ve never hated Lawrence as a character, I’ve hated him as a plot device! In the first season, Lawrence had a clear purpose. He was there to show us Issa was ready to make major changes in her life. Lawrence and Issa’s relationship was absolutely necessary to the show. Then they broke up and Insecure really didn’t know what to do with Lawrence.

Lawrence (again, perfectly fine guy) was forced into meandering plots about hookups and thots of the week. It set a confusing tone for the show. For example, Insecure has shared next to nothing about Kelli’s sex life outside of jokes. Meanwhile, they have given viewers an actual visual of Lawrence in a threesome that was supposed to serve as some sort of serious character development. It wasn’t. It felt more like a moment to rile up Twitter than anything indicative of Lawrence’s growth. So, when “Lowkey Thankful” opened on Lawrence’s face, I didn’t have high hopes at all. In fact, I hope you’ll now believe me when I say: I do not hate Lawrence because this was one of Insecure’s best episodes.

“Lowkey Thankful” gives us everything we’ve wanted from Insecure since season two. It justifies Lawrence’s existence on the show. It paints a wonderful, fully formed picture of Condola. It gives us Chad, Kelli, Tiffany, and Derek in beautiful, hilarious doses. It offers a perfect example of how TV shows can use social media and texting to deliver narrative and development in a way that feels realistic. It gives us growth and acknowledgement of what these characters have experienced over four seasons. It also gives us Molly and Issa’s break-up. It’s subtle. It’s probably not the obvious moment that will drive Issa to say she doesn’t fuck with Molly anymore, but “Lowkey Thankful” is the point of no return in their friendship.

The episode beautifully uses Ahmal to deliver the episode’s central message: “You ain’t gotta do something just cuz they say you’re supposed to.” That’s it. That’s the key to adulthood, Ahmal’s therapist explains. Growing up is about doing what you want and finding what serves you. It’s not about the relationships, careers or labels other people say will make you happy. It’s about the actual people and experiences that make you happy. Ahmal knows this. The rest of Insecure’s characters are learning this.

Let’s start with Lawrence. While his motivation hasn’t always been clear, it’s obvious he still feels insecure over his break-up with Issa. It’s not just that she cheated on him, it’s that he knows why she cheated. He was a total bum. They weren’t on the same timetable. Issa wanted more and Lawrence was just figuring that out. Now Lawrence feels like he has to play catch up so that doesn’t happen again. The thing is, there isn’t actually a timetable. Lawrence thinks getting a promotion, a wife and starting a family will mean he’s achieved some kind of status. Chad might use cars to keep up appearances, but Lawrence uses his career and relationship status.

It turns out that’s the lesson Condola is here to teach him. Insecure and “Lowkey Thankful” deserve credit for their handling of Condola. They easily could’ve made her the stereotype of a jealous new girlfriend, but they didn’t. In fact, Condola is everyone’s goals. She’s the woman who recommends perfect cafes and hosts amazing events in her gorgeous house. Her friends are getting married. They have perfect tech jobs and the glow of maturity Lawrence’s crew lacks. Condola has been divorced. She knows what she wants and what she doesn’t want. She understands that life is flexible and things like status or labels don’t define things. Condola is an adult. She’s who Issa wants to be. She’s who Lawrence wants to build his future with. Sadly, Lawrence is still on the wrong timetable.

While Condola can be mature about Lawrence’s past, he spirals after a wonderfully drunk Robin Thede reveals Condola’s history. Condola is absolutely in the right here. Maybe she is just playing it casual right now, but that doesn’t mean they can’t get more serious down the line. But, the script makes it obvious that Lawrence’s insecurity has nothing to do with Condola’s ex. It’s about his own feelings of emasculation. Condola’s friends know that his job isn’t steady. They insult his shirt. He tries to fix the sink, it breaks again. Lawrence has this idea of what kind of man he needs to be for Condola and it doesn’t fit with reality. Condola rightfully calls him out over Issa and he realizes the real issue.

It turns out he and Issa might actually be on the same schedule. He’s afraid of being humiliated again. His situation with Condola isn’t as stable as he thought it was. So, he freaks out. He slides into Issa’s DMs. Mya’s “Case of the Ex” plays and a million tweets launch. This time, however, the moment feels absolutely deserved, even if Issa’s immediate text response is infuriating. This is where Insecure has always done its best work. When the show justifies the mistakes its characters make through actual emotional development instead of Twitter talking points, it produces amazing moments like this. It’s brilliant writing.

“Lowkey Thankful” Director: Mark Sadlek

Season 4 Editor and Supervising Editor: Mark Sadlek

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