The Chickens Just Came Home To Roost On HBO’s Insecure, Episode 7

We only have one more episode left of Issa Rae’s new HBO series, Insecure, and last night’s episode set us up for one hell of a finale. The aptly titled episode 7, “Real As F*ck,” was a come-to-Jesus moment for the main characters who now have to face their biggest challenge yet: themselves. Issa spent the entire season questioning her job at We Got Ya’ll, a non-profit for “at risk” youth, and her relationship with longtime boyfriend Lawrence. Earlier in the season, she’s unsure of her future with Lawrence who is struggling to get his career off the ground. Don’t believe the hype, love cannot conquer all when money is involved. After taking a few days to think things over, she decides to give bae another chance. But Issa puts the relationship at risk when she sleeps with an old flame, Daniel, with whom she recently reconnected. The guilt eats away at her as she tries to move forward with Lawrence. But in episode 7, she finally comes clean about her infidelity and it does not end well. Best friend Molly, a successful lawyer, is also facing challenges in her love life. She wants to settle down with someone as successful as she is, even joining an elite dating app (like many of us, she was over Tinder). When she unexpectedly sparks a connection with Jared, who didn’t go to college, she swerves him in hopes of catching a bigger fish. But she remains in the dark about her own habit of coming on too strong and setting high stakes for would-be lovers. In last night’s episode, when Jared refuses to be a pawn in her game, Molly is left out in the cold, alone. This episode of Insecure forced us to confront some hard realities. Molly and Issa try to cling on to the men in their lives after they’ve set separate balls rolling in hopes that all will work out in their favor. It’s what we all do; we move through life trying to figure out ways to make it better. When we feel dissatisfied in some area, we adjust. We take risks. Or we try the route that Issa, Molly, and even Solange have taken and try to “sex it away.” Rarely do our choices affect us alone; there are always moving pieces beyond our control. Sometimes those piece have curve balls of their own. So when all is said and done, and when you’re in a fight with your bestie (like Issa and Molly are at the end of this episode), we have to ask ourselves some questions. Can we live with the consequences of our actions? Can we live with ourselves?