‘Insecure’ Season 3, Episode 2 Recap: Everyone in the Club Getting Salty

*Warning: Spoilers ahead*

• The We Got Y’all crew has a less than productive chat about righting the ship.

• Kelli sets Issa’s housing expectations straight.

• Issa plays networking wing woman for Daniel when 5EVEN falls through.

• Both Issa and Daniel swallow their pride and finally ask for help.

To make moves or not to make moves? That is the episode two question. 

The second episode of season three, titled “Familiar-Like,” opens on Issa (Issa Rae) grinding away at work while she simultaneously checks in on Daniel and applies to (and gets rejected from) apartments. “Rejected? No wonder L.A. got a homeless problem,” she quips.

Soon after, the We Got Y’all staff huddles in a conference room to see the new and hopefully improved logo. Despite Joanna’s (Catherine Curtin) best (ahem, totally clueless) efforts, it’s still very much racially insensitive. The employees voice an array of concerns, which range from everything to gender representation to the actual name of the charity. They go back and forth until perpetually disinterested Patricia (Kathreen Khavari) groans, “Honestly, whatever Issa thinks is probably right.” 

Everyone turns to Issa for her “woke” insight and she imagines lashing out at them, but instead just agrees with everyone’s opinions…except Joanne’s because “it’s not racist, it’s my hand,” is not a sound argument.

Meanwhile, Daniel is in the studio making beats that make his niece Jada “think,” which she doesn’t like. It’s late and he complains to 5EVEN (Moustapha Lamine Diop) that Spyder (Roshon Fegan) never showed up for their meeting. 5EVEN blames traffic, promises they’ll get together tomorrow and then calls someone to ask if he left ketchup packets at their house. Totally normal.

After fielding another rental rejection email, Issa meets with Kelli (Natasha Rothwell) for advice on how to get her finances in order. Unfortunately, Kelli informs her that her credit is lower than low. And unless Issa can find a co-signer or supply three or four months’ rent up front (she can’t), she’ll be couch surfing for a lot longer. But, hey, at least she has the Rite-Aid panties and fitted caps to show for her method of “saving.”

Kelli offers to help her learn how to budget and says she’ll hook her up with a credit counselor. She also suggests that Issa should ask Daniel to let her stay longer. But when Kelli learns that Issa isn’t paying rent or contributing in any sense, she can’t help but wonder if they’re hooking up. But nevermind, she has bigger things to worry about, like should she have sex with her assistant, Warren? 

The next morning, Daniel cuddles with Vanessa (Veronica Blakney) in her bed. She calls him out for staying with her for the past three nights and tells him her bed isn’t available anymore. He tries to peacock about meeting Spyder, but she’s not interested at all. Like, at all. 

Later, Issa eats lunch with her co-workers. It isn’t long before they get into a group vent sesh about Joanne’s “tone deaf” ways and question Issa’s hesitancy to speak out. She says it’s frustrating to always have to be the “angry” one, but they find ways to normalize and relate to her experience. After lunch, she calls Daniel to humble brag about going to Costco and asks about his preference of paper towel ply. Then, she finally gets to the real reason she called and inquires if she can crash longer. He says she can stay another week.

Back in the office, Issa takes her co-workers’ advice and sits down with Joanne to suggest that she hire more people of color to create a workforce that looks more like the kids they’re trying to help. At best, she’s not receptive; at worst, she’s absolutely oblivious to political correctness.

Later that night, Issa cleans Daniel’s house as a thank you, until she finds a spider under the toaster and, naturally, freaks out. Turns out, Daniel has Spyder problems of his own. 5EVEN flaked again and Daniel feels awkward going to the club to meet Spyder by himself. So, Issa volunteers to accompany him. When they get there, his name isn’t on the list, but they run into an old high school friend, Khalil (Aaron Jennings), and he helps them get in. Spyder is performing when they walk in and as they listen, Daniel tells Issa he just wants to make Spyder’s “instrumentation a little more hyped up.” He beatboxes a preview for her and she says it’s “dope.”

Issa offers to go buy them some drinks, but it’s hectic at the bar so she gets some rando dude with green braces to buy her two drinks. Meanwhile, two girls ask Daniel if he still sells weed and his confidence takes another hit. Looks like Issa isn’t the only one dissatisfied with where she is in life. Issa offers Daniel a mashed-up granola bar as a snack (“it’s like trail mix”) and tries to encourage him to go talk to Spyder.

But just as Daniel is about to introduce himself, Khalil starts chatting with Spyder. Issa and Daniel awkwardly hold back until she sees an in and starts asking Khalil about his kid so Daniel can get Spyder’s attention. When he does, Spyder is dismissive and says he has heard Daniel’s work and it’s just OK. Suddenly, a shooting breaks out and Daniel jumps on top of Issa to protect her. They get the hell out of there and retreat to a burger joint for a salty ending to an even saltier night.

Issa and Daniel commiserate and reflect on what their bios would be if they had died in the shooting. Daniel says his would read “unknown SoundCloud producer dead” but Issa’s is worse: “lights out on debt-ridden Lyft driver with a 3.6 rating.” Daniel continues to compare himself to super successful Khalil and expresses how frustrating it is that he’s been working hard for years and has almost nothing to show for it. 

Issa suggests that Daniel should try to work with Khalil like they did in high school, but he scoffs at the idea. She says she knows how hard it is to ask for help since she had to swallow her pride and ask to stay on his couch. In an act of solidarity, he says she can stay as long as she needs.

Back at their apartment, Daniel calls Khalil and asks if they can collaborate, much to Issa’s surprise. Khalil is receptive and they make plans to get together the following day. While Daniel is on the phone, Issa tries to crack her aching back because the couch is hardly a Tempurpedic. Daniel starts massaging her and then offers to let her sleep in his bed since he’ll be working late into the night. She realizes that she has a message from a property manager, smiles and instead of going to bed, starts listening to Daniel’s new music.

*Sniff, sniff* Is that a rekindled spark we smell? We’ll have to wait to find out until Insecure season three, episode three hits HBO on Sunday, August 26, at 10:30 p.m.

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