Why Is Lena Dunham’s Old HBO Show ‘Girls’ Trending on TikTok?

Joel Calfee
·3 min read
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There's a show about four young women navigating jobs, relationships and friendships in New York City that has suddenly gone viral on TikTok (and no, we're not talking about Sex and the City). In fact, we're talking about Girls, the Lena Dunham-created series, which aired for 6 seasons on HBO from 2012 to 2017. And although it's been over 5 years since the dramedy ended, there are suddenly all kinds of videos about the show on TikTok and it's quickly having a resurgence.

If you're wondering why, it appears that Girls is simultaneously resonating with a new Gen Z audience, as well as with the viewers who watched it when it first aired. One user shared a clip (which got over 24k likes) that sees Dunham's character, Hannah, having a conversation with Fran (played by White Lotus star Jake Lacy). Over top of the video, they wrote, “Rewatching 'Girls' when you're 30 and living in NYC makes it that much more relatable.”

@allynotalix Say what you will about Lena but this show slaps even harder after you’ve been through it. #girls #hbo #lenadunham #fyp [e-266c] original sound - Alix Seracki

But, besides the fans who are rewatching the series, there are also instances of people watching it for the first time. One clip was shared by a user who wrote, “I just finished this show for the first time,” and they claimed that it changed their life.

In another video, a user comically showed herself typing on her computer and the caption read, “Omw to write a think piece on how hbo's GIRLS is going to make a comeback.” And then, in the comments, people newly discovering the show shared their love for it. “OMG IM WATCHING IT FOR THE FIRST TIME RN,” one person wrote.

@therock_lover98 i watched this show for the first time in high school and it changed me then, it’s changing me again in a completely different way now #girls #hbo #hbogirls [e-266c] original sound - alijah [e-2741]

This renewed interest in Girls could be attributed to a few different things. As i-D notes in a recent essay, the show speaks to the Gen Z audience who is finally reaching the age of the four main characters, and so they can relate and laugh along with these struggles. Meanwhile, with 2022 being the 10-year anniversary of the premiere of Girls, it's also becoming a time when original fans feel the desire to revisit it.

Not to mention, the show's stars haven't left the spotlight. Allison Williams recently starred in the hit horror comedy M3GAN, while Jemima Kirke has been in Sex Education and Conversations with Friends. A continued interest in these actresses might be pulling viewers toward the show as well.

Don't mind us while we go have a rewatch.

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