Created by Dunham when she was 20, To the girls premiered on April 15, 2012, at the dawn of Obama’s second term. It followed Dunham’s narcissistic but well-intentioned aspiring writer, Hannah Horvath, as she navigates Brooklyn in the early 2010s and tries to become the person she was always meant to be. She was joined by her friends, Type A Marnie (Allison Williams), free spirit Jessa (Jemima Kirke), and neurotic Shoshana (Zosia Mamet), each of them was on their own journey from childhood to womanhood. While it aired between 2012 and 2017, To the girls it was a lightning rod for controversy and discourse, generating think pieces and criticism – from its frank use of sex and nudity to the fact that its core cast was full of misfits. Still, it was a commercial success and a critical darling, winning two Emmys along the way.

On re-evaluation To the girlsTHE I’m still watching hosts were surprised by its quality – something it sometimes overlooked during its run. “I took that show for granted at the time,” Lawson admitted. “The quality of the film and the acting is so strong. I guess I didn’t really notice it because a lot of television was good back then.” Busis agreed, and Murphy went so far as to say that after recently completing a rewatch, Dunham’s To the girls– imperfect as it is – might just be his favorite series of all time.

Ah, but what is the single best episode of Girls? The hosts had different opinions. Murphy lent his support behind the season three episode seven, “Beach House”, which originally aired on February 16, 2014 and was written by Dunham and Jenni Konner, and directed by Jesse Peretz. The episode found the four girls getting out of town and spending a weekend at the beach in Long Island’s North Fork, drinking, dancing, and by the end of the episode, tearing themselves apart. With a hilarious supporting turn To the girls regular Andrew Rannells while Elijah, Hannah’s gay ex-boyfriend, and a devastating, drunken turn by Mamet’s Shoshana to close out the episode, the hosts agreed that “Beach House” could be the one. the funniest episode of the series.

Most cinematic in scope, however, was Lawson’s choice. He appeared in the sixth episode of season five, “The Panic in Central Park”, which originally aired on March 26, 2016. Written by Dunham and directed by Richard Shepardis basically a standalone two-hander that follows a wild day in the life of Marnie Michaels as she reconnects with her ex-boyfriend Charlie, played by Poor things star Christopher Abbottwho had left the show after reporting a conflict with Dunham. The unexpected return of Abbott, the fever dream of a night Marni and Charlie spend with each other, and the character growth for the often lost Marnie gave the episode a filmic quality that was undeniably endearing and artistic.

Busis advocated for another standalone, two-hander: season six, episode three “American Bitch,” which originally aired on HBO on February 24, 2017. Another episode written by Dunham and directed by Shephard, “American Bitch” follows hannah’s trip to writer chuck palmer’s apartment, played by Matthew Rhys, to discuss an article he wrote in which he says he had non-consensual sex on his book tour. Busis notes that this episode occurred eight months prior Harvey Weinstein fell from the throne and the #MeToo movement began in earnest in October 2017, giving it a foreboding quality that can only be fully appreciated in retrospect. Hannah and Chuck’s dissection of consent, the Internet, predatory men and the relationship between fans and their heroes make “American Bitch” perhaps the most important episode of the series.

How would you classify those three episodes from To the girls? And what it is your favorite episode of To the girls? Email [email protected] to chime in, then stick around for part two of I’m still watchinghis To the girls series where the hosts talk to one of the girls.