Lowkey Movin’ On – Insecure Season 4, Episode 5 Recap

This post is in partnership with HBO. As always, thoughts and opinions are my own.

Not Cool – It’s 3:32 a.m. and Issa is wide awake at home, stressed, because she still needs a headliner for the Block Party. She gets on the ‘gram and sees that Nathan is active so she DMs him. He asks if she wants to talk and the answer is yes, because she dials his number. He big ups her for the upcoming event, but she laments that she’s still struggling to find a main act. He got the place to himself because Andrew is at “her girl’s” and she replies with “I don’t really f*ck with Molly anymore.” Uh oh.

Insecure Season 4 HBO

At her place, Molly is whining about what to wear to the Block Party, which she doesn’t even want to go to. Apparently, Issa didn’t come to her celebration dinner. She tells Andrew “I love her, but I don’t really like her right now” as she begrudgingly gets dressed.

Turning Up – It’s Block Party day! It is 17 minutes in, and the place is empty. Issa has an intern for the day named Koya, and they both look mighty official with their “Block Party” t-shirts. As Issa surveils the layout, she sees Condola. SURPRISE!!! Where’s she been at? Well, turns out Condola wasn’t sure she’d come, because her and Lawrence broke up (aw dang). Ok, so what’s that have to do with why you’ve been MIA in the planning? Any who, she apologizes for her absence, but is still holding on to mad weird energy. She turns around and leaves as Issa sees Kelli acting up at the step & repeat.

Insecure Season 4 HBO

Tiffany and Derek are watching Kelli live her best red-carpet life, because it isn’t like there is anyone else there to take pics. It’s straight tumbleweeds. The three decide to take their own snapshots, doing the standard happy, sexy, jail poses that are a prerequisite for any squad pics. Molly is noticeably missing. Meanwhile, Kelli is now speaking in a British accent because she brought a date (Darnell) who she lied to when they met. This is going to be great!

Issa turns to the boys and asked if they knew Lawrence and Condola broke up, but neither of them did. Things are looking up, though as Koya tells Issa, there’s press there who wants to talk to her. OK DEN! It’s an on-camera interview and the anchor points out that the Black excellence intention of the Block Party ain’t reflected there, because there’s a lot of white faces present. Gentrification is a b*tch, ain’t it? After the interview, Issa asks what outlet she’s with and the woman tells her she’s from YouTube. Well, she’s wanting to launch a YouTube channel. Womp womp.

Faking It – Molly finally shows up and she shares an awkward church hug with Issa, which Tiff and Kelli pick up. Ahmal arrives too, and gives Kelli a side-eye, which seems to be their usual.

The musical acts start taking the stage and the crowd is filling out a bit more. Ahmal, knowing Kelli’s shtick, asks her in front of Darnell what part of England she’s from. Our girl answers “South Central Poppycock,” and I could have fallen out my chair in laughter. When he asks her thoughts on Brexit, she changes the subject to US government. This fool she’s with says we got 2 branches: Presidential and Bank. Hence, Bank of America. Friends don’t let friends have dumbass dates. I swear.

Derek gets a call that the baby keeps crying, and he tells Tiff they should head home. She tells him to go without her because she’s still kicking it hardcore. Sis doesn’t seem to be feeling motherhood. We should be worried about her.

Cutting Slack – Molly and Andrew are sitting watching the acts and he’s impressed with how the Block Party is unfolding. It’s clear that Issa worked her ass off, so he points that out to Molly and says maybe that’s why the friends are having a tough time. Sh*t, she was JUST MIA in his life when work got so busy for her so maybe cut bestie some slack.

Insecure Season 4 HBO

Trina makes her way to the Block Party and is quick to point out to Issa that it looks like a Farmers’ market. Where are the Black folks? Even the tap-dancing lady on stage is white, but to be fair, she is from the neighborhood. Right then, Nathan shows up. She’s mad that this party is lacking melanin and he reminds her to be proud of how she made this happen, when at Coachella, it was just a small idea she had. True, true.

Besides, she managed to book Vince Staples as the headliner and SIR was on stage at the moment. She’s done good! The crowd, which is respectable at this point, is rocking. In fact, a big group of Black folk stream in, finally, making her smile. You know we love to be late, but we are always right on time! As she looks on, finally pleased with who is being represented, Molly shows up with some wings for her. She figured she’s probably been too busy to eat. She looks like she wants to say something to her friend, but Koya interrupts. Vince Staples has arrived! Issa leaves and Molly looks a bit deflated.

Good Vibes – Backstage, Issa makes sure Vince has everything he needs, and he does. He’s ready to take on the stage. She even runs into Thug Yoda, who for some reason, wants to be her matchmaker to make her lesbian dreams (that she didn’t have) come true. HA! Good to see him.

The energy has to be peak before Vince comes out, so the DJ puts on the Wobble, the line dance of our people. Everyone gets in formation. Molly ain’t gotta teach Asian Bae, because he already got it. Koya pulls Issa to wobble and she ends up next to Molly, where they high five. Aaawwwww. The MC then brings Issa up to the stage to talk, but the crowd wants Vince, chanting his name. Well, give the people what they want!

Vince Staples gets on and kills! Crowd is rocking, Tiffany included, even though it’s nighttime and her baby’s home. It goes off without a hitch.

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Storming – Afterwards, Vince’s manager comes up to Andrew and thanks him. Molly’s confused. Why? Oh, because Andrew is the one who hooked Issa up with Vince, through Nathan. Molly is PISSED! At him, at her, at everyone, and storms off.

Molly goes to Issa and confronts her, saying she went behind her back to get Andrew to hook her up with a headliner. Why would Issa get her man to help her? Issa says well since her friend was willing to let her fail, she asked Nathan to ask his roommate, who happened to be her boyfriend, and everything goes off the rails. Molly accuses Issa of always needing someone’s help, always having drama and always using other people.

The crew surrounds them, trying to calm each of them down. And when Issa points out that IF Molly and Asian Bae don’t last, it will be par for the course for her self-sabotaging ass. The girls implode as “f*ck yous” are exchanged and they are this close to coming to blows.

Then, someone yells “gun” and the crowd scrambles. Kelli even drops her fake British accent in the panic of it all.

In the parking lot, Andrew apologizes to Molly and says he doesn’t mean to be a source of friction. Tiffany asks Issa if she wants a ride, and she says no. Nathan offers to stay, but she declines. She sees the “Good Vibes Only” sign. Then, it starts to storm. The weather reflecting Issa’s mood.

What was going to be one of the best days, turned into the worst very quickly.

Insecure Season 4 HBO

Whew child, let me put this out there off the bat: Molly was dead ass wrong. DEAD ASS WRONG. If this is the demise of the friendship, Molly has to take the L, because her reaction to Issa getting Nathan to pull strings with Andrew was unjustified. So, you refuse to ask your man for a favor for your friend (understandable), and then you get mad that the friend finds other means to get what she wants. Nah, son. Molly tried to make it seem as if she was somehow protecting Andrew, but he didn’t make a big deal out of the favor, so why did she?

Molly was out here carrying a bucket of sea salt on her shoulders with this Block Party. She’s mad Issa has been MIA when she was too for work that got busy. The problem is, she didn’t take Issa’s vision and dream with this Block Party serious, and now it’s crystal clear. The hateration in her dancerie was too much. We are often so self-centered about what WE aren’t receiving from people without asking what others are dealing with.

The Block Party was a rousing success, and Issa couldn’t even enjoy the fruits of her labor. Molly wasn’t just wrong about her reaction, but her timing was sh*t.

There are sometimes when you’ll argue with friends, but this fight that the girls had, where they almost got physical, feels like a moment that will be hard for either of them to come back from. Where can they go from here? How do they mend a bridge they blew up? I’m not sure, but Molly was wrong here. That much, I know.