Everything Gonna Be, Okay?! – Insecure Season 5, Episode 10 Recap

Photo Credit: Raymond Liu

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

Not Okay – Nathan and Issa pull up to her house. She asks him to come inside and talk but he says he has nothing to talk about. What happened at the party wasn’t good for him, especially since he’s had this “off” feeling the entire time. He wants to create distance between them, so she gets out the car and goes in the house.

Photo Credit: Raymond Liu

Issa walks in her door and gets a text from Lawrence saying he’s sorry about how things went down. She lays on the couch in despair, and that is where she is the next morning when she hears a knock on the door. It’s Molly! She brought food and a bottle of vodka, cuz she knows her friend is going through it. Issa goes to get in the shower and Mirror Issa trolls her for the way things have gone South. Issa says, “I just want to fast forward to the part in my life where everything is okay.”

Birthday Bae – People have gathered at Molly’s place for the birthday party Issa planned for her. There’s Taurean, passing around small bites, as her parents and his brother look on. OK they serious! Molly’s still getting dressed, so no one has seen her yet, when Tiffany shows up, fresh off the plane from Denver. Kelli introduces her to Desmond, her new boo. All the girls are booed up. Well, except for Issa. Lawd. 

Issa goes to check on Molly, who can’t decide on what to wear. Molly notices her friend is still feeling down from her breakup, but Issa tells her the day is about HER, Miss Carter. Molly, who by the way is nervous to meet Taurean’s family (his brother), because of how bad it went when she met Asian Bae’s kinfolk, changes one more time and settles on a white and black dress. When she finally emerges from her room, everyone sings her “Happy birthday.” She’s so happy!

At Crenshawn’s spot, there’s a pipe burst, and Issa and Quoia are there to help. They walk in and everyone screams SURPRISE. It’s Issa’s birthday! Molly and Quoia pulled it off and got people to donate five thousand dollars to The BLOCC. Molly and Kelli are trolling the place for birthday peen, for Issa, but none of the options they’re pointing out are working for her. She does see a cutie though and approaches him on her own.

Photo Credit: Raymond Liu

Closure – Kelli’s about to leave when Molly says she talked to the partners at her law firm about having an estate planning division. Will Kelli consider heading it? She says she’ll think about it. Issa runs back over to Kelli and Molly and confesses that she spilled red wine on the dude she was tryna “flirt” with when… Nathan walks in. 

Issa and Nathan walk away together. She’s been messaging him and has gotten no response as he’s tried to figure out what he’s feeling. He was hurt when they last talked and is sorry but, she stops him and says they were in each other’s lives for a reason. He gives her an envelope from the guys at the barbershop, saying LA is finally starting to feel like home. He hugs her and says happy birthday, and leaves. BOOOOOOOOO!! Issa walks back into the party and Molly immediately introduces her to another potential date. 

Not Great – The girls visit Tiffany in Denver for her birthday and the DuBois home is gorgeous! But unfortunately, Tiffany hates it there and admits it to them quickly. She doesn’t know anyone there and doesn’t have a job, so she’s basically a housewife, which ain’t her jam. And Simone is the only Black baby in her class. Anyway, any new updates? Well, Issa’s been talking to a new guy and he’s cute. Derek and Simone (who is older and so cute) come out to join them with desserts. 

Later on, Molly’s inside finishing some work in the kitchen, when Issa comes in. They’re worried about Tiffany, doe. Issa is grabbing Molly a glass of water when she sees a picture of Derek and his Poppa Posse… which includes Lawrence. Molly pops a question: “What would you have said to Lawrence if Nathan hadn’t interrupted?” Issa says she doesn’t know. But that’s not true and she knows it. She says it’s too late anyway. But is it? Molly charges her with overthinking. 

Molly’s phone rings, and it’s her brother, Curtis. Something happened to their mom. Molly crumples to the floor as Issa catches her. 

New Plans – Lawrence is at his apartment as his mom serenades him with a very loud “Happy birthday” over Facetime. What did he do for his birthday? Lunch with Condola and the baby, who is with her for the night. His mom is singing Condola’s praises… when they’re interrupted with Issa calling him. He switches over and she’s almost surprised he answered. She does her awkward thing, and he chuckles. Well, wassup? She says she’s been thinking about him and wants to take him out for his birthday. Butttt he got plans. He says maybe they should do dinner as his doorbell rings. She hangs up quickly. 

Then, she calls Molly, but it goes straight to voicemail. Lawrence opens the door, and gets a big kiss from a woman who calls him “babe.” Damb. Waste time for what?

It’s Kelli’s birthday and Issa comes with a date (Nasir). Desmond is still in the picture, which YAY KELLI. How did Issa and Nasir meet? Over an app or an event? They barely know. Anyway, Desmond and Kelli have an announcement. THEY’RE GONNA BE PARENTS!!! Our fave, Kelli, is pregnant! “I don’t want just any nigga’s kids. I want THIS nigga’s kids.” The most ROMANTIC thing Kelli has ever said! I swoon! Tiffany is over the moon about it! And Issa feels a little outside of them. Molly is noticeably missing. 

Back at Issa’s place, Nasir’s pretty ass is kissing up on her and she’s trying to get in touch with Molly, who is still MIA from the grief of losing her mother. Still straight to voicemail. Mirror Issa is telling her she’s proud of her… when her phone vibrates. It’s Lawrence. It’s like he got a bat sign for when she’s about to do something good for herself. Mirror Issa tells her DO NOT ANSWER. She listens, but ain’t happy about it.

Fresh Start – It’s Molly’s birthday again and Issa calls her as she’s setting up the new BLOCC offices. Molly’s hair is long again, and Taurean is doing something to surprise her. But the day is still bittersweet because Mrs. Carter was JUST celebrating with her that day the year before, and now she’s gone. She understandably misses her mother so much. The girls also miss each other. Life takes a toll on friendships. Then, Kelli walks in to urge her to go change for her birthday. She DID take that estate planning job offer I see. GO KELLI! 

Later that night, Issa is still in the office (the new one she just got for The BLOCC). Lawrence walks in and she gives him a mini tour of her plans for the place. She reflects about how long it took to get to where she is now, with that business. She realized that all that doubt was in her head the whole time. “I had to believe that it will work out for it to work.” She ain’t just talking about work because they start making out. They’re interrupted by a coffee cup that drops to the floor. HA! It’s only right.

It’s Okay – WEDDING BELLS!!! Who is it??? Molly and Taurean Jackson! AAAWWWW! Issa, Kelli and Tiffany (who is very pregnant with her 2nd child) are bridesmaids. There’s a memorial table for Carol Carter, and Molly dances with her father. Lawrence brings Issa a glass of champagne and grabs her to dance. 

Photo Credit: Raymond Liu

After the wedding, Issa helps Molly get out of her wedding dress. Molly Carter Jackson is so happy! She thanks her best friend for everything, and the two of them start crying.

At The BLOCC office, Issa is running the show in her red power suit. Confident and clear. She drives a Lexus now. She drives through her beloved neighborhood and sees Thug Yoda still being the doting father he was. “We Got Y’all” is still running. She passes the Best Buy where Lawrence used to work, and sees someone (FINE) in the familiar toxic blue polo. HA!

Issa gets home, which is a larger, beautiful spot, and Lawrence is in the kitchen… with Elijah, baking her a birthday cake. The three of them are super cute as they eat cake and ice cream.

Photo Credit: Raymond Liu

Later that night, Issa’s getting ready for her birthday dinner, when Molly calls her to say, “Happy birthday.” She’s on a beautiful vacation in Greece with Taurean, stealing some alone time to talk to her bestie. 

The End. 

Wow. What a poem for the last scene of this show to be about Issa and Molly. It makes sense, since the great love story of this show was Issa and Molly’s sisterhood. All their ups and downs. All their mistakes. All their moments of support and strife. Their evolution. From the broke twenty somethings who stayed sexing and self-sabotaging to the flourishing thirty-somethings in healthy relationships who are now settled in on their Rich Auntie lives. They made their way back to each other, no matter what tried to interfere. And ultimately, they are the soulmates they needed, not the men they ended up with. The power of Black womanhood as a safe space is what we saw, and I loved that. 

The men they ended up with were the cherry on top of that sisterhood sundae. First of all, Nathan really did quit that whole relationship with flimsy reasons. A MESS. But Issa ended up with her first love, Lawrence. They made their way back to each other after a whole lot of foolishness. I’m still side-eying him a little bit but, ok girl. I’m happy she’s happy. Molly ended up with Taurean, who once he locked in, showed that he was not playing games with her heart. I love that for her. Kelli ends up with her TALL glass of chocolate milk. And Tiffany’s marriage to Derek is fruitful, as she’s pregnant with her second. 

They all got the happily ever after that they deserve, and I love to see it. 

Insecure has spent the last five seasons telling the story of ordinary young, Black people in Los Angeles, trying to figure out love and life the best way they know how. It has changed television, as part of this new golden age, where stories are no longer centering white gaze. It has shown that you can honor culture while creating something lasting. It has become a template. 

I’m thankful to Issa Rae for her vision and insistence on staying true, through it all. Started from “Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl” now we here. A WHOLE QUEEN. And the team of people who ran with that vision and executed it to the glorious show we’ve been obsessed with for five seasons. This show’s significance is still yet to be measured and I’m excited to see the domino effect it will continue to have. 

Well done, Insecure. YOU DID THAT, okay?!!