AnHBOcomedy series from 13 years ago finally has a worthy follow-up on Netflix. In 2012, HBO released the massivelypopular dramedy series,Girls,which ran for six seasons until 2017. Judd Apatow and Lena Dunham created the series, and the gritty, girl-centered comedy proved to be as controversial as it was popular.
Thirteen years later, Dunham has released acomedy on Netflixstarring Megan Stalter, known for playing Kayla in HBO’sHacks,as Jessica. Dunham also has a role in the show, playing Jessica’s older sister, Nora. After season 1, many have saidToo Muchhas the same female-driven je ne sais quoi asGirls.
Lena Dunham’s Too Much Proves To Be A Worthy Successor To HBO’s Girls
Too Much Follows Dunham’s Style Of Female-Driven Comedy
Too Muchseason 1resonates with many as a worthy follow-up toGirls.Both series are semi-autobiographical, authored by Lena Dunham, leaning into the lore of her personal life. That said, critics have noted thatToo Muchis more light-hearted and polished thanGirls,updating Stalter’s series with reflections of the writer’s evolution and emotional maturity.
The series shares plenty of Dunham-coded DNA.
Both series witness a group of young people navigating early adulthood. However,Girlsfollows Hannah Horvath and her friends in Brooklyn, New York, whileToo Muchfocuses on Jessica as an expat in London. WhereGirlshas a tight-knit ensemble cast, the Netflix series hones in on Jessica. Still, the series shares plenty of Dunham-coded DNA.
All that said,Girlsfans should watchToo Much,but with the expectation that it’s a bit softer thanGirls.Too Muchhas been likened to a rom-com, offering humor whereGirlsdelivered brutal introspection. Still, with Jessica and Hannah leading the series as flawed, self-reflecting protagonists, both quite neurotic and a bit self-absorbed, each series has Dunham’s clear imprint.
Too Much Is Gen Z’s New Replacement For Girls
But Gen Z Also Loves Dunham’s Original Series
Taking the same unfiltered approach,Too Mucharrives a decade afterGirls,withstanding updates to dating and culture that Dunham herself has encountered in the past 8 years or so sinceGirlsended.Both shows focus on romance, identity, and self-expression through unfiltered protagonists, makingToo Mucha spiritual successor toGirls,even though they tell different types of stories.
Too Muchis poised to become the “it-show” for Gen Z thatGirlswas to millennials as its audience navigates early adulthood. However, Gen Z has been watching Dunham’s original show, causing its revival.Girlsis still a beacon for the coming-of-age experience despite its flaws. It’s too soon to tell ifToo Muchwill have the same impact.
Girls
Cast
Created by Lena Dunham, Girls is a coming-of-age comedy-drama series that follows a group of four twentysomething-year-old girls now discovering that they’re on their own and must find their way through life. Central to the show is Hannah Horvath, who, after graduating college, is cut-off financially from her family. Hannah will soon discover trying to make it as a writer in Brooklyn is far more challenging than she thinks.
