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Girls

Girls

Living the dream. One mistake at a time.

2012–2017Ended6 seasons62 episodes~30 min/epTV-MAMidcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows

The assorted humiliations, disasters and rare triumphs of four very different twenty-something girls: Hannah, an aspiring writer; Marnie, an art gallery assistant and cousins Jessa and Shoshanna.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Girls?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Girls streaming on HBO Max and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about Girls?

Girls earns 10 badges, led by Award-winning performance and Crowd Pleaser.

Show 2 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is Girls worth watching?

Girls' Midcredits score is the 57th percentile of all shows, from 85K ratings across 2 sources. 77% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

57th percentile

Better received than 57% of shows

54th percentile among Comedy55th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)49th
Approval (how many liked it)65th

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

71 /100

49th percentile of all shows

49th percentile among Comedy47th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Big peaks at both ends — people either love this or bounce off it hard.

Approval

How many liked it

77% liked it

65th percentile of all shows

59th percentile among Comedy63rd percentile among 2010s
77% rated it 7–1023% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

98th percentile

85K ratings across platforms

97th percentile among Comedy98th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 13% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The show is about four deeply self-absorbed, flawed young women making messy decisions in New York.

Fans praised

  • raw, honest portrayal of post-college uncertainty
  • clever, witty dialogue with sharp humor
  • relatable characters despite their flaws

Detractors panned

  • gratuitous and excessive nudity
  • unlikable, narcissistic characters with no growth
  • self-indulgent writing that mistakes awkwardness for insight

What stands out

OriginalityDivisive82

fresh, anti-glamorous take on twentysomething life in NYC; detractors see a Sex and the City clone with less charm

ActingDivisive78

strong ensemble, especially Adam Driver; some find Dunham's mannered delivery irritating

DialogueDivisive78

witty, sharp, and naturalistic; detractors find it pretentious and self-conscious

HumorDivisive65

cringe comedy and dry wit; fans laugh frequently, detractors find it unfunny and forced

Emotional impactDivisive65

honest depiction of quarter-life crisis resonates with some; others feel no connection to the characters

CharactersDivisive55

deliberately unlikable, narcissistic protagonists; fans find them relatable in their flaws, detractors see only insufferable entitlement

PacingDivisive55

episodic and sometimes meandering; second season widely noted as a dip

Plot and storyDivisive50

slice-of-life with little conventional plot; fans appreciate the realism, detractors find it aimless and boring

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 21 points higher than men.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 10 points higher than critics.

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 32 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 2 points apart

Episodes

6 seasons

Season 6 · 2017 · 10 episodes · 5.4 average across 4 rated episodes

  • S6E1

    All I Ever Wanted

    Feb 12, 201728 minTMDB rating 4.9
  • S6E2

    Hostage Situation

    Feb 19, 201728 min
  • S6E3

    American Bitch

    Feb 26, 201728 min
  • S6E4

    Painful Evacuation

    Mar 5, 201728 minTMDB rating 6.2Season best
  • S6E5

    Gummies

    Mar 12, 201728 minTMDB rating 5.4
  • S6E6

    Full Disclosure

    Mar 19, 201728 min

Watch experience

What is Girls like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, serious and gentle — a slow-burn watch that leaves you bittersweet.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
MelancholicCathartic
Heaviest: middle
Dry humor
Register
Wry · 7% of shows: Amused and slightly dry about it.Tender · 10% of shows
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.SerializedNew arc each season
ToneHolds its characters at a wry, affectionate distance, but the underlying emotion is sincere and often raw.
The rideThe show holds a bittersweet, observational mood with frequent shifts between awkward comedy and painful emotional rawness, with the heaviest confrontations often occurring in the middle seasons as characters face major failures.
StructureThe series unfolds chronologically across seasons, following conventional three-act structure per season and overall story.
Episode formatThe overarching narrative follows Hannah and her friends' ongoing personal and professional lives across seasons, with each episode advancing character arcs.
Season formatEach season centers on a distinct phase or major life change for the characters (e.g., post-college drift, career struggles, relationship upheavals), with the same core ensemble.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
BittersweetWistful · 6% of shows
Why it leaves you this wayThe series leaves a bittersweet aftertaste—funny and relatable but tinged with the melancholy of young adulthood.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 40% of shows: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeEnsemble character study following four young women through their twenties; no single plot archetype governs the series.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfComingof age
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% (this title) · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27% (this title): Identity 20% (this title) · Coming of age 9% (this title) · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Self

Coming of age · 9% of showsFriendshipIdentity
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe series centers on young women in their 20s figuring out who they are and how to navigate independence, career, and relationships.
StanceThe show questions what it means to 'become an adult' in a contemporary urban setting, offering no easy answers and often satirizing its characters' self-absorption.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticRealistic
Supportive music · hybrid
SettingBrooklyn, New York — the apartments, cafes, and creative jobs of young adulthood.
MusicThe soundtrack features a mix of indie and pop songs that underscore the emotional beats of each scene.

Content guide

Is Girls okay for kids?

TV-MA

Girls is rated TV-MA. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (29/100), sexual content at severe (81/100), language at severe (90/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (67/100) and frightening material at moderate (36/100). Overall it is heavier than 68% of TV-MA shows.

Ratings in 23 other countries
  • UK18
  • Canada14+
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany18
  • France12
  • Ireland18
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil16
  • Austria16
  • Czechia18+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK16
  • Hungary16
  • MexicoC
  • Norway18
  • Poland16
  • Portugal16
  • ROAP
  • SingaporeR21
  • Spain18
  • SwedenFrån 15 år
  • Switzerland18
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 83% of all showsHeavier than 68% of TV-MA shows
Violence & Gore
Mild
light for a TV-MA show
heavier than 12%
Sex & Nudity
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 93%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 92%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 73%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
light for a TV-MA show
heavier than 21%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is language, sexual content, and drug and alcohol content. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA shows usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Girls have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Girls?

Cast

Lena Dunham won the Globe for this show.

Lena Dunham
as Hannah Horvath
Globe win: Golden Globe — Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or MusicalTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Allison Williams
as Marnie Michaels
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jemima Kirke
as Jessa Johansson
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Adam Driver
as Adam Sackler
Emmy nominee: Primetime Emmy nomination — Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy SeriesTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Zosia Mamet
as Shoshanna Shapiro
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Alex Karpovsky
as Ray Ploshansky
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Andrew Rannells
as Elijah Krantz
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach
as Desi Harperin
Peter Scolari
as Tad Horvath
Becky Ann Baker
as Loreen Horvath
Emmy nominee: Primetime Emmy nomination — Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

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