'Girls' Season 2 Episode 8 Recap: 'It's Back'

Although the title of the episode of Girls this week refers to the return of Hannah's OCD, I can't help but also think of it as a reference to the show itself. After several weeks in a row that departed from a familiar structure, including a dreamlike episode, a plot line focused on the men, and Jessa's family visit, Episode 8 returned to what fans know best.

Hannah is all kinds of stressed. She is trying to complete her first book deal under a tight deadline and is still unsure about her feelings towards Adam. It is when he tries to contact her at the beginning of the episode that the audience starts to understand that something more serious might be going on.

Hannah's parents are in town on vacation, and they pick up on the signals right away. Apparently, she suffered from serious OCD during high school, and a major symptom of obsessively counting to eight has returned. Her parents take her to a specialist, who seems eager to help in a distanced sort of way. Hannah turns their meeting into a strange competition, but in the end is given some medicine to help with her symptoms.

Just as the show treats other issues (relationships, friendships, money) in what feels like a very real way, Hannah's efforts to deal with her recurring OCD feels relatable, even for those who aren't familiar with the disease. She tells her dad, "I hate it when you look so concerned about me" and attempts to ignore the fact that she might have a problem.

Meanwhile, Adam is battling past issues of his own and attends his first AA meeting in some time. At the meeting, he admits he hasn't felt as confident in his sobriety in recent weeks while dealing with his breakup from Hannah. A charming older woman approaches him after the meeting and says she wants him to call her daughter Natalia.

Adam calls Natalia and sets up a date, saying he'll be on the lookout for her "nice teeth", as described by her mother. The two have dinner at an Italian restaurant and seem to hit it off right away, both pleased by Natalia's mother's insight. There might be a future for these two.

Marnie, Shoshanna, and Ray are walking and chatting about Jessa's mysterious disappearance when Shoshanna brings up Charlie's new business. Apparently, he created an app called "Forbid" that prevents you from calling someone you shouldn't call, such as an ex, and now runs his own business in an office in Chelsea. Marnie is shocked by this news and immediately rushes over to the office to find Charlie, awkwardly saying she just wanted to check in on him. Charlie asks her if she needs money, and says that she inspired his app. Charming. It is clear that Charlie has moved on from Marnie in every way.

Upset that she hasn't found the same success (she was counting on six years of mourning from Charlie), Marnie returns to her apartment where Ray is waiting for Shoshanna to return from a college party. Ray does his best to talk out Marnie's frustrations with her, and asks her what she really wants to do with her life. She says she wants to sing, and gives him a sampling of Norah Jones. Ray is impressed in his own way, and it will be interesting to see if Marnie takes his advice and pursues her passion.

While Ray is helping out Marnie, Shoshanna is off on her own adventure. Worried that people might think she is dead for not socializing and hanging out with Ray too much, she accepts a party invitation from a friend. She quickly gives up on the party when it is clear she isn't connecting with anyone there. While on her way out, the doorman at the apartment strikes up a conversation with her. She tells him he is unusually attractive for a doorman, and they start hooking up.

Serious mental issues, the struggle of getting over someone, jealousy, and uncertainties about a relationship seem like a very diverse set of issues to cover in just one episode. That being said, Girls continues to recognize that twenty-somethings are dealing with all of these problems and more. It is this refreshingly honest representation that I look forward to seeing most on the show.