Rocky Shores for Issa and Molly? Say It Isn’t So

Insecure season 4 poster. 

It feels like eons since Insecure dropped off with Issa, Molly, Kelli, and Tiffany celebrating Issa’s 30th birthday at a special projection rerelease of The Last Dragon. Launched by Condola, the successful event inspired Issa to seek out aide for her own ideas— a Block Party for her community. 

Molly (Yvonne Orji) and Issa (Issa Rae) before things become unhinged. Would you still be BFF’s if someone called your life messy when theirs is not exactly together either? Molly needs to meet a kettle ASAP. 

In season four’s first episode Lowkey Feelin’ Myself, it sounds like Molly and Issa— one of the show’s key foundations— are on the rocks. Condola and Issa are becoming fast friends in addition to partnering in what appears to be an upcoming successful venture. And Molly seems to be looking left out. Sometimes relationships need a cooling off period, even sisterhood ones. Case in point, Molly and Issa have always had a tight bond. They talk about any and everything, smoke pot, and do yoga together for crying out loud. However, Molly has been too comfortable. The language used, her tone, even her eyes were expressing degrees of animosity, envy too. Deep down, perhaps, Molly does not want Issa’s Block Party to succeed, much less Issa and Condola. 

Yes, it will be strange that Lawrence’s new girlfriend Condola (Christina Elmore) is working with Issa, but this girl was already giving the beaming “I’m proud of you, Sis” look at Issa during the Block Party meetup. 

Before Issola can take off, it is revealed that Condola and Lawrence are not only dating, but Tiffany knows about it. Even if she was aware of the one date, it was wrong of Tiffany to withhold that information from Issa. Although Condola and Lawrence’s romantic link may mar the potential friendship from fully forming between the two, Condola and Issa retain an unexpected spark. Issa sees a lot of herself in Condola and Condola definitely sees Issa as a fun, quirky, stylish girl. This is unlike the dynamic between her and Frieda— Issa’s former We Got Y’all co-worker. Black women are something else together in a way, especially with a personality like Issa— awkward yet surprisingly fresh and relatable. Molly on the other hand could not form relationships with any of her co-workers, Black or otherwise. Hence why, Issa picturing Condola dressed like her whilst having sex with Lawrence (complete with the tags still on the clothes) was downright hilarious. 

Molly (Yvonne Orji) and Issa (Issa Rae) at the party, but Molly obviously had only Andrew in mind. 

Earlier in season three Daniel liked being the “hero” for Issa and Molly has these minor similarities. Molly, the successful, financially stable friend, loves being relied on, needed. Her selfishness entered Issa’s big event, growing wildly. Molly saw herself sidelined for another woman, jaws dropping hardcore as Issa thanked Condola, a definite red flag. Instead of congratulations (which Kelli and Tiffany granted), Molly pulls Issa aside to discuss her relationship with Andrew aka Asian Bae. Now there is a time and a place to talk about your personal situations— a night of raising money and promotion was not it. Even Issa, whose body language revealed her own frustration with her self-centered friend, was not having it. As they were taking out the trash, the feelings could not have been painted any clearer. 

Other tidbits: Issa still uses people to her advantage. At least she is open to different body types. Her brother may be gay, but he appreciates the alluring qualities of a woman’s body. Kelli still deserves a rich layered story beyond the sex crazed voluptuous sidekick. The moment Andrew (whose fabulous hair is gone) nonchalantly confirms that he is dating other people, Molly reacts in typical Molly fashion. The show within a show promises to be another hilarious treat with Terri J. Vaughan and Ray J leading the fray. 

Issa (Issa Rae) has definitely come up on her public speaking skills. 

In conclusion, this welcome back episode was quite interesting— the music, the fashion continues threading significantly into the show. While Issa is growing (well, if she could only stop returning clothes), Molly is stagnant— how can a friendship survive that? Can Condola and Issa blossom into a new sisterhood while Condola is dating Lawrence— Issa’s longest relationship?