Insecure Sundays, 10:30 p.m., HBO. Premieres October 9.
HBO first signed YouTube star Issa Rae to develop her own comedy series back in 2013, and the time that Rae and her collaborators have taken since then to hone her comedic voice has paid off. Co-created by Rae and The Nightly Show’s Larry Wilmore, Insecure is the opposite of its title: It’s a confident, brash and very entertaining expression of Rae’s artistic voice, far more polished and sophisticated than Rae’s popular web series, Awkward Black Girl.
Rae herself gives a star-making performance as Insecure’s main character, also named Issa, a somewhat aimless and, yes, insecure woman who’s approaching 30 and not entirely sure how she feels about her job (at a well-meaning but occasionally misguided nonprofit) and her longtime boyfriend Lawrence (Jay Ellis). There’s not a lot of plot in the six episodes available for review, but Insecure’s strengths lie mainly in the casual character interactions, especially between Issa and her best friend Molly (Yvonne Orji). Both navigating white-collar jobs (Molly is a lawyer) surrounded mostly by white people, Issa and Molly represent a view of black women rarely seen on TV.
The character dynamics are genuine and refreshing and also quite funny; although Insecure features its share of angst from its main characters, it never loses sight of the comedy, which often comes from the way that Issa and Molly feel slightly out of place among all of their supposed peer groups. The show stumbles when it focuses on a love triangle featuring Issa’s ex-boyfriend Daniel (Y’lan Noel), which feels less organic than the simple hangout vibe of Issa’s interactions with her friends, and less incisive than the scenes of Issa and Molly at work. Still, it shows a surprisingly sensual and confident side of the character, demonstrating how far Rae has come since her days of labeling herself awkward on YouTube. Both Insecure and its co-creator/star show the promise of great things to come.
