As mindblowing as it sounds, Insecure starring Issa Rae is officially coming to an end after its fifth and final season. The first four seasons of the show, which come to us from the HBO Network, are available for streaming as we wait for Season 5 to drop at the end of October 2021. Insecure focuses on a modern-day Black woman who doesn’t feel like she naturally carries herself with confidence, strength, and independence the way other women around her do.
Her best friend Molly (Yvonne Orji) can fully relate as they both deal with their deeply ingrained insecurities from their appearance to their level of self-esteem. All human beings are flawed, but the everyday experiences these two go through tend to be quite uncomfortable, causing their insecurities to feel amplified. What makes Insecure such a great show is that it shines a light on an authentic friendship between two beautiful Black women as they grapple with racial issues, the tricky modern dating world, and what it feels like to accept the skin you’re in. How does Issa Rae feel about the show coming to an end?
Season 5 of Insecure
Working on the same show for five years has certainly had an impact on Issa Rae. Fans are pretty frustrated that the fifth season of the show will be the final season when most people would love to see more. Rae told Vogue, “Insecure feels like the late 20s, early 30s version of myself. I’m looking forward to the next chapter of my life. I’m flattered that people think I’m an idiot for ending it. Without a doubt, it was mostly positive feedback, and I am going to miss the show. I’m glad and grateful that it’s ending on our terms.”
When Vogue asked her what we can expect while watching the final season of Insecure, Rae responded saying, “To sum it up in three words: grounded, growth, and legacy. When I started, I knew when it would end and the space the characters would be in but didn’t know the ending — I’m excited for people to see it… I’m savoring every moment.“ The growth we’ve witnessed of the persona she plays between Season 1 and now is beyond significant. The character development and overall narrative have been engaging, relatable, and genuine to the truest degree.
What else do we know about Season 5?
Aside from knowing that Season 5 of Insecure will officially be its final season, there are some other details that have been revealed. The trailer for the fifth season shows Issa Rae, playing the character of Issa Dee, talking to her own reflection in the mirror about wanting to be “drama-free and happy.” She showcases her deeply vulnerable side when talking to her mirror saying, “I keep fronting everybody like I’m not scared about what’s next for me, but I’m terrified. So, what am I supposed to do now?” This is a question adults all over the globe have asked themselves as they start to reach the age range of their late 20s to early 30s.
The fifth season was written in 2020 in the midst of quarantine when everyone was on lockdown. Rae, Prentice Penny (Insecure‘s showrunner), and Natasha Rothwell (who plays Kelli) would regularly congregate via video chat to discuss how to move forward with the show. Working together on the fifth season, even though its development happened virtually, was enough for them to get an excellent script written up. As far as socially distanced episodes go, Season 5 isn’t going to include much of that. The cast and crew of Insecure followed safety measures and procedures while filming, but the actors aren’t socially distanced in front of the cameras by any means.
What to expect before the finale
Season 4 of Insecure ended with Issa and Molly meeting up with each other for a much-needed sit-down conversation that was long overdue. Weeks of aggravated tension between the women was clearly getting in the way of the once tight bond they shared with one another. It’s obvious that the fifth season of the show will shed light on just how different their friendship is going to be moving forward. There’s no way their friendship can be over forever, but it likely will never be the same.
When discussing the ending with Deadline, Issa Rae explained, “Prentice and I are so grateful that HBO believed in our show from the beginning and kept faith in us to see our vision through to the end. We always plan to tell the story through five seasons, but we couldn’t have made it this far without the tremendous support of our audience. I feel blessed beyond measure to bring our characters’ stories to an end on-screen at last.”
She’s feeling massive levels of closure, which leads us to believe that the ending of this Insecure will be at the highest caliber of perfection. It’s obvious Rae wouldn’t have it any other way.