This week’s episode begins with Elijah asking his co-worker to cover for him so he can attend an audition for the White Men Can’t Jump musical, finally attempting to fulfill his potential. She asks why his ex is trending on Twitter, and we find out Dill is in the middle of a racism scandal for trying to adopt a white baby.
Marnie, still very obsessed with exercise, is being evicted from her apartment and – in a scene that references the pilot episode of Girls, where Hannah asks her parents for money – Marnie does the same all these years later in an interesting role reversal, and her mother similarly refuses.
Dale shows up at Hannah and Elijah’s apartment, trying to seek refuge from the scandal. Elijah is thrown off seeing the man who broke his heart and is late for his audition. When he arrives, it is his turn to perform, and in true Elijah form he decides to leave instead – but ends up running into a young actress who gives him the wise advice of channeling the heartbreak into his song choice.
Marnie attempts to pawn her sweet sixteen necklace only to find out it is fake and her mother lied to her. Then she tries to selling the diamond earrings her dad got her, only to find out they’re also fake. She rants about how much her family sucks, and the pawn shop guy gives her some much-needed truth: “It sounds to me like you’re doing a lot of blaming – your mother, your father, your husband – but, nobody ever walks in here to sell things off their body who has done nothing wrong… the liar is you.”
Elijah auditions with his version of a meaningful song: “Let Me Be Your Star” from the TV show Smash, and absolutely kills it. The hilarious casting directors nonchalantly allow him to stay for the monologue portion.
Dill and Hannah discuss her pregnancy, and how nervous she is to tell the father. He says a child needs a father because his dad walked out on him when he was a kid and now he’s in the middle of a scandal: “They could find themselves alone, aging, embroiled in a public scandal in Queens in an ex-lovers squat house.” Hannah is offended by the description: “Okay, were in Brooklyn right now and this is an apartment.” Dill’s lines are absolutely hilarious in this scene: “It just sounds so much sadder when you try to defend it.”
Back at the auditions the casting directors read names and Elijah doesn’t hear his, but it turns out they “flipped it” and tell them if they heard their name they can go home. Elijah is elated: “I love this bitchy business so much.”
Hannah gets a call back from Paul-Louis and she tells him she’s pregnant. It doesn’t go quite as sweetly as she thought it might have. He is, as she had assumed, not interested in having a baby: “Well thanks for telling me, I guess.” Hannah’s heartbreak from his dismissal is authentically sad, but it is quickly ruined by Dill making it about his own selfish problems. They cry together in a scene that plays almost funny when it should be tragic.
Back at the audition, Elijah nails the dance portion at first, until the basketballs are introduced. He is completely thrown off by them and accidentally chucks a basketball into the face of another dancer.
Back at his apartment, Hannah and Dill are bonding. Elijah walks in annoyed that Dill is still there. Dill gives a heartfelt plea to Elijah, wanting him back: “I cast you aside when all you wanted to do was love me. It’s funny, I thought I came here to hide out, but I think for the first time in my life I’m ready to stop hiding.” Elijah’s newfound audition confidence makes him less than receptive: “You came here to fuck with me, the same way that you fuck with everybody, but guess what you can’t fuck with me anymore. I’m unfuckable now.” But he immediately retreats and welcomes Dill back into his bedroom: “Dill, could you please bring a pizza in here?” We will see how permanent this development is. I don’t trust Dill, but maybe he will be yesterday’s news again come next week’s episode.
Back at Marnie’s she is packing up her things and leaving Desi an apology voicemail acknowledging how selfish she has been assuming he should be paying her rent, and tells him she is moving in with her mom so he doesn’t owe her anything. Finally, finally, Marnie is starting to show some growth. It only took a stranger at a pawn shop to get through to her.
Elijah gets the callback and they want him to come in and read for the producers, minus the basketball. Finally, finally, Elijah is showing some growth. It only took a younger actress to inspire him to not so easily give up on himself.
In the final striking scene, Hannah attends her first OBGYN appointment alone, surrounded by happy pregnant couples.
