As she sat at the Oscars Sunday, where she was nominated for best supporting actress in “Nebraska,” June Squibb at 84 was also making a star turn in the latest episode of “Girls.”
Squibb’s portrayal of Hannah’s grandmother was her second appearance on an HBO comedy since the release of the Alexander Payne film; she also provided a memorable episode for the underrated “Getting On” late last year.
But she seemed perfectly cast here on yet another episode that was, like so much of this season of “Girls,” was well conceived and executed, providing both a distinctive single episode as well as moving its story along. It was an odd one, however, focusing only on Hannah and none of her three female costars (so: “Girl” rather than “Girls”).
While out on a New York sidewalk eating an enormous salad, Hannah is informed by her mother that her grandmother is dying and she better get out there. “Can’t they do something?” Hannah wants to know. No, she has to get out there.
So with Adam in the first week of rehearsals for his Broadway play, she takes off on a train (to somewhere close: Long Island? Connecticut?) to see her grandma.
She has good memories of her. “She cut out the ‘Cathy’ cartoons for me and mailed them on Friday,” she says (immediately unveiling a direct antecedent to Hanna: the frazzled Cathy! Ack!).
But Hannah’s mom (Becky Ann Baker) says grandma Flo was a bad mother. Even so, she advises Hannah to tell granny she’s going to marry Adam, just to make her feel good before she goes.
Hannah is shocked by this. “I really thought you were more progressive than that,” she says. “What are they talking about in your women’s book club?”
Hannah’s mom and her sisters don’t get along so well and argue constantly as they divide drugs and what they’ll get of grandma’s possessions.
Hanna is reunited with her cousin Rebecca (Sarah Steele) who is an uptight medical student who doesn’t have much patience for Hannah. Rebecca texts while driving home and arguing with her, and they end up hitting a parked car.
They can’t be too far from New York City as Adam gets to the hospital before the aunts do. “Don’t only text me ‘CAR CRASH’!” he seethes, when he sees Hannah’s minor head bump.
Still, it proves he’s a good boyfriend. Even more than that when he meets grandma Flo he surprises everyone by announcing that they’re going to get married.
Hannah’s mom is happy Adam did such a nice thing, but she doesn’t really want Hanna to settle down with him. “It’s not easy being married to an odd man,” she says. (Peter Scolari, who plays her dad, is not there to defend himself).
Grandma Flo is doing much better the next morning – because of the news? Who knows? But the as Hanna walks from Grand Central, she gets the news from Rebecca: Grandma’s dead.
Such is the fate of actresses in their 80s: If they are not playing grandmothers, they are playing dead ones (and on another channel, Squibb loses to Lupita Nyong’o, making her film debut).
A nice moment over the credits, though, comes as Jill Sobule sings her cover of Warren Zevon’s “Don’t Let Us Get Sick.”
Next week: Big doings with the other three girls and Hannah tries to role-play.