The 3rd season of HBO’s hit series Insecure finished with a strong viewership on September 30th, 2018. Debuting 2 years ago, the series has developed a rapport with it’s audience by presenting intimate moments that capture the lives of black professionals, Issa Dee and attorney Molly Carter.

Executive producer, writer, and star, Issa Rae consistently delivers strong visuals of Inglewood, California (which is currently being altered as result of gentrification) as well as the more upscale areas of Malibu and Santa Monica. With the aid of several upcoming writers and comedians, her script seamlessly blends comedy and drama into the show. However, the same underlying problems that existed in the show’s debut persist even in season 3.

One of these issues is the pacing, as the series characteristically starts with very slow developments that only lead to high intriguing plot lines in the very last set of episodes. This is apparent as the two main plot points for the show revolve around Issa trying to regain order in her life after moving out of her long term home, as well as Molly adjusting to her new job at a black-owned law firm.

These plot points are fine as they divulge into interesting topics such as loss of ambition and gender dynamics in the workplace, but the complex ideas are often overlooked by the romance, which in this season comes off very bland.

Issa’s plot particularly revolved around her romantic dilemma with three different men. In fact, two entire episodes focused on Issa looking for Nathan, a man that ghosted her for a month. The build-up and energy spent focusing on Nathan’s absence was culminated in a weak follow through. Nathan simply just went back to Houston because he felt “really down” and “kinda negative.” Weak romantic plot points like this take away from the more interesting stories like Molly’s isolating behavior at the law firm, or how Issa and Molly have started to distance themselves from a pregnant friend.

It’s important to note that this still doesn’t make Insecure a bad show.  The show continues to integrate exceptionally funny and quietly poignant stories, its performances and music direction continue to be some of the very best on television. I would certainly recommend Insecure as a show to binge, but as I viewer the romantic subplots can eventually get played out.