5 Episodes of 'Awkward Black Girl' to Watch If You Liked 'Insecure'

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Many Americans have just been introduced to the hilarious Issa Rae after her new HBO series Insecure premiered last night, but for those who know, homegirl has been making us crack up with her accurate reflections of awkwardness since 2011 with her outstanding web series, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl. This was a show that was so amazing and striking that after just one season, Pharrell's i am OTHER YouTube channel picked it up and premiered the entire second season, which grabbed a Shorty for best web show in 2012.

While it's insane to imagine that this was the first series to truly depict the black female nerd on-screen, Rae took it to the next level, incorporating a mix of pop culture references, hip-hop, and an intoxicating love story into the series. At its peak, the #AwkwardBlackGirlHive was rabid, going in on Rae's mentions if an episode didn't drop on time. Without Awkward Black Girl, there probably wouldn't be an Insecure, and while you can enjoy Insecure without knowing about Awkward Black Girl, you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you slept on it.

For those who are unacquainted, we've got you covered. No, this isn't a look at the best episodes of Awkward Black Girl; rather, we're looking at episodes and moments from its two-season run that highlight the brilliance of Issa Rae, and the hope that we get to see more moments like these as Insecure plays out. We'd like to think that, if Issa's Awkward Black Girl character J saw this piece, she'd say something like "bitches be faaaans!"

Awkward Bars

 

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Episode: "The Stop Sign" (Season 1, Episode 1)

Awkward Quotient: 4/10, although that might increase if someone overhears you

If You Liked: "Broken Pussy"

One of the best parts about Insecure's premiere was Issa's bars. The show is definitely grounded in her love of hip-hop, and that's something that was prevalent in Awkward Black Girl. Towards the end of the show's very first episode, she pens some venomous bars calling her ex-boyfriend a "bitch n*gga" who's face she wants to set on fire. As the series goes on, we find J venting her frustrations via her rhymes, although they are usually spit to herself or to her homegirl CeCe.

Awkward Lies

 

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Episode: "The Hallway" (Season 1, Episode 3)

Awkward Quotient: 9/10, especially if you're a terrible liar

If You Liked: Issa lying about sending a text to Molly

While this episode is primarily focused on J and CeCe's awkward meetings in the hallway at work, there's one moment where she gets a phone call from A, a booty call gone horribly wrong. She sees A's number come up and throws some shade, shouting "IGNORE!"...without realizing that he's standing right behind her and heard everything. It goes from her copping pleas about her phone's bad service to a lie that ends with her saying she hates Mexicans, which A insanely agrees with. It's one thing to lie so much that you dig a deep hole; it's a completely OTHER situation where you casually throw racism out there, and end up having someone agree with you.

Awkward Dancing

 

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Episode: "The Dance" (Season 1, Episode 5)

Awkward Quotient: 7/10, especially if you can play off bad dancing as "being goofy"

If You Liked: Issa and Molly getting it at the club

Parties and dancing can be awkward for most people, especially if you're single and trying to mingle. "The Dance" deals with J trying to find a way to not be awkward around her crush Fred, but towards the end (after she meets a similarly awkward dude by the name of Jay), we see CeCe going ham on the dance floor with A. While we're not sure how much alcohol either of them had to have had before getting buck on the floor, it doesn't matter—this looks nuts, especially around your co-workers.

Awkward Meetings

 

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Episode: "The Project" (Season 1, Episode 8)

Awkward Quotient: 7/10

If You Liked: How Issa's presentation at the school turned on its ear

Only on a show like Awkward Black Girl could an episode about a department-wide project turn into a breakdown of one co-worker's religious awakening that could then go into a rendition of the "If you wanna be somebody" scene from Sister Act 2. You may have had your share of awkward meetings at work, but this sh*t right here? Supreme awkwardness meets comedy GOLD.

Awkward Make Ups

 

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Episode: "The Exes" (Season 1, Episode 11)

Awkward Quotient: 2/10, assuming you're alone when you're spitting friendship bars

If You Liked: When Issa brought Cheetos and dip to Molly

In the previous episode, J ditches CeCe's Halloween party to go trick-or-treating with Jay, which ends in an ex-related disaster. The next day, J wants to make it up to CeCe, and spits some non-rhyming bars at her door, calling her "the beat to her rap." It's sweet, and mirrors how Issa and Molly's relationship flows in Insecure, although with a lot less awkward dancing (we think).