'Girls': Is Marnie making a big mistake with Charlie?

“Girls” aired an emotionally-charged new episode in a special Saturday time slot on Feb. 2.

This poignant installment finds Marnie (Allison Williams) in an awkward situation with both Hannah (Lena Dunham) and Charlie (Christopher Abbott). Meanwhile, Jessa (Jemima Kirke) reels from a very harsh heartbreak ala Thomas-John (Chris O’Dowd).

Uninvited/Invited Guest

Elijah (Andrew Rannells) and Hannah exchange heated words as he moves out, making sure to let her know he’s not paying any rent for the month. Hannah advises him she’s keeping the furniture that George bought, which includes the table and chairs.

Is anyone else going to miss Elijah's energy?

Hannah throws a grown up dinner party to celebrate her online publication and we kind of blanch at the fact that Charlie and Audrey are among the few invited guests, because she's also invited Marnie. It turns out, though, Hannah doesn't think she’s going to show, given their fresh falling out over Marnie’s hook up with Elijah.

Guess again, Hannah, because Marnie actually makes it and everyone is surprised. Audrey and Marnie get into and Audrey accuses Marnie of showing up wherever they go. She also makes it known that Charlie told her about her late night visit.

We feel genuinely sorry for Marnie when Hannah admits she didn’t think she was going to come, given their recent argument. Marnie is hurt and angry and stalks off to the roof, with Charlie close behind.

The table dynamics and conversation flow is just so real. We can remember spewing and hearing our own jealous accusations and matter-of-fact remarks about things our friends have done to hurt us. It’s all so quick and sharp and spot on. It’s also sad for Hannah and Marnie. These girls know exactly how to hurt each other and they make quick work of getting right to it.

The harsh reality: Girlfriends often hurt girlfriends worse and more deeply than boyfriends do. To say that Marnie and Hannah have a very unhealthy and heavily dysfunctional friendship seems like such an unfortunate understatement …

Marnie stands alone on the rooftop and when Charlie approaches, we already know the tender turn its going to take. When he admits Audrey’s jealous because Marnie knows him better than anyone, we can’t help but smile and their kiss seems like such a natural extension of the moment.

Allison Williams and Christopher Abbott have amazing chemistry. Marnie and Charlie are the college couple we've all hung out with. In ways they are perfectly suited for another and in other ways they make more sense being apart.

That said, something romantic lingers between them, even though Marnie backs off and tells Charlie she’s dating Booth Jonathon. We have to laugh when Charlie calls him an Ewok in capri pants. He’s probably right! Marnie defends him, of course, and they end up in another heated conversation that ends with him leaving.

We have to admit we’re kind of sad – and we can’t help but wonder if Marnie is making a terrible mistake. Did she leave Charlie simply because she was restless and she's just not ready or willing to admit it? If she feels nothing for him, why does the fact that he’s moved on with Audrey bother her so much?

As for Booth Jonathon being brilliant? Not so much. Marnie can do much better than Booth. We know she’s only settling right now because the rest of her life is in such a quandary. Frankly, we can’t wait for phase JB to be far, far behind her.

Jessa’s Jerky Husband

Another very awkward dinner conversation ensues when Jessa finally meets Thomas-John’s parents. It’s clear his mother totally disapproves of her son’s choice in a wife. She even accuses Jessa, in so many words, of being a gold digger.

Thomas-John’s dad, however, seems like more of a free spirit and they get along rather well. We already know there’s going to be a bad post-dinner fallout between the newlyweds when Thomas-John never really sticks up for Jessa and seems appalled by lots of things she says.

Yes, their wedding was spontaneous and we were skeptical. But, it seemed so romantic and when they returned from the honeymoon, they seemed so happy. So, we were hopeful …

All hope in everlasting love at first sight goes out the window when their argument evolves into a terribly cruel shouting match. Thomas-John goes way too far when he calls Jessa a whore. Jessa slaps him (good for her!) and we know there’s no turning back.

Things sink to an all-time low when he asks how much money it’ll take for her to leave. She deserves the moon from this narcissistic jerk. He should have plenty of money at his disposal, after all, he’s a self-proclaimed financial “miracle” and “unicorn.”

Thank God friends are always there when we need them the most. Jessa shows up at Hannah’s sobbing and climbs into the tub with her. She doesn't even talk about the situation and they laugh about snot globs in the water and Hannah simply holds her friend’s hand. In this moment our often self-absorbed Hannah is a beautiful and supportive friend.

Jemima Kirke is such a well-rounded actress. She’s funny yet sensitive, and she brilliantly paints Jessa so larger than life yet so vulnerable. We long to tap into her boundless energy, yet we also want to tell her that settling down isn't as formidable as it seems.

Chris O’Dowd does an excellent job portraying a thoughtless jerk. Thomas-John, at this point, is exactly the kind of guy we would want our BFF to avoid at all costs. Love is strange, though. Will Jessa see that she deserves so much better than this? Or, will she blame herself, absorb his abuse and try to go back to him?

We hope she counts Thomas-John as a major mistake and moves on as soon as possible.

Love, Unexpected

Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) is caught off guard when Ray (Alex Karpovsky) tells the gang he’s between residences. She panics and feels like he’s using her for sex so he has a place to sleep. Shosh isn't one for mincing words and she just puts it all out on the table.

He admits he knows he’s a loser – but that’s the last thing he wants to be in her eyes. His speech is so sweet at the core and when his sincerity sinks in, we love when she admits that she’s falling in love with him. Ray is not graceful or the least bit romantic in his reply, saying, “I love you so f**king much.”

Let’s say it together: Awww!

We’re really rooting for this seemingly mismatched pair to make it after this. Their age difference and his lack of direction could ultimately do them in. But for now, they are really fun and rather romantic to watch.

Overall, this episode is full of highly-charged, confusing, and painful emotion for Marnie and Jessa. Their pain easily represents life in its messiest form. In this sense, “Girls” continues to draw us in and engage us by revealing these kinds of moments and feelings in the most keen and often awkwardly familiar ways.

“Girls” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. EST on HBO.