Ooh, is this where Hannah finally flunks out of Iowa and gets sent back to kindergarten to learn basic decency? Because I would totally watch that show.

Shoshana bombs an interview at NBC (?), but won't take no for an answer. In fact, she refuses to leave, demanding that the interviewer tell her what's wrong with her. The woman calls her simplistic, insensitive and off-putting. Shosh doesn't get it. Meanwhile, Marnie plays more horrid music for Jessa, who is not impressed. Marnie even asks the bar to turn the music down. While Jessa struggles to find a tactful response, Shosh shows up to complain about losing her seventh interview in two weeks. Jessa advises her to sell an organ (and, terrifyingly, sounds like she has experience with it) while Marnie attempts to push the music on another unsuspecting victim. Shosh says she'll maybe like it one day after it becomes a hit, and Marnie throws a tantrum because they won't acknowledge her genius. She decides she wants Hannah back, which means she must be desperate.

We find Hannah herself lonely and frustrated in Iowa. Her mood is low, her writing doesn't seem to be going well, and Elijah still inexplicably lives with her. If I had to put up with him for 16 hours a day I'd be depressed, too. Hannah's dad is coming for dinner, all the way from Minneapolis, which is, oh, a good five hours away. Back to geography class, Lena. Apparently Elijah is some kind of writer too. Uh-huh.

Ray complains about traffic to...someone. Hannah keeps wandering through writer's block. To make herself feel better, she leaves notes in people's cubbies, because Hannah is a shameless life destroyer. I'm more intrigued by the idea of grown adults in a graduate program having freakin' cubbies. Tired of honking horns, Ray finally snaps and goes to confront New York's frustrated drivers. It goes about as well as you would expect. (Why the fuck would anyone drive in New York, anyway? It's just a waste of time and money.)

In class, the poor beleaguered professor tells the class that she's received a complaint about some idiot leaving notes in all the cubbies. Apparently, Hannah was apologizing for her behaviour at the bar last episode. It's really awkward, the whole class is offended and/or confused, and Hannah tries to defend herself but mostly winds up looking like an idiot. They take her to task for violating their sacred cubbies (yeah, I snorted at that) and blaming her own shortcomings on them. She winds up throwing paper at them, because she is mature like that. They get back to actual working, Hannah having definitely lost.

(On another note, Hannah is looking awesome this episode. Something about the barrettes and the sweater.)

Walking home, Shosh runs into Ray doing his traffic-shrieking act. (Miraculously, no one has run him over yet.) They have an awkward conversation in the middle of a jam. After a little while, they decide to run errands together, though of course they have completely opposite approaches to this simple task. In the world of Girls, everything is ten times more complicated than it has to be.

After the discussion, Hannah's prof asks her to stay behind. She's a lot gentler than I would have been, asking her how she's doing and how she can help. She puts it in terms of "specific kind of writer" and generally uses Hannah's obvious unhappiness as the focal point. Hannah thinks she's being kicked out, but the prof assures her that for this to happen, she would have to be "extremely violent with another student...not just a little violent, but extremely violent". Wow. I want a spinoff about this prof, please. However, Hannah realizes that when she thought she was getting kicked out - she was actually happy. 

Desi and Marnie play more terrible music and exchange psychobabble about their non-relationship. Hannah meets up with her long-suffering dad, where she blathers on about her writing while he pretends to listen. When she confesses all her feelings about Iowa, he encourages her to stay in the program, but also not to listen to anyone, "no matter what happens to anyone else". This raises a few questions, but he steers the topic away.

Ray has to go to a specific department store to get socks and underwear. Shosh goes with him, but balks at having to go to a particular neighbourhood. She takes him to an overpriced shop of her choice, which totally freaks him out. While he's trying on the stupid shirt, Shosh confesses that she feels bad for her behaviour during the relationship, and blames herself for its end. It's very innocent, and sincere. Ray is skeptical. She tells him that one day she'll prove herself as a good person - but without getting back together, of course.

When Hannah's dad drives her home, she is terrified of having to go back into her house and face her own life. Her dad offers to take her away. She waffles some more about making the decision. "You'll know when you know, you know?" says her dad, most helpfully.

In New York, Shoshana and Ray go over the endless details of each other's personalities. He tells her that her job will arrive when the time is right. They pass by a crowded street, and Ray confesses that he doesn't know where his irrational anger comes from. She suggests he put some energy into actually fighting it with authorities, rather than yelling at the individuals who don't control the general fucked-upness of New York. "Use your brain," she says. They have a hug and agree to be friends.

Desi shows up at Marnie's to announce that he has broken up with his girlfriend. Of course, this just leaves them with even more questions. Especially once Desi starts crying all over Marnie. He then complains about how his girlfriend probably cheated on him. They have sex, but nothing is resolved.

Hannah sits at her laptop, lost in thought. Suddenly, the decision is made. She closes the laptop, gets a ride to the airport, and arrives back in New York. She arrives at Adam's apartment - only to find BRITTA PERRY there. Oops, I mean Mimi Rose. I hear she's the worst. Yeah, Adam's picked up another lady in Hannah's absence, and that is where we will end our episode.

Apart from this episode having a depressing lack of Jessa, I liked it. As fun as the MFA program could be, it was a foregone conclusion that Hannah would return to New York. That she fell out so spectacularly was a bonus. As for Marnie and Desi, erm, trainwreck waiting to happen. Hopefully we'll get more terrible singing as part of it. Everyone has been set up for a new beginning this episode. The question, of course, is what kind of twists await them on the way.

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