When Girls premiered in 2012, it wholeheartedly captured the voice of a generation (to use Hannah Horvath's oft-quoted words). Created by Lena Dunham, the show became a cultural touchstone, praised and critiqued in equal measure for its raw honesty, its millennial introspection, and its refusal to tie things up neatly.
Now, more than a decade later, the show is having an unexpected second life, with Gen Z discovering Girls on streaming, and proving they're just as hungry for flawed heroines and unfiltered storytelling as their millennial counterparts.
Of course, this renewed popularity has got us thinking: if there were to be a grown-up Girls follow-up in the vein of And Just Like That…, what would it look like? Thankfully, Dunham has offered a glimpse into that alternate reality in an interview with Variety—and her imagined futures for the show's characters are as chaotic and weirdly touching as ever. And while she didn't weigh in on the fate of Marnie's on-again-off-again boyfriend and musical partner, Desi, RUSSH caught up with Ebon Moss-Bachrach himself at the Sydney premiere for Fantastic Four, who quickly brought us up to speed.
See exactly where each of your favourite Girls characters would be in 2025, below.
Desi Harperin
A decent musician but a terrible boyfriend (and husband) to Marnie. So, where would Desi have wound up? According to Moss-Bachrach, not too far from where we left him. See exactly what he had to say about his character's fate:
@russhmagazine Want to know where #Desi from #girls is today? #ebonmoss has the answer. #fyp #girlshbo #desigirls #lenadunham RUSSH Magazine" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7527246883983608593?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ original sound - RUSSH Magazine
Hannah Horvath
The series famously came to an end with Hannah unexpectedly becoming a mother, and, by the final episode she had settled into motherhood and stepped back from her self-obsessed ambition.
Dunham sees this trope continuing well into the future, saying, "She teaches at Bard and loves raising her son. She probably has a girlfriend who’s, like, a chef. And she’s less obsessed with being famous. That is where I feel that she would land.”
Shoshanna Shapiro
According to Dunham, by 2025, Shosh has (predictably) gone full girlboss, with a tech-meets-wellness empire and a failed high-profile marriage under her belt.
In Dunhams words, "Shoshanna was married to, then divorced from, the mayor of New York City, and she runs an athleisure startup that’s zero-waste.”
Marnie Michaels
Dunham says that, essentially, Marnie is still Marnie, still chasing love and still singing: “Marnie — it’s third marriage. She still sings, but I think Marnie really needs to take it to sex and love addicts anonymous.”
Jessa Johansson
When we last saw Jessa, she was newly sober and trying to repair the wreckage she’d caused in her friendship with Hannah. Years later, it seems she’s abandoned all that and followed her impulse somewhere far more remote. As Dunham put it, "Jessa is unvaccinated and lives on a boat in Croatia.”
Adam Sackler
At the series finale, Adam was newly separated from Hannah and grappling with his own emotional chaos. A restless soul, he seemed destined to continue on the artistic path — and according to Dunham, he does so somewhere far from New York: “Adam is a cult theatre actor, and he’s probably living in Berlin.”
Elijah Krantz
Elijah’s arc closed with him continuing to pursue an acting career, but still struggling with love and identity. In other words, his professional life was on the rise, even if his personal life remained complicated — a trend Dunham predicts would continue in the future.
She said, “Elijah is the fourth lead on a sitcom, making a good amount of money and still looking for love in all the wrong places.”
Ray Ploshansky
Ray’s storyline was pretty much the only one that ended with him moving towards stability and community involvement, balancing his political ambitions and his coffee shop business. According to Dunham, not much has changed: “Ray is still on city council and running his coffee shop and doing better than anyone.”
Images via IMDb.
