Issa Rae unpacks how the ‘Insecure’ finale came full circle on ‘The Envelope’
HBO’s comedy/drama Insecure wrapped after five strong seasons filled with bold storytelling, characters, relationships, and the messiness and successes of adulthood. Los Angeles Times’ “The Envelope” interviewed the show’s creator and lead actress, Issa Rae, in a recent 39-minute episode.
In this interview, hosts Mark Olsen, Yvonne Villarreal, and Issa explore how the conversations around the show were just as important to the viewing experiences per TV episode. Issa dove into the decisions she made for the final season, as well as how she settled on the finale’s episodic structure.
Yvonne is a huge fan of Insecure and is sad the show is over. Mark did not watch the show in real time, but noticed the spike in Twitter conversations in his feed about Insecure each season.
In the interview, Issa explains the similarities between herself and the TV character, Issa, saying for the last season they were as connected as ever. Issa said it was fun to play her character navigating her life’s relationships and ending the series in a powerful way, bookending her evolution throughout the series. In real life, Issa considers herself as more reserved in contrast to character Issa’s chaotic nature.
Issa decided to center the finale around birthdays as a way to come full circle since the pilot opened on Issa’s 29th birthday. The final episode emphasized the relationship between Issa and her BFF Molly as they grew and helped each other through thick and thin over five seasons. Issa also described why she made character decisions such as Molly’s marriage, Issa and Nathan’s breakup, Lawrence, Kelli’s pregnancy announcement, and more.
Issa somewhat regrets turning South L.A. into the latest Hollywood landmark. She unpacks how her life has changed since the start of Insecure, and what this means for future meetings with executives and film projects.
“The Envelope” has released over 170 episodes since 2018, running under 40 minutes long on average.
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