'Girls': Hannah Faces Death Again in "Flo"

Remember a few weeks ago, when Hannah's editor died and she had the biggest non-reaction in the world? This week, Hannah faced death yet again, but this time closer to home. At the beginning of the episode, "Flo," Hannah's mom calls with the news that grandma is on her death bed and she needs to return home, like, ASAP.

And return home she does, making this a totally Hannah-centric episode. We learn that Hannah's extended family are just about as screwed up as she is. Here's a small breakdown of the super screwy Horvath family tree.

Grandma Flo

Grandma Flo (the one who's dying) is actually a pretty cool lady. You can see where Hannah gets some of her more admirable qualities. Flo is a straight-shooter. She's not afraid to tell Hannah to have Adam hit the road because she doesn't want to meet new people on her death bed. When Adam says they're engaged (a lie that Hannah's mom requests because she thinks the news will make Flo happy before she dies), Flo is frank about what marriage is like and what the future holds for them if they go through with it. She's a scene-stealing, engaging lady, especially for one about to kick it.

Loreen Horvath

We get to know more about Hannah's mom than ever before this week. Not only does she ask Hannah to lie and tell her dying grandmother that she's engaged to Adam when she's really (really) not, she then suggests that Hannah should keep her options open and look for someone better. She does this after Adam is kind enough to initiate the lie (Hannah isn't willing to). Hannah insists that Loreen doesn't know what she's talking about, but the thing is, Loreen knows exactly what she's talking about. She warns Hannah about how exhausting it is to spend a lifetime with someone with issues socializing. She speaks from experience; a fight with her sisters reveals that that's how everyone views Hannah's dad. It's a nice moment, to show that Hannah does have something in common with her mother, even though they seem very, very different.

Sissy

Hannah's aunt Sissy is out to get what she wants in the most manipulative ways possible. She wants their dying mother's house (because she doesn't have one and her sisters both do). She wants their mother's engagement ring. She pretends not to want anything at all from the house and, after her sisters insist that she pick something, she sighs, "Fine. I guess I'll just take the ring." Cue record scratch. A huge fight ensues over who deserves it. Loreen and Margot think they have more claim since they both have daughters of their own to pass it onto and Sissy is childless.

Margot

Hannah's Aunt Margot is a bit of a B. She's not afraid to yell at anyone and everyone in the family and isn't a fan of Hannah, who she thinks is a bad influence on her daughter.

Rebecca

Hannah's cousin Rebecca is by far the most interesting new character we meet this week. Grandma Flo might be the most likable, but Rebecca is the most interesting. She's Hannah's opposite in every way. She's going to med school. She's obsessively studious. She's rude to Hannah at every turn (trashing writing, implying that she's annoying her), but then asks her to hang out. She wants to hang out with Hannah, but she also seems to hate her. Then, in a bizarre moment, she kind of accuses Hannah of molesting her as a child, claiming that she made her lay under the covers and masturbate with her. It's an odd moment. Hannah seems genuinely shocked and offended by the accusation, and the resulting argument (along with Rebecca's insistence on texting her mother while driving) results in the two of them getting into a non-fatal car accident.

By the end of the trip, Grandma Flo is doing better and it looks like she's out of the woods and ready to hold on for a while longer. But, as soon as Hannah makes it back to New York City, she gets the call that Flo had a heart attack and passed. For the first time, Hannah seems to care about the news of death.

Image: HBO