Where Do the 'Girls' Go From Here?

After a shaky first half, the third season of Girls gained its footing a few weeks back, and Sunday's season finale of Girls was the best the show has seen since Season 1. With realistic storylines, whip-smart dialogue, and previously one-dimensional characters seeming human for once (we're looking at you, Shosh), Girls' season finale was a hugely satisfying half hour of television. Much of the episode's strength came from the wrenches it through into the four main characters' storylines, from Hannah's acceptance into the Iowa Writers' Workshop to Shoshanna's realization that she couldn't graduate college. By the episode's end, all four girls' lives were heading into very different directions than they — and we — ever would have imagined when the season first began. So what happens next?

Hannah

What Happened: Got accepted into the Iowa Writers' Workshop, a prestigious creative writing masters program; (basically) broke up with Adam.

What She Should Do Next: Go to Iowa. Hannah has spent the last three seasons struggling to make it as a writer, and while she's had some successes — almost getting a book deal, landing that GQ job — her ambitions as a writer are just as uncertain as they were when the series began. Attending the Writers Workshop, a hugely competitive program, would undoubtedly help to Hannah's writing career, and be the first big, mature step in getting her adult life on track. The fact that Iowa, while not "on the coast" as Hannah thinks, is still 1000 miles away from Adam and New York certainly doesn't hurt.

What She Will Do Next: Hopefully, go to Iowa. At the episode's end, it looked like Hannah was truly excited about leaving New York, grinning ear-to-ear as she cradled her acceptance letter. Leaving her friends/finding a new yogurt place will be difficult for her, but Hannah might (finally) be mature enough to make the move.

Marnie

What Happened: Confessed to Shoshanna about sleeping with Ray, and got properly yelled at; finally hooked up with Desi after weeks of not-so-secret pining; bragged about it to Hannah ten seconds later; got told by Desi's girlfriend to stay away; got major schadenfreude watching the couple argue.

What She Should Do Next: Leave Desi, leave Ray, and find a guy who's a) single and b) emotionally stable. Also, find a new career; Marnie's art gallery gig wasn't going so well even before Jessa stole Louise Lasser right out from under her. Mostly, though, Marnie just needs to get her act together. When Hannah looks like the mature one of the duo, it's clearly time to make a change.

What She Will Do Next: Presumably, none of the above. Marnie's been on a downward spiral ever since Charlie left her, and it doesn't look like that's going to end anytime soon. She seemingly hasn't learned from her mistakes, and so we wouldn't be surprised to see her pursuing a newly-single Desi and recording She & Him covers on Youtube.

Shoshanna

What Happened: Found out she was three credits short of graduating college; freaked out in her living room; learned that Marnie slept with Ray, and rightfully screamed at her "friend"; begged Ray to get back together, but got rejected.

What She Should Do Next: Take a summer course and get those damn credits. Also, find new friends that aren't narcissistic, whiny man-stealers. Strangely enough, Shosh has turned into the most adult member of the group, criticizing the others for their permanent adolescence and, except for those few missing credits, getting her life together after taking a Ray-induced break. After last night's rejection, it's clear that she needs to take a breather from the gang and figure out who she is, minus Ray, Marnie, and drug-addled cousin Jessa.

What She Will Do Next: Sink into a Marnie-like state of depression for awhile, because getting rejected by the guy you're in love with after spilling your heart out sucks. Hopefully, Shosh's self-pity won't last long, but her anger with herself for not graduating school certainly won't help matters.

Jessa

What Happened: Found out she was hired to give Beadie death-inducing drugs; refused to help the artist die; eventually agreed and administered said drugs; frantically called 911 when Beadie realized she wanted to live.

What She Should Do Next: Get the hell out of that apartment before she's arrested for murder. In the bigger scheme of things, find a real job; pre-assisted suicide, Jessa seemed to be really into the idea of helping a wheelchair-bound old artist organize her archives. Personal assistant to the creative and elderly? We can see it.

What She Will Do Next: Freak out for awhile, go into hiding, befriend some interesting people, and eventually come out a brand new person. It's Jessa. What else do you expect?

Image: HBO