It’s been well over a decade since ‘Girls’ (2012-2017) debuted on HBO, and the controversial Lena Dunham shortly became a household name for the pop culture enthusiasts. 13 years later, the TV show is still leaving an impact on viewers, drawn from its realism, smart quips, critique and relatability. Although it struggled with POC representation, Dunham excelled at capturing her persona and privileged background so well as a 20-something, in toxic (friendships, relationships – normalised cheating) as well as refreshing dynamics (the lead’s gay best friend/flatmate, Hannah and Marnie being self-aware) that you had to eat it up. Whether you’re diving in for the first time, revisiting where you left off, or on your next rewatch (see: the Girls rewatch podcast), here’s why the show remains a rewatch masterpiece:

1. The nostalgic 2000’s and 2010’s soundtrack

The ‘Girls’ soundtrack perfectly captured the milennial zeitgeist with a mix of indie bangers (the pillar of festivals and tumblr style in 2012), electro-pop, and acoustic tracks that still hit today. From MGMT’s ‘Time to Pretend’, Feist, Icona pop and Charli XCX’s ‘I love it’ and Kerry Hilson’s ‘Pretty Girl Rock’ to Robyn’s ‘Dancing on my own’ and Solange’s ‘Losing you’, the creators knew a great soundtrack can really cement a show’s place in the culture.

https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/7FfVQfh8BU83vRzokOWoi1?utm_source=generator

2. The honest portrayal of situationships

Before situationships became a popular coined, affirming and acknowledged term for a certain kind of complicated romantic relationship, ‘Girls’ was exploring the concept all too well with the show’s lead Hannah and her love interest, Adam. No pairing embodied this more than the duo’s push-pull dynamic, filled with passion, misunderstandings, disconnection and reconnection, showing the brutal reality of the romantic confusion that comes from a situationship. Without giving spoilers to those that may be starting the show for the first time soon, there’s a specific scene that happens after a reconnection following the biggest betrayal committed between the pair. This scene brings you back to reality from the fantasy – the “good soup”.

3. The relatability of living in your 20’s

Flatshares. Living in a big city for the first time. Working and quitting unpaid or lowly paid internships and first time office jobs. Freelancing for creative jobs. The countless job interviews and applications. The show depicts living and growing up in your 20’s, along with girlhood, so well. Finding the right career and landing a full-time role as Shoshana later discovers post-graduation, is a long and non-linear road, even with a degree or two to hand. Just as Hannah did in the beginning, whom Shosh (along with viewers) judged for her naivety and handling of this, when her parents had to cut her off financially in the show’s pilot.

4. It introduced us to now known actor Adam Driver

When we first met Adam Sackler, Hannah Horvath’s intense, woodworking, often-shirtless boyfriend, no one would have predicted he would become the Adam Driver we know today. ‘Girls’ introduced us to the offbeat magnetism of Driver, who’s gone on to star in the likes of ‘Marriage Story’, ‘House of Gucci’ (for better or worse), ‘Star Wars’, and indie darlings like ‘Frances Ha’ and ‘White Noise’.

5. The writing was sharp, even when the discourse was loud

Behind the controversy of Lena Dunham, admittedly her writing – most notably in ‘Girls’ – is sharp, raw and confrontingly honest. Dunham, with her collaborators and writing trio Jenni Konner and Judd Apatow, created characters that felt both real and insufferable in equal measure, which is the point of the show. The dialogue was always a toss between comedy and existential crisis (real especially in your younger to mid 20’s). This, along with the show’s refusal to tie things up into neat arcs remains refreshing in a sea of overly polished, or predictable narratives.

‘Girls’ was messy, brilliant, infuriating, hilarious, at times tone-deaf, and sometimes all in the same episode. But at the same time, it was ahead of its own time and managed to capture the chaotic beauty of your twenties, and that’s why it endures.

I may be the voice of my generation. Or at least a voice… of a generation.

• Hannah Horvath