Season Two Brings Changes For ‘Girls’

Of all the cable comedies returning with new episodes Sunday, Girls is the most ambitious — as well as the most unpredictable, and occasionally unsettling.

When thirtysomething premiered on ABC more than 25 years ago — yes, it’s been that long — that drama series was both embraced and attacked for focusing so intently on the problems of self-obsessed people in their 30s. What that drama did for that generation, Girls does for a new one — and for an even younger demographic, by presenting a quartet of young women in their mid-20s.

I say “young women,” but this HBO comedy, being completely upfront about how much its characters still have to learn and grow, is titled Girls. That title is no accident — and the growing pains in this comedy sometimes are so uncomfortable to watch, they make you squirm.