Issa Rae and showrunner Prentice Penny break down why the show worked and how they planned for a potential early cancellation.
When HBO’s beloved comedy series “Insecure” wrapped its fifth and final season in December, showrunner Prentice Penny had a hard time letting go. “It was like graduating high school,” he says. “It’s not like I’m never going to see them again, but we won’t be seeing each other every day. That was one of the hardest parts of saying goodbye.”
When asked what “Insecure” uniquely gave to viewers along the way, Rae says: “Visibility. In front of the camera and behind. And comfort.” “Insecure” did just that. Debuting the year after “black-ish” knocked down barriers, it offered a fresh take on single life among Black women with nuanced, indelible characters. Fans connected with Rae’s awkward, self-conscious character Issa, who had foggy life ambitions, a wicked sense of style and always seemed to say the wrong thing at the wrong time.
“Our starting place was always, no matter what, that Issa and Molly love each other,” says Penny. “It’s different than ‘Girls,’ where the girls can be frenemies. We didn’t want that energy, and we certainly didn’t want that energy for Black women, especially when you see reality shows where Black women are going at each other. It’s like family: If there’s love in there, you can go through times with them when you’re not speaking, when you’re mad at them. You can say things that are hurtful.