Insecure has had a strong run over the first four seasons on HBO, but fans will soon have to say goodbye to the series. Season 5 of the groundbreaking comedy series will be its last. With the upcoming fifth season being the show’s final outing, star and co-creator Issa Rae had to figure out how all the characters’ stories would wrap up. Did she want to leave it open-ended or put a firm stamp on the HBO series? Now, Rae has explained where the characters will be by the end of the comedy.
Being the captain of the Insecure ship, the characters’ fates were left up to Issa Rae and the writers’ room, and there was some pressure to wrap up everyone’s storylines. But the multifaceted talent found tying up Issa Dee and the characters’ stories might not be necessary. The Insecure star revealed how executive producer Amy Aniobi relieved her anxiety over concluding the characters’ lives neatly, telling The New York Times:
I’ve got to credit Amy. We were really trying to find the right way to end the show and she told us, ‘We keep trying to land the plane.’ Instead, she reminded us that the plane ride continues, and these characters are going to live on. That was so freeing to be able to say to each other, ‘Oh, we’re not ending this show.’ These characters that I know and I’ve grown with are going to continue to make decisions and live on.
Having spent so many years creating, developing, and writing these characters, Issa Rae decided to let the characters live beyond the page. While concluding each character’s story is the norm for most shows, Rae went against the grain. It does leave the series open for a return at some point, even if that isn't necessarily likely to happen. The Insecure creator’s co-star Jay Ellis couldn’t have agreed more with her decision. The Top Gun: Maverick star said about leaving the characters’ lives a bit unfinished:
There’s security in insecurity. There’s something about the journey that these characters go on by the end of Season 5 that it just feels like, 'What happened on Tuesday?' I’m good with what happened Tuesday, and I’m going to keep moving on to Wednesday and not let it ruin my day or my life or whatever.
Given the messy and ordinary lives of Issa Dee and the gang, Jay Ellis hit the nail on the head. Each season has seen fans catch up months, if not years, after the last season’s events. So, having the characters continue after Season 5 isn’t unusual for the world of Insecure.
Leaving things open-ended could work for the HBO comedy in the future, even though a revival might not be possible for the foreseeable future given Issa Rae's busy schedule. As the creator and star, Rae should be able to leave her show the best way she sees fit. Hopefully, fans will understand Rae’s vision when Insecure premieres on Oct. 24 on HBO.
