In the season three finale of “Broad City,” our favorite Jewesses took off to see the Holy Land. In an episode filled with drug smuggling, makeshift tampons and, of course, sexual shenanigans, the dynamic duo made saying goodbye to “Broad City” for the summer virtually impossible.
Ilana (Ilana Glazer) and Abbi (Abbi Jacobson) capitalize on a free trip to Israel through Birthmark, based on the real-life Birthright program, which sends young adults to Israel with a mission statement to advance the Jewish bloodline. With plenty of stereotypes to use as inspiration, Abbi and Ilana take full advantage of their Jewish heritage to deliver one of the wittiest episodes of “Broad City” yet. With plenty of yamakas, Ivy-league rivalries and pita bread to go around, the finale is everything you would expect from a plane full of Jewish bachelors and more. Unapologetically candid and always to be watched with a hearty sense of humor, the finale was able to poke at underlying societal issues without ever sacrificing a comical nuance.
The majority of the episode is filled with a desperate hunt for a tampon. Of course, “Broad City” will use any and all opportunities to make a feminist statement, and when the topic of women’s health comes into play, the girls don’t hold back. While Ilana’s revelation that all tampons should be free digs at the patriarchy, Abbi’s interaction with an older woman highlights the underrepresentation of menopause on mainstream television. This unfiltered discussion of everything “woman” is intentionally at the center of the series’ content, a way for Glazer and Jacobson, both the show’s stars and creators, to express their opinions and interjections in today’s media-obsessed culture. A discussion of gender is never censored as virtually every episode confronts some sort of feminist issue.
Season three was filled with celebrity appearances, most notably Hillary Clinton who made her iconic cameo on episode five. The finale did not disappoint, as Adam Levine was featured as a pilot in the in-flight safety video which, unlike in real life, everyone was paying attention to. The impressive list of guest stars that have graced “Broad City” is a testament to the show’s relatability and influence on the pop-culture landscape. Since its first season, the series has grown and flourished, gaining a loyal cult following that includes some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
Perhaps what makes “Broad City” a must-see is the way Ilana and Abbi are able to observe and comment on millennial life. Sure, two girls with fine arts degrees trying to make it in New York City is nothing groundbreakingly original, but somehow the duo is able to make the most relatable things inexplicably hilarious. Whether it be a conversation about how Jesus is really just the hot rich kid or the societal influence of Drew Barrymore’s suitcase, the content is nuanced, relevant and applicable to anyone with even the slightest interest in pop culture. It’s going to be a long and tough summer without the queens, so for the time being we’ll be incessantly stalking the “Broad City” Instagram for some comical gold.