The title of Sunday’s episode of “Girls” makes cringeworthy sense once you find out what the plot driver is — an experiential play that Adam (Adam Driver, “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens”) is in about the Kitty Genovese murder case of 1964 in New York City. The play frames Hannah’s (Lena Dunham, “Happy Christmas”) discovery of Jessa (Jemima Kirke, “Tiny Furniture”) and Adam’s more-than-friends relationship. The shots of the play, which span beautifully lit alleyways and fire escapes, are the aesthetic indulgence of “Hello Kitty,” but they also highlight the theme of the episode (not that anyone involved in “Girls” would admit to having themed episodes). “Hello Kitty” is about communication — or more precisely, the sometimes humorous and sometimes bittersweet lack of it.
As always, everyone in “Girls” is so wrapped up in themselves that they can barely grasp things that are right in front of them — like the fact that Hannah and Fran (Jake Lacy, “Carol”) are horribly wrong for each other, as seen through their vastly different ideas about how, when, where and to whom it is appropriate for Hannah to be flashing her vagina (but maybe that’s just me).
Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet, “Mad Men”) takes a backseat in this episode, as does Marnie (Allison Williams, “Peter Pan Live”) a little bit — although Marnie casually dismissing Adam and Jessa to Hannah as their “second-tier friends” is hilarious. This season of “Girls” has seen Marnie rediscovering something. I’m not sure what it is — her voice, a measure of independence, astonishing levels of annoying self-satisfaction — but it’s building to something for sure. And Allison Williams is doing a phenomenal job of making you grit your teeth and roll your eyes in exasperated anticipation of it.