All language subtitles for Insecure s05ex1 Final Season Documentary.eng

["Honesty" by
Pink Sweat$ playing]

Woman:
That is a series wrap on our queen, Issa Rae.

[cheering and applause]

♪ She said, baby,
I'm afraid to fall in love ♪

Issa Rae:
You guys, I am

just incredibly...
humbled, blessed, uh...

[crying]:
I love you.

I love you, too.

[laughing]

This show has been
a part of the revolution.

The way you showcase
our humanity,

and portray us with grace
and accountability.

The way you love your city.

The way you love your people,

Black people in your city,
is part of the revolution.

The way you always
give and share credit where credit is due

is part of the revolution.

The way you created
and collaborated

with the intention

of our fucked up, incredible,

and beautiful Black
full humanity...

baked into the identity
and heart of this show

is part of the revolution.

The way you look
so damn good...

[cheering]

even when you ashy...

[all laughing]

is part of the revolution.

The way you recognize
every step of the way,

that it's a collaborative
and collective effort.

There are no heroes.
We get us free.

With this show,
you made big girls feel seen,

you made dark-skinned
women feel seen,

you made toxic
Black men feel...

toxic...

[all laughing]

and understood.

You made people realize things
about their mental health.

Together,
y'all shifted culture.

There is no revolution
without art.

[applause]

["Life's A Bitch" by
Radiant Children playing]

♪ La, la, la, la, la, la

♪ La, la, la, la, la, la

♪ Oh, it's easier
said than done ♪

♪ But don't you worry
'bout those little things ♪

Prentice Penny:
I would've never thought

six years ago we'd all be here,

but I just
want to say that

making a show,

just working in
for a long time,

and not bein' able to see
people that look like me.

To be able to do
a show like that here,

that, like, now
sets the groundwork

that people wanna make
more shows like us

is just really special.

You don't get to be
a part of those things a lot.

[cheering]

Let's shoot this shit
for another three months, guys!

Season six!

[laughing]

You know,
I came into this not knowing anything about television,

and not necessarily feeling
confident in my role.

I had a web series,
and, you know,

to have a mentor
who's so selfless,

and has put his ego aside
time and time again

to make sure that I was
able to create the show that I wanted to make

with the people
I wanted to make it with, I'm coming out of this

a different person,
a better person,

and I hope you guys are, too.

Thank you to the love
of my life, my brother.

[laughing]

[downtempo music playing]

Issa:
We are back at Stanford

shooting the very first episode

of the final season
at my alma mater. This is crazy.

Nobody gets to do this.
Stanford has never done this before,

and they let us shoot here.

I actually got mad
because I didn't want

the characters
to go to Stanford.

Because of a props
mistake in season one,

we just ended up
establishing them as that,

so, I was like, "Fuck!"

But then,
we just went with it,

so, no, I did not imagine
we'd be back here shooting,

but when we came out
with the idea for a reunion,

it just made so much sense,

and felt so meta perfect
for this season.

We're coming back to the place
where Issa and Molly

became friends.

[indistinct chatter]

It feels so good to be back.

Laura Kittrell:
It's sort of picking up from last season,

post Issa-Molly fight

with them, sort of,
on their road to reconciliation.

Things are still
a little bit awkward,

but you can tell they both want
to be back in that good place.

When I was at Stanford,

I was into theater because

I had been in plays
all of high school.

And then,
I was super into film

because of
"Love & Basketball," specifically.

I wasn't really
thinking about TV

because TV wasn't
really that poppin' then.

There just wasn't enough
representation then,

and there was nothing
on television that made me feel like,

"Oh, I wanna make
what they're making."

I mean, I love "The Office,"
I love those kind of shows,

and, obviously, "Curb"
and, and "Seinfeld,"

and that's what
influenced me to try to write

television later on,

but I never thought about

starring in my own TV show.

[on computer]:
Stupid bitch nigga, I hope you drown.

That'll turn my frown
upside down.

Amy Gravitt:
I first heard about Issa Rae,

the way a lot of people did,

seeing her web series.

I think what she showed

in "Awkward Black Girl"

is something that we look
for in all of our shows, which is...

we want the audience
to be able to recognize themselves,

and on the comedy side,
specifically,

we want them to be able
to laugh in recognition.

What Issa showed
was that she was willing to put herself out there,

and mine her own
humanity for laughs.

[raps]:
♪ Call me Lil' Kim♪

♪ 'Cause I got a crush on you

♪ Wanna make you my boo

♪ Carpool with you to school

♪ Be starin' at you
in geometry ♪

♪ Fantasize about you
on top of me ♪

♪ I'm a virgin,
but I promise thee ♪

♪ I got that ill nana, no
foxy ♪

The development process with HBO

was long, but it was necessary.

Issa had an initial
idea for the show,

we went into HBO,

we pitched it
to Amy Gravitt and Casey Bloys.

It was set
in the nonprofit world,

and it was just
about my experiences,

and it still was,
kind of, similar

to "Awkward Black Girl,"
but I didn't wanna do

"Awkward Black Girl"
all over again.

And in doing that pitch,
I was nervous as fuck.

I was reading off
of the paper in the meeting

because I'm not the type to be
able to just engage people,

and, "Oh, look at my show."

I was just like,
this is what it's 'bout to be. This is it.

They bought it in the room.

They said,
"Exciting. Let's do it."

And then,
we were in development, probably, about

a year and a half, two years.

When I tell you,
comin' from the internet world,

I was like, "I can
make this shit right now.

Like, what is the problem?"

She had this notion
that she wanted to

do a workplace comedy.

The idea was centered
much more around

what, ultimately,
became We Got Y'all.

We would meet
from time to time

as she was
developing the outline,

and talk about the script,

but also, she would have

these stories about
a friend of hers,

and I think, at one point,
she even showed us a text,

and it was in that moment
that Casey was like,

"That's the show.

"It's you and your friend,

and the world around
both of you."

He did not sad face you.
I will slap you right--

Bish, what?

That's my life.

Issa:
I got to rewriting,

and then, I was also like,
"Ooh, fuck it."

Like, I'm puttin' all
elements of my life in here.

You hungry?

- Just--
- Take it!

Pop, pop, pop.
Pot pie.

So, I can say this
is rooted in authenticity,

this is a real story.

And that's when they were
like, "Okay, green light."

TT The Artist:
♪ Welcome to the life of the rich and the fly ♪

Issa:
I had to find a showrunner.

HBO sent a couple
people my way.

Ashley Holland,
who is an agent,

was like, "You should
think about Prentice Penny."

First time we met in person

was when you came
to my book signing

- in Eso Won.
- Yes, Eso Won, yep.

Issa:
And then, we ended up usin' Eso Won so much for the show--

- Yes, I wrote you a letter--
- Yeah.

to see like,
"Hey, this is what I thought I would bring to it."

But I'm curious,
what was it like to get the letter?

'Cause people don't
send each other, like,

- letters anymore for anything.
- Issa: No.

It went such a long way.

Obviously, I hadn't gotten
a letter from anybody,

and to see, like,
what you identify with

knowin' that, you know,
we were in the same area,

- knowin' that you had worked in the nonprofit world.
- Right.

I was like,
"Oh, this guy seems to get it."

So, that letter,
by the time you came to the book signing,

I was already like,
"Oh, this dude seems cool."

And I hadn't read shit
that you did until... I had already said yes.

- 'Cause I was just like, "Oh yeah, he--"
- "He seems cool."

Which is almost how
we made every decision.

[laughing]

Director:
And camera, action!

The director process,
to find one, was soul-crushing.

HBO wanted someone,
uh, established,

and I think for them,
they wanted someone

who had a name.

And so, we found someone,

and they flew me to New York
to meet this director,

and after that meeting,
I was like,

"I don't think
he gets the show."

We had several other
directors who I was fans of,

but still didn't quite
get the show to me.

Casey was like,
"If you had to take a risk, who would you want?"

And I was like,
"There's this director I've been following,

Melina Matsoukas,
who could be dope."

People really didn't
give opportunities to directors like me.

I had done, primarily,
music videos and commercials,

and I had really
broken in that space,

but it didn't translate
to film and TV.

And so, I was offered
a lot of series that I didn't relate to.

When I read this,
I saw myself in the words,

fell in love
with her on the page,

and then, I met her,
and I was like, "She ain't so bad.

Maybe we can collaborate."

We did a Skype meeting,
and it was terrible.

[chuckles]
It was like, "Girl,

"you knew that we've
been going and seeing these other directors.

You ain't come prepared."

I was on the East Coast.

I was visiting my family,

and, you know,
the WiFi wasn't working.

It was just really
hard to connect.

I knew I liked them.
They weren't sure if they liked me yet.

Her rep was like,
"What happened? How did it go?"

And I was like,
"Bitch, what the fuck? What happened?

Like, tell her to come correct."

And she was like,
"Let me get her another meeting.

I will prep her."

I watched every
comedy pilot possible,

and I put together a real
treatment and pitch deck,

and I brought it with me,

and that meeting
was phenomenal.

It was everything.
She blew us all away,

and we knew that
she was the one.

Melina Matsoukas:
When we were creating the pilot,

I didn't really
think about it

as something that hadn't
been done before.

I just thought about it as

how I approach any project.

I wanted to

really get inside
of who Issa Dee was,

what influenced her,
and who she spoke to and for,

and I wanted everything
to feel really authentic to that character.

So, do y'all have any questions?

Don't be shy, guys.
Fire away.

When she was editing,

she called me up, and said,
"Hey, would you come down,

"and watch my cut
before I show them?

I just want to get
someone else's feedback."

And she played it back for me,

and I'll never forget this,
but I watched that cut,

I got... really emotional,

and it was almost--
I was silent.

And she was like, "Ya hate it."
And I was like...

"No, I think they're
gonna love it."

It was the first time I realized

how important a show
like this could be,

and how... I hadn't seen
a Black woman represented in that way.

The show was
gonna be a success.

Like, I knew--
I was like, there is no way

people can see this
beautifully crafted pilot,

beautifully shot,
beautifully acted,

and the humanity in the comedy,
and the relatability,

and how could you not give
a show like this a chance?

And, um, you know,
legend has it that, uh,

when they turned in the edit,
and we got a series pickup,

it was, supposedly,
like one of the fastest

pickups in HBO's history,
and I think that shows just

how much work and love
and, and energy

was really put into
getting that pilot right.

It's my fault,
okay.

I'm sorry, guys.

["Blessed" by
Saint Bodhi playing]

♪ I just walked up
on my boyfriend ♪

♪ Kissing on

♪ The next-door neighbor

♪ But it's cool

[indistinct chatter]

Shall we?

Look at us...

lookin' like
a diversity brochure.

[all laughing]

Amanda Seales:
I just remember, the first audition,

I had went in
for jalapeño poppers.

- Tasha.
- Amanda: For Tasha.

The description said
"hood hot."

And I was like,
"I am not hood hot,"

'cause you have
to know your strengths,

and I'm shaped
like an iPhone,

sleek lines and rounded edges,

so I knew that
I wasn't going to... get cast in that role.

So, I went in,
and I was like, "Vickie,

I'm never gonna book this.
Is there anything else?"

And she was like,
"What else we got back there?"

And she's like,
"Oh, they got early 30s.

Ivy League graduate."
And I was like, "That's my life!"

Speaker:
Sophomore year, you hooked up with that chick

that looked like Lisa Turtle.

That's different.
See, with women,

we can hook up with each other,
and we're not considered gay.

It's different for men.

So, my very first audition
with Vickie was like,

"How come I don't know you?"
I was like, "'Cause it's L.A.,

"and nobody knows
a little Black girl like me

who don't have
no agent, no nothing."

After it was done,
she was like,

"You're good... You're good."

And she really
kind of stepped up

every time she came
back to audition.

You'd give her a note,
she'd take it.

She was like a diamond that
you just needed to, kind of,

shine a little bit.

"Sorry, but I'm not looking

for a relationship..."

Sad face.

The fourth one,
that was like,

"Oh, if y'all don't want me."
[laughs]

That's how I felt
walkin' down...

Rodeo Drive and Beverly.
I think I skipped--

It was the scene
where we had...

the fight in the car,

and I added the like,
okay, the slam lock is on,

and, like, I just--
I couldn't get out.

I was like,
I'mma, I'mma do it. I'mma go for it,

and I was like,
"Open this damn door!"

Muthafucka, open the door!

- The child lock's on.
- Shut the fuck up!

Yvonne Orji:
They were like, "Ah, that's funny."

I was like,
"Oh, that was a choice."

Didn't know how
this was gonna go, so I felt

really good after that.

Between audition
three and four,

it was between paying
my cell phone bill,

and getting
a private coach.

And I was like...
"I'mma have to get this private coach."

If I get the job,
I hope they can contact me another way

'cause Sprint is dead, okay?

I'm the only one on the show

that's been a director,
cast member, and writer,

and it's been incredible.

Natasha went from

being a writer
in the room to being Kelli

in a very specific way.

A lot of times,
we'll read it as a room

to kind of see,
like, how does it feel.

She just read Kelli so great,

that we couldn't imagine
anybody else being as funny

as Natasha was being Kelli.

You ever see
"Lock Up Abroad"?

- The gon' lock a broad up.
- [laughing]

Oh god, a favorite Kelli line.

That is so hard.

I improvise so much,
so sometimes

I don't remember
what's an actual line,

or something I've said,

or something I've said
never made the air.

I do like,
"Remember me different."

Only because I say that
in my, my real life

all the time.

Fuck it!
You said Beyoncé.

[electricity zapping]

Remember me different.

Just like, don't look
at me doing this.

And I also love,

"You know what that is?"

Growth.

You a big girl.

Issa:
You know, we wanted to make

- a good--
- Prentice: Yeah.

- show at the end of the day.
- Prentice: Yeah.

And I remember,
I was talkin' to Jonathan,

we were wrapping,
and he was like,

"You know this never works."

He was like,
"You know, like a creator,

"and a showrunner
who come together,

there's always,
like, a power play."

I, I feel like
the first time that you

bucked up, and then,
bucked up is the wrong word

was just in the depiction
of, of Lawrence.

- Mm-hm.
- That, that made such a difference.

- He could've been written in such a different way--
- Right.

- if we didn't have, like, your perspective, your as a man.
- Yeah.

- [laughing]
- As a man, what he not gon' do.

I actually
heard about "Insecure"--

I'mma give
this brother a shout-out.

Clarence Hammond
calls me one day,

and he was like,
"Yo, have you heard of 'Insecure'?"

And I was like,
"No, what's that?" And he was like,

"It's Issa Rae's
new pilot at HBO,

"and it just got greenlit.
You should read it.

There's a character
in there you're perfect for."

And now mind you,
I read the script, and I'm,

literally, thinking
he's talkin' about Daniel, not Lawrence.

Lawrence is sittin'
on the couch,

he's eatin' cereal,
he forgot his girl's birthday.

You know, I'm just
gettin' my shit together.

You've been gettin'
your shit together for four years, Lawrence.

In no way in my mind
did I think that this dude

was talkin' about Lawrence bein'
the perfect character for me.

And I remember walkin' in,
and I did Lawrence first.

My shoulders were,
kind of like hunched over,

very didn't want to be there,

but I felt like that's where
Lawrence was in his head,

and then, I remember I,
like, put my sides down,

turned around,
and I was like, "Bam!" Like, "Let's do this."

And, like, all of a sudden,
was like a whole new person

to do Daniel.

I was like,
"Oh, I booked that."

Three weeks later,
I get a phone call,

and they're like,
"Hey, they wanna test you

- on 'Insecure.'"
- All right, cool.

But I never asked my rep
what character they wanted to test me on,

so I actually thought
I was going to read for Daniel again.

And then, found out that
I was going to do Lawrence.

- So, what're you sayin'?
- Issa: I didn't think that Lawrence would make it past

the first season,
let alone the first episode.

Jay Ellis is so great.
Like I think about "Breaking Bad."

Jesse wasn't supposed
to be a main character.

It was supposed
to just follow Walt,

and Jesse is,
obviously, the show,

and I think about
that with Jay Ellis.

Like he was just so phenomenal

that every single time
we'd break stories,

we'd wanna see what
Lawrence was doing.

The hands-down moment
I knew the show was a success

was after our season finale.

I remember Prentice bein' like,

"Yo, the finale.
People gonna go crazy when they see the finale."

And I read it,
and I was like, "I don't think so.

"Like, it's, it's, it's
not that crazy of a ending.

Like what are
you talkin' about?" But I read the ending,

and realized I was
gonna be butt naked.

[moaning]

Issa:
When I logged onto Twitter, just independent of anything,

saw people tweeting
about Issa and Lawrence.

And I was like,
I'm not on the hashtag.

It was just--
My entire timeline was

people I followed
or people retweeting

arguing about these
two characters.

And I was like,
"This is incredible." I'm getting chills now.

Like, they're just talkin'
about these characters,

and they're invested
in these characters.

That was amazing.

I didn't see it comin', man,

but it hit people in a way that,

still to this day,
I just don't know if I've seen

a sex scene hit people
like that before.

Issa:
We wanted to celebrate the bodies of men on this show

in the way that they weren't
celebrated on other shows,

as opposed to the female body
'cause we've seen that before.

[indistinct chatter]

Prentice:
I like that wording.

I did a interview
with a magazine, and--

Did I ever tell you this?

A woman asked me,
"Why...

"is the sex so
graphic on the show?

Is that the way
Black people do it?"

- [laughing]
- What?

Jay Ellis:
On God.

- On--
- Amanda: A white woman?

Like, but what
kind of white? Like, Euro white?

- Like, American white?
- Wade Allain-Marcus: Yeah, you talkin' like Karen white?

- A Karen.
- Kendrick Sampson: I, literally, just

told my family not to watch.

I tried to tell my family,
they said--

But you naked
half the time on Instagram anyway.

- What's the issue?
- But it's my titties, not my dick.

- Okay.
- Or like my ass.

- Cue marker.
- Issa: Ahh!

- Hey.
- Hey, sorry, I, I wasn't tryin' to scare you.

You know,
when you ended things, I, I understood.

You know, I had
a son on the way,

and I was movin',
but...

things are different now.
I'm different now.

And... I would hate
to leave here tonight

knowin' that,
I don't know,

I could've said somethin'
and I didn't.

Or like I didn't...
fight hard enough for you.

[indistinct chatter]

Issa:
That was passion!

I loved how you were,
were makin' that point.

I want to try a take where
time is of the essence,

- the whole conversation for you.
- Run it?

- Yeah, just, just run it 'cause you don't know--
- Okay.

- how much of a window you, actually, have.
- Yeah.

- Okay. Okay.
- Okay? Cool.

Kendrick:
Prentice is mad at me 'cause he's team Lawrence.

It's very thinly veiled.
[chuckles]

He be actin' like
he's unbiased, but he's not.

I'mma get it out of him.
I'm figurin' out what's gonna go on in the finale.

I always rooted
for Issa and Lawrence.

And then,
I honestly believe, in season four,

I got to a point
where I was like,

"Yo, some things
just don't work out.

They tried and it didn't work."

Going into season five,

I don't know if
I was team Lawrence.

Early on in our conversations,
just breaking the stories,

Issa, the person, was like,

"Issa, the character,
would be a dumb bitch to stay with Lawrence."

But, throughout
breaking the season,

I think she started
to come around to,

"Well, does that
have to be the way?"

And as we started
breaking the season,

Issa, the person,
also got on board

with that ending, too.

Laura: Last year,
once we did the episode

where Lawrence and Issa have
the whole night together,

we basically wrote an episode
about how they're soulmates,

and so, by the time we got
to this season, it's like,

we've told the world
that they're soulmates,

so they have
to end up together, or we're

basically saying that
the protagonist of our show

doesn't deserve to be
with her soulmate.

So, I think there, ultimately,

was no other way
to end the show.

Tonight made me happy.

You make me happy.

When we first started as a room,

and we were talking about
Issa's arc as a character,

we actually talked a lot
about what it meant for her to stay at We Got Y'all.

There was something
really limiting about that,

and we we're just like,
"Why is she still here

"if she, herself,
has established

that she don't wanna be here?"

And it makes me think
even her romantic arc.

In the beginning,
we were like,

"Oh, by the end of season one,

she's gonna kiss Daniel."

And if our goal is to show
a Black woman who is flawed,

and a Black woman who isn't all,
like, you know, white suits,

red wine, no spills,

then we have to show her
make flawed decisions.

And that means
quitting your job without knowing

exactly what you're doing next.

That means fuckin' the dude,

not just kissin' the dude.

That means lying
to your partner,

and saying,
"I'm in this," and then,

turning around,
and, like,

talkin' to this guy
at your event.

We were like,
"What are the bad things

"she can do that
she can correct from

that make her more dynamic
and more believable as a character?"

[downtempo music playing]

[indistinct chatter]

Prentice:
One of the things that I was looking for

when I was assembling the room
was learning from the...

certain way of things
I had been seeing for the last seven years.

I knew that I didn't
want repetitive voices.

The thing is if--
"Oh, if I have a Black woman,

I don't need any
other Black women."

And no Black woman can speak
for all Black women, right?

While the agents
were sending us

voices that felt like,

"Oh, I'm gonna send
you eight Issas."

But I was like,
"I have Issa.

"I don't need eight Issas.

I need something that's
gonna be contrary to Issa."

Writing on "Insecure" has been
one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life.

It's the safest
I've ever felt in a room.

I never felt like...

anything I pitched was
too stupid or, like, too bad.

I felt like
I could say anything.

Every season of the show,

we just wanted to make
each other laugh,

and make Issa laugh,

and it just, honestly, felt like

a conversation with friends

where you happen to be
breaking plot at the same time.

I always feel like you have
to let writers have lives.

That's the tithe you have
to give to make a show.

Otherwise, they're just
in a writers' room all the time.

Prentice did a lot to be like,
"Okay, on Fridays, we're gonna have a happy hour.

We're going to have social
events on the weekends." Like we went to Disneyland.

We did things that made
us feel like friends,

and it just made us
better at our jobs

because we were
open and sharing,

and, like, giving ourselves
to the content.

I was very proud
of the rooms that we assembled,

and I think it spoke
to the fact that

we didn't have a lot
of turnover in our room.

From the first three seasons
were all the same writers,

and then,
obviously as a blessing,

those writers got
opportunities, right,

as a part of being on the show,

and then, we replenished with

four more amazing writers,
and those writers

stuck with us till the end.

Issa:
Good morning.

When Issa comes to me,
she goes on a vacation.

She's on some island right now.

I like early calls.

Early calls mean
you get out earlier... sometimes.

It's always great
to be able to work,

and my thing is...
this always starts at the top,

and however the lead is,
is kinda what you get,

and, I have to say,
we doin' really good over here with our lead.

I'm old-school.

I can go back
to working on "Martin." [chuckles]

And I did
"The Bernie Mac Show."

Been doin' this
for a minute,

but this is such
an amazing talent

because you're working
with younger, amazing

group of people that's taken
this industry to another level.

With their creativeness,
you know?

I love that.

This is my time
to make love to the hair.

[laughing]

I always say that...
her hair and my hands have a love affair, so.

[Issa speaking]

[Felicia laughs]
I love you, too.

You not gonna deny it? Wow.

I love you, too.

But this hair is everything.
It's my favorite.

Now, I found out about,
uh, "Awkward Black Girl"

because...
natural hair was emerging,

and, uh... at that time,
I was runnin' around

with Jill Scott who
really did help a lot of

people to look at natural
hair very differently.

I remember people sayin',
"Have you seen 'Awkward Black Girl'?

You need to see it.
Her hair is natural."

I just remember a time
in history where

you would see a woman
with short hair or short afro,

and not really
think much about it,

but they made it
a really big deal...

that Issa had natural hair

and, um, and had cut it off.

You know, and talked
about that on her show.

So, I started watchin' it,
and I was like, "Oh, this is good."

You know... I get it,

and then, every now and then,

I'll get these messages...

from women sayin'...

"I can't wait
for the next season

to see what you're
gonna do with the hair."

'Cause then I get
ideas for work

and goin' out,
and I'm like,

"Well, that's great
that you really are

"anticipating the next season,

or the next episode
for the hair."

When I look back
at all the photos...

that I've taken

of the hairstyles we've done,
it's like,

it's like
a thousand hairstyles. It's crazy.

I do not plan
these styles, you guys.

[Felicia laughs]

They, literally, are

kinda like a creation between
Issa and I in the morning.

Sometimes, I have
an idea of what I want,

but once I see the wardrobe,
it could change.

Yeah, it's off the cuff.

There's our superstar!

- Hey, I'm so glad we're doing this.
- Issa: Me too.

Well... let me show you
what our brand partnership looks like.

Brand perception and awareness
are both up significantly

coming off of the last
handful of events--

Melina:
I didn't really wanna make a comedy

that looked like
any other comedy.

Cinematically, I was like,

"I think we can push this,
and we can allow it to live

"in a different space
'cause it's a very specific show,

and so, it should
have its own look."

Everything was kinda
based in authenticity,

and having it feel
as real as possible,

and lighting Black people
in a way that I was used to,

where we're like
celebrating their bodies,

and their skin,
and their joy.

We were pretty
successful the first year.

Second year,
Ava came on board,

and she came from indie film,

and I really loved
her work and aesthetic.

I already had strong ideas

on what I would do differently.

I felt like there were
some missed opportunities,

visually, in terms
of how to incorporate

cinematography into
the DNA of the show.

One of the things that I said
when I kinda went in there was,

"You're missing how
cool this show is.

"You're missing literal
color in people's skin,

in Los Angeles, the warmth,
the architecture."

I just wanted to feel
the environment more

in this visual storytelling.

I just think that "Insecure"
is more than just a comedy.

It's part of
a cultural movement.

It's part of visual culture,

and I just wanted it to be that,

to show up for that.

♪

[indistinct chatter]

Okay, so I want
everybody to look at me.

I just wanna make sure
nobody's being blocked.

[laughs]

Just make sure
I don't lose you.

- Nathan?
- Kendrick: Uh, yeah.

Sorry, would you look at me?

[Prentice speaking]

- She looks good, right?
- [Prentice speaking]

Did you tell her that?

I told her soon
as she got here. I said, "You look--"

I said,
"You look beautiful."

- I'm gonna tell her again.
- Go for it.

I mean, I mean,
I love this floral.

Yvonne looks great.
Yvonne looks great,

Issa looks great,
I think Issa's shoes really set that outfit.

- I think... Huh?
- [Shiona speaking]

[Prentice speaking]

[laughing]

I guess costumes,
to me, is-is just like

cinematography which is
like production design, right?

There's a story in all of it.

And I really believe in
how we tell a story visually.

The show is also about,
like, the diversity of Black people and women.

Each person has to have
their own style,

and their own
sense of expression.

You know your neck's
not long enough

for these turtlenecks?

Well, girl,
I'm exchangin' all these.

Condola got me meetin'
in all these fancy spots,

and I gotta rotate
my wardrobe to keep up.

Melina:
I remember first and second season,

we would have clothes,
but, you know, we had limited budgets,

and I remember
in the pilot, like,

Issa on stage,
that's my outfit.

Wore that for New Year's
one year, and I was like,

"This is perfect."

- You love this.
- I love that.

Shiona Turini:
I think it's cute.

Woman:
And I think it looks good on her.

Shiona: But then,
are we wasting it here?

- Well, it's never a waste.
- Yeah.

I loved this...
but with a different shirt.

Shiona:
When I started at "Insecure,"

the aesthetics
of the main characters

were pretty much
already carved out,

which was a unique challenge

because I continued
that narrative,

but added my own twist,
my own personal touch.

For Issa,
we elevated her a little bit,

and that was
really exciting to see.

Diversity's always top of mind.

In addition to just
the team that we hire,

we really try and focus
on using, and shooting, and purchasing

designers of color,
Black women,

um, young
up-and-comers in L.A.,

and that's a way
that we can support,

and support financially
just designers of color within our community.

When it came to work
on episode 507 with Amy,

I pitched her the idea
of only featuring

Black female designers
on our principles.

I wanted to try and feature
Black female designers

for, like, every aspect from

the earrings to the shoes

to, of course,
all of the clothing.

She was really,
really up for it.

It presented a lot
of different challenges,

but at the same time,
it really gave us an opportunity

to champion and support
Black female designers

in a way that we haven't
really done on the show.

We've, obviously, incorporated
them in different costumes,

but never a true focal point.

And I think it really played
into the story of these women

coming together,
one of the last times,

and supporting each other
as they are moving through

the world and now moving
on to different experiences.

Amy Aniobi:
I'm directing episode 507,

which is called,
"Chillin', Okay?"

It's a really special episode

'cause it's all
the girls together

almost the entire episode.

It's basically
one of these times,

like you're plannin'
to go out with your friends,

and then, you just
never make it out.

So, it's playback,
action, camera.

You start smoking,
and then, on action, Issa,

that's when you
deliver your line.

I've been working
on "Insecure" since the very beginning.

I feel like I worked
on pre-"Insecure"

because I wrote for
"Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl."

"Insecure" is a show that
has really different

levels of directors,
and a lot of new talent.

And I had so many
friends ask me

from season one, like,
"Are you gonna direct?"

And I was always like,
"Ooh, no. The show? It's so hard."

Really it was growing
as a producer on set,

and supporting so many
different types of directors, and seeing how they work.

I felt like, for four seasons,
I was shadowing directors.

Issa:
I'm not about to argue with someone who went to

Scared Straight for high school.

[laughing]

- Kelli: I went there, too, so.
- All right, let's cut.

When I came to "Insecure,"

it was the first time
I'd been on a set

where people of color
were at the top,

and the vibe on set,
and the people,

it was diverse for real.

It wasn't "PA diverse,"

it wasn't "one person
over here diverse."

It was diverse in all aspects.

This is the first show
that I've ever been on where

when I get into a scout van,
which includes director,

cinematographer,
assistant director,

that I'm the only
white guy in the van.

And that is the first
time in 30 years

that that's ever happened,

and I'm not straight,

so there were no straight
white guys in the van.

Ava Berkofsky:
I see a lot of women in the camera department

'cause I make it that way.

This show has been all
about giving people that shot,

and I was given that shot,
and I want to give that shot to other people.

When it comes
to giving people chances,

people will show you
that they're ready,

and I just love
passionate people.

I love to be around people
who love to do the work, who are about it.

That kind of tells you
all you need to know.

First time I met Issa was 2009,

Issa did this workshop.

I won the "Insecure"
On Set Contest

that HBO put on.

At the end of 2016,

the winners of the contest
got to move to LA,

and work on the show as set PAs.

Afterwards, I,
like, stood in line to talk to her.

I'm like,
"Hey, you know, I'm writing now."

I really hadn't had any
real eyes on my work yet.

I was so bold.

Even though I was PA-ing,
I tried to let people know,

"I'm a writer, and that's
what I'm trying to do,"

talkin' to Issa whenever
I got an opportunity to do so.

She read my pilot script,
and...

Kindsey Young:
Issa personally emails me,

and she was like,
"Hey Kindsey, not sure what you're up to,

"but we, potentially,
have a spot opening up

for writer's assistant
in the writers' room if you're interested."

And I'm like,
"Duh, of course, I'm interested."

I dropped everything,
and I came to become a showrunner's assistant,

and a writer's PA for
season one of "Insecure."

Now I'm a showrunner
of "Rap Shit" for HBO Max,

so, I mean, I don't know.
[laughs] It's crazy.

Prentice:
Six years ago, none of those people

had professional writing jobs,

and now they're showrunners

and writers on other shows.

You know, I see how,
in five seasons,

we've given, uh, eight
first-time directors,

their, their opportunity
to direct their first episode of TV.

I think seven...
I think seven writers over the last five seasons,

go on to get
their own overall deals.

We've seen six of our writers
from these five seasons,

go on to become showrunners,
post-"Insecure."

You know,
we've hired and broken in

two costume designers,
a new DP to television,

and across the board,
you really do see growth.

That is a true testament
to their legacy,

and to the legacy of the show,
is that we always, always,

always tried to open many doors
for as many people as possible.

Anthony Sims:
So, I met Issa Rae at a 7-Eleven, randomly,

years ago, before "Insecure."

We talked about Hollywood,
and what we each do.

So, fast forward years later.
She's very successful.

I have a wife and kids,
and I'm tryin' to figure out

the best way
to support my family.

I thought getting into a union

is probably one of
my best opportunities.

When COVID hit,
I was pretty discouraged,

didn't think it
was gonna happen.

So, I happened to work on a show

with one of the producers
from "Insecure."

I was wearing, I think,
an "Insecure" hoodie or a hat.

And he asked and said,
"Oh, do you know Issa?"

Like, "Do you work on the show?"
And I said, you know, "I do."

Was tellin' her about how
hard it is to get into a union,

and she said to me,
"There's always a way."

Let me see what I can do.
If I can get you on the show,

and help count towards
your days, like, that's a win, right?

And it's also
a win for inclusion,

and making sure that, again,
this show is continuing to

create opportunities.

Uh, fast forward a few months
and I got a call.

It worked out.
This show means so much to me.

It's helpin' me
take care of my family.

I can go home,
and look at my wife, and she's proud of me.

[smooth R&B playing]

Amber Haley:
We were told at the beginning of this season

that we were going to have
an art walk in this area,

and so, that we
should look for artists in Crenshaw and Inglewood,

Black artists in particular.

Kay Lee: Creatively,
to put this all together,

took a good three weeks,

but to really, physically,
put it together,

we did it in two days.

Issa is very specific
in embracing

all the locations
that we've seen

in all five seasons
of "Insecure."

If it wasn't gonna be
Leimert Park Plaza, it wasn't gonna be--

There wasn't really an option.

[laughs] There wasn't
really an option.

Hey, look who's
over here shoppin'--

Kevin Bray:
The Black Art Walk is

an event where Los Angelian
African-American artists

are able to show
off their work.

And as with everything
Issa does,

there's a verisimilitude
that has to do with

what the real world is doing,

and what she's
doing in the show.

Her master plan was she
was gonna come down here,

and she was gonna
spend the money

for us to be workin'
in this community.

It ain't "Insecure" if we
don't have a block party,

if we don't have--
In the neighborhood where the Blacks are.

[loud beeping]
Ooh... ooh. Hello?

I'm tryna shoot over here.

Oh, it's a black Yukon...
Suge Knight is comin' through.

I don't know who's there,
but here we are.

- I said, it's not "Insecure" if we don't have a big--
- [speaker feedback]

Y'all didn't disrespect
other actresses like this.

- [rap music plays]
- Oh, oh, now it's a party.

You know what?
This is, this is why we do what we do.

They said,
"Oh, the cameras is rolling? We havin' a party."

[laughs]
I love it!

So, you were saying,
how does it feel to be shooting in a Black neighborhood?

[laughs]
This is, this is how it feels.

They're like,
"It's a cookout. It's a party.

Well, we gon' get
in on it, too."

I think that's
not only Issa Dee,

but Issa Rae's
desire and mission

is to promote
the Black community,

especially, you know, one
where there's so much culture,

and there's so much art,
and there's so much

feeling here,
and that's what "Insecure" does best.

Like, we bring people
into this neighborhood,

and we show how live it is.

It's not just
the Hollywood Hills or Sunset Boulevard.

It's like,
"Yo, Inglewood, Leimert Park.

We got stuff here, too."

Alex Burns:
Three weeks ago,

we were shootin' down
in Manhattan Beach,

and I happened to go down
this street called Hyde Park,

where The Dunes
apartment is located,

and, literally, there was
three families takin' photos,

and we shot The Dunes
like season two or three,

and people are still

goin' to The Dunes,
takin' photos of "Insecure."

So, it has proven to be
a lot of positivity,

acceptance from this show.

I'm extremely proud of Issa,
extremely proud.

It's wild to me
that The Dunes is a cultural landmark,

just 'cause you don't
think about those things when you're filming.

We moved out of those
apartments by season two.

I get tagged at least
three or four times a day, and people in pictures,

and I think it's
the dopest thing ever.

They treat it like
the Hollywood Sign.

You know,
when "Insecure" started,

I would say it was
like pulling teeth

because we were
really dead set on

creating a certain
authentic look to the show

that we realized,
workin' with older people in this industry

who had been very
seasoned vets in their jobs, weren't really used to.

We were askin' them
to go to neighborhoods

that other shows
didn't film in.

We were askin'
them to show us

locations that they
never even thought about being filmed at.

We fought really hard for that.

It's really refreshing
being able to show new places,

whether it's neighborhoods,
or businesses on television.

It's a little different
in South LA than other places.

It's different protocols
you have to go by.

You go into
certain neighborhoods,

it's the hood logistics
that needs to be dealt with.

You have to have
somebody that knows the politics of Leimert Park

in order to go
in there and just film.

Everybody knows Issa,
everybody loves Issa.

She employs a lot
of Black people in the community.

She puts a spotlight
on a lot of communities that other TV shows don't.

We got to see
the wonderful people

who live and make
this community work,

and all of the great cultural
things that it has to offer.

Kira Talise:
I grew up on Normandie and Florence,

so for anyone who's
outside of L.A.,

the only reason why they
know my neighborhood is

because that's where
the riots started in the '90s.

That's not the best
representation of

the city of Los Angeles,
but it is what it is.

I rep my city pretty hard,
and it just feels really good

to see the L.A. that we
know and love represented,

as opposed to the one
that Hollywood, typically, portrays for us.

Everywhere we shoot
is my stomping ground.

When we were
in the Baldwin Hills Plaza,

people that I grew up with
is our security.

To be able to work,
and see my friends,

and they see me
doing this, it--

Look at my smile.
You know what I mean? It's really dope.

I love the Thug Yoda
representation because it's humanizing

somebody who's
quote unquote "blood" from our neighborhood.

- Me and Nala was just about to go watch the Bear Bears.
- "Care Bears," Daddy.

Chris Sanford:
You have these type of relationships

with these people,
and it's a very

accurate description
because it represents

the side that's not shown.

Thug Yoda was based
off of someone

I had seen at
the post office when--

in Inglewood when I was
tryna drop my mail off.

Super, super hood post office.

And it was this dude
on the phone in a wifebeater

with his daughter in his arm
just cussin', like...

like, "Yeah, nigga.
Don't, don't, don't fuckin' play me, my guy."

And he would be like,
"You good, baby girl? You good?"

"All right, yeah, so..."
and I was like, "This is a character."

I'm goin' to
the Crenshaw Mall.

Both:
Oh shit!

So glad when I see
a cafe that I go to,

or a barber shop
that my son goes to

on my street on, on HBO,

and with a whole bunch
of white people watchin'.

But just, you know, let's not
continue all the gentrification.

South L.A. is wonderful,
but if maybe you wanna stay in another neighborhood,

that's also fine.

I don't know why I told
you about this neighborhood

because y'all take everything.
Can we have anything? Leave!

I've been blamed
for gentrification.

The show has been blamed
for gentrification.

Somethin' went
L.A. viral on Twitter

where this girl posted,

"I went to Worldwide Tacos.

"It was a four-hour wait
and I got the tacos,

and I didn't like it."

And she misquoted

Worldwide Tacos as
being in Inglewood,

so people were like,
"Bitch, you don't even know what you talkin' about.

"Take your ass home.
That's why you watchin' the show.

"This is Issa's fault.

Like, didn't nobody tell you
to review these tacos anyway."

And I was like,
"Damn, like, that's the...

it's the beauty
and the blessin' of, like, exposin' these businesses,

but then, residents and locals
being mad that people are coming in here...

being overly familiar
with these places

that are so dear to us.

["Feng Shui" by Jidenna playing]

♪ Talk down,
niggas call it luck ♪

♪ Rubber band,
baby wanna fuck ♪

♪ I been doing well,
up andup ♪

♪ Caught'em in aspell,
fuck you up ♪

Issa:
We had a night shoot on Saturday...

which means, you know,
I got called at 6:00 PM,

and we didn't finish until--

5:50, we were in the van
going back to set.

6:05, I was on my way home.

And then... here we are.
Today is Monday,

and I got picked up
at 3:54 AM to come here.

- Tristen J. Winger: It's Wednesday.
- "Hi, I'm Issa Rae.

Life is so hard.
Oh my god. I didn't have a--"

She didn't work on Saturday.
She didn't work on Saturday.

She was getting a massage,
posting shirtless pictures of her doctor.

- That's what she was doin'.
- Sounds like hatred.

Sounds like someone's
mad at my life.

"But I'm just Issa Rae.
I own everything, boo-hoo."

- [all laughing]
- Why you have to laugh?

- Laughin' that hard in the background.
- [indistinct chatter]

- [mocking laughter]
- [chatter continues]

Kendrick: You know
you gotta make it worse.

- What happened to you?
- Yvonne: He's so bad.

Kendrick:
"I own everything."

[indistinct chatter, laughter]

[James speaking]

It did.

[James speaking]

Good, it's out there.
You know, we can retweak--

We're gonna keep retweaking it.

You can ask Kira,
our script coordinator, but I hit her up.

I finished it on Saturday...

and then, was like,
"Cool, bet. We'll send it out in the morning."

And then, I dreamt about it,
and I was like, "Oh fuck, I want change something."

I was like,
"Kira, did you send it?" She was like,

"I sent it,
but I can recall it."

And so, I made another change,
and then, had another idea.

I was like,
"Kira, did you send it?"

And she was like,
"I was just about to press send.

I can send it back."

And then,
I read something else--

Like, like,
literally, three times

just 'cause I was like,
this is the cast and crew seeing it,

and I, I want the first
impression to at least be--

Like, we know that we're
gonna continue to work on this,

but, like, I still
feel confident in it.

And when I think about,

you know, actors who
have dedicated five years

of their lives to this show,
and crew members,

if it just ends with a,
"Aw, man, that's it?"

Like, I don't want
that feeling of,

"I dedicated my life
for five years. This is it?"

So, I just wanted to make sure
that it was all represented,

um, and I'm excited that we
get to do a table read for it,

but it feels like a weight has
been lifted off my shoulders.

["Cold War" by
Cautious Clay playing]

Amy Aniobi:
"Issa sighs as Quoia opens the door wide to Crenshawn's

"warehouse main room.

It's completely dark.
Issa steps inside."

Quoia, why is it so dark?
You got a night plumber?

Amy Aniobi:
She flips on a switch and...

Cast:
Surprise!

Amy Aniobi:
It's Issa's 33rd birthday,

and they're all gathered
to celebrate her.

[indistinct chatter]

["Black Truck"
by Mereba playing]

♪ Ooh...

[laughs]

With this show, I'm most proud
of the doors that it's opened.

It's showing Black
people's humanity and

regular-ness during a time when

that wasn't the focus
for anything else on television.

And opening doors for so much
other talent behind the scenes,

in front of the camera.

I think that's what
we'll be known for

in the same way that,
you know, "Girlfriends" did,

and all these other
legendary shows that, that came before us.

Thank you guys
so much for coming,

and making me look good
in front of my new client.

- No problem.
- We got you.

Let's take a photo.

You got it.

- [camera clicks]
- Now, let's do a fun one.

- Nah.
- Nah, we're good.

Like, I love that
I got to play Tiffany.

I think
in the beginning, it was more

a trope of like
the bougie, light skin, AKA.

Where's Tiffany?
Is she mad at me?!

- I don't know. She hide in the closet.
- Tiffany: Yes, I know

he's our little weed baby.

[Tiffany cries]

But I just wanna
be home with you.

And we really got to see her

develop into a mom,

into a more
compassionate friend,

into, like,
the truth-teller of the gang.

We're all doing great things.
Look at you getting fit. Look at Kelli.

Look at Molly,
taking interviews, taking names.

Look at Issa... hmm.

I feel like people
have come to see Tiffany

as part of this legacy of

bougie Black women in television

from Hilary Banks
to Whitley Gilbert,

and so, like, to be
in the company of that

within the African-American
cultural canon is just like

a dream.

Melina: All right.
Let's do it, everybody.

Picture's up.

[indistinct chatter]

- Prentice: Good, cut.
- Speaker: It is time to say...

series wrap on...
Natasha Rothwell.

[cheering and applause]

Natasha Rothwell:
I remember when I first got the show,

and I was just like,
"I don't know if

Issa's made a huge mistake,
or if I can do this."

It's very vulnerable
for me to say,

but it's just true.

What the show has taught
me over six years

is that you can grow
into those positions,

and into those--
You know, to meet those expectations,

and that we're only
limiting ourselves

when we don't, sort of,
take those risks and chances,

and have the courage
to just try.

And I think that, again,
it's about visibility, right,

and not one singular
Black female voice.

And yet,
Issa's voice is singular,

and I think I'm excited
for... disruption,

shaking the table,
and infusing the culture

of Hollywood with more
Black female voices.

Amy Aniobi:
"Now we are inside of an international hotel.

"We're at a poppin' ass party.
Everyone's dressed to the nines,

drinking and mingling as
the DJ hypes the crowd."

[indistinct chatter]

[laughs]

At a certain point,
I'll crane back out, but we're craning in.

- So, it'll just be super loose, and then--
- Yvonne: Okay.

That's just what the scene is.
It'll be like getting in on steadicam.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Like, coming behind you guys.

All right, let's make a wedding.

[cheering and applause]

Smile, Leonard, yeah.

Just listen to me-- Don't--
Just smile. Smile at her.

Molly has really been
a delicious character to embody.

She has taught me things.
I think I've taught her some things,

though these
are writers' words,

but I would like
to think that I brought

my growth
and my healing to her,

but she also brought her growth
and her healing to me.

By the time we get
to the end of season five,

it's just like...
she found herself.

Prentice:
And... cue Jay.

Jay:
I don't think I've ever thought about

where Lawrence's
story should go

as we've gone
from season to season.

In my mind, it was always like,
"Yo, I'm here for Issa's story."

So, whatever Issa wants
at the end of the day is, like, what I wanna do.

And being able to bring...

Lawrence's journey
full circle from who he was in the beginning,

from a dude sittin'
on the couch, crippled in fear,

who couldn't take
care of himself,

much less take care
of anyone else.

To see him come full circle,
to being a father,

going after what he wants,

being okay with just who he is,

and, like, knowin' that
I have figured myself out,

and this is the type
of relationship that I want in my life.

And it's crazy 'cause
it just feels so real.

Speaker:
We have to wrap up this day with

the very multifaceted,
emotional news

that this is an "Insecure"
series wrap on Jay Ellis.

[cheering and applause]

Jay: You know,
now that we're done...

it's the people, man.

[indistinct chatter]

Nigga, we did it.

Nigga, that shit.

[all laughing]

He did it.

You still got--
Y'all still got somethin' to do.

It's really rare to go
to work every day...

and love...

not only the work...

but, like...

the people that you're with,

and for all of us...

to walk out of this show
six years later,

and still love each other?

It's all you could dream for.
Like, it's all you could--

Thank you.

It's all, uh...

It's all you could
dream for in a show.

...more wrap gifts, man.

It's the Black Santa.
You know what I'm sayin'? Boom.

I'mma miss every single person
we've had on our production,

from sound to camera and Issa.

Um...

and Issa.

It is very rare to have...

the creator of your show
also be your co-star,

also be your biggest champion,

and I'mma miss
the shit out of that.

Amy Aniobi:
"We're in the hotel room. The party's over.

"Issa helps Molly take
her wedding dress off.

"As Issa unzips and unclips
the complicated dress,

and Molly sways, still tipsy."

Okay, just one more row.
How you feelin', girl?

Happy.
Like really, really, really happy.

[sighs]
As long as you're around, I'mma be okay.

Yeah.

Me too.

- I love you.
- I love you, too.

And, uh, cut.

Speaker:
All right, let's cut. Let's keep it quiet, yeah?

- And that's it.
- [bells rings]

Speaker:
All right, everybody.

Bring up the house lights,
and come on out here.

I'm gonna stay lyin'
or I'm gonna start cryin'. Let's go. Come out here.

Oh no.

This is a series wrap--
Damnit.

This is series wrap
on Yvonne Orji.

[applause]

Man, thank you all so mu--

Come on, man... um, for real,
thank you guys so much.

Issa, I owe
so much to you. We all do.

I'm so grateful that I got
to rock with you by your side

as your number two
for six years.

You changed the heck
outta my life.

Everybody, cast, crew,
writers, Prentice...

I love the heck outta y'all.

Like, we did it.
We made a show.

The role that I'm most proud of
is not even really being Molly,

it's just being
able to serve you.

That's what I take
so much pride in.

I wanted to protect you

'cause you, literally,
were the head,

and I know that
heavy is the head that wears the crown.

We did it.
We did it, yo! We did it!

We always discussed in the room

that the true love story
of "Insecure" is Issa and Molly,

and we wanted to show that
you can get to a place, like,

not with every friend,
but in this friendship at least,

that they were growing
at different paces,

and, eventually, lined up
and grew in sync again by the end of the show,

that they really realized that,
"No, you're my person.

You're my friend...
for life."

This wasn't a friendship
for a reason or a season.

This is a friendship
for a lifetime.

We ain't shit
but some tricks. Hello, what?

- Pick up the phone. Hello?
- Oh, you so stupid.

- [both laughing]
- Bottoms up.

This spiked?

I love you.

Speaker:
We are saying goodbye and goodnight

and a series finale
to Prentice Penny.

[cheering and applause]

I don't know why
I still have this on. I'm COVID tested.

Um...

When we met, I always felt
like if I was a young Issa,

how would I want my person,
a showrunner to be?

And, uh, I--
It was very important for me that...

I walk away from this,
that you could always say,

"He helped me make the show
I wanted to make...

and he never got
in the way once."

And that was always
like my North Star.

And, you know, you realize,
sometimes, you're just a brick in somebody else's story,

and you have a bigger
function to serve.

I would think about all
the times I was the only Black writer in rooms,

and goin' through the things
I went through for 17 years, good and bad,

I tried to pour...

all of what I knew,
everything I learned, every skill set I had

was just to pour it into you,

and you have exceeded,
and have gone farther than I could've dreamed for you.

And the beauty is
that you'll never know those things that I saw,

you only create a new path,
and I will miss you...

so much.
I love you. And, um...

yeah, I don't know.
I love you.

I love you so much.
Thank you.

[applause]

- What I'mma do without you now?
- You fine. You got 18 shows.

- You good.
- [all laughing]

[indistinct chatter]

Melina:
And... action.

Poor thing.
She went to bed at 4:00.

Had a 8:42 call time,
I just looked at it.

That's what happens when
you have your own show.

[laughter]

Speaker:
Go lie down, baby.

Anthony:
Y'all got her talent ready.

Melina:
I hope, in the future, that

people can take away from this,
that it was a classic.

I really feel like it
was a beautiful picture of how we live now.

When you think back to our era,
you'll think back to "Insecure."

But I also hope that there's
so many other shows that

follow in our footsteps,
and really diversify that landscape.

And that's a cut...

of the last shot of "Insecure,"
the HBO series.

Speaker:
That is... a series wrap

- on our queen, Issa Rae.
- Let's go!

You guys, I am just
incredibly humbled, blessed.

Uh...

but I'm just honored
to know a lot of you.

When I, when I
set out to do this-- Y'all know me.

I'm not, I'm not
the topmost talented person,

I'm not the funniest person.

I'm not... I'm not

- the, the best person--
- You're Issa Rae!

But, you know, you aspire
and you dream and you imagine,

and, and I never imagined
that I would get to work

with all of you...
in support of this,

and to meet so many
amazing, talented people.

I think about my loved ones,

uh, my brothers
and sisters in cast,

and how you guys
have elevated me,

how I've learned so much
from you along the way.

I've learned so much
about myself through you,

and am just so blessed

to, to be in your presence,

and to know that
I have family for life.

- That's a wrap!
- [cheering]

["Kinda Love" by
TeaMarrr playing]

Prentice:
When I look at other shows growing up,

I had not seen a family
that looked like mine

in Black television till
I saw "Cosby," right?

So, when I look
at that show, I'm like,

that show inspired me
to think that, like,

my representation of life
can be on screen,

and it just made me
believe it was possible.

So, if I had
to distill it down,

I would hope that people
would watch "Insecure" and go,

"Oh, like, achieving

at a high level, creatively,
opportunity-wise is possible."

And, sometimes,
in this country,

you don't always get
to think that things that look like you are possible.

So, that's what I would hope
the legacy behind it is,

whatever people need it to be,
to know that it's possible.

[cheering]

[laughing]

- How you feel to be done, baby?
- Baby, I'm tired, aight.

You too pretty, baby,
you too pretty.

I started this shit,
I poured out into this shit.

- We done, baby. "Insecure," bitch!
- We done!

Yay!

- I love you.
- I love you. I love you.

Can we go eat?

All: Hey!

- The hardest-working people in, in show business.
- We did it!

Yvonne:
Right here! Right here!

- Love you, boo.
- I love you more.

I just wanna go down
as people's favorite show. It's super simple.

Like, in the way that
I talk nostalgically about the shows that shaped me,

that make me smile
when I think about them,

that I reflect on a specific
time in my life, happily.

Like, I want our show
to do the same for people.

I want them to think about
scenes and the first time they watched something,

and imagine where
they were at the time that they watched it,

where they were
in their lives.

I want it to be
a part of who they are.

That would make me happy.

["Kinda Love" continues]

♪ I want that won't creep,
won't sneak kinda love ♪

♪ That so deep,
I'm freak kinda love ♪

♪ That, ooh

♪ Yeah, I want you

♪ Can you give me
one good reason ♪

♪ Not to f...
with you like that ♪

♪ Can you give me
one good reason ♪

♪ Not to f...
with you like that ♪

♪ Can you give me
one good reason ♪

♪ Not to f...
with you like that ♪

♪ Can you give me one good,
one good, one good reason ♪

♪ Not to f... it
up like that, oh ♪

♪ No, no, no, no, no, no

♪ Don't wanna f...
this up like that ♪

♪ You're the boom to the bang

♪ When my front
side get close ♪

♪ When we bang
when we boom ♪

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