Insecure: Season 5 Episode 4
“Faulty, Okay?!”
Last night’s episode was all about the mystery that is Nathan.
It starts with Nathan directing party-goers where to go. If you’ve forgotten, he is an event coordinator, just like Issa. The setting is located at the beach.
As Issa makes her way to meet Nathan, she is also met with a stream of thoughts and worry. If you can recall, in episode 2, Issa asked Nathan to spend the night. While the two were lying next to each other, Issa broke down into tears. After falling asleep in his arms, she woke up to an empty bed. She hasn’t spoken to him since then.
Issa finally reaches Nathan and his friends. She tries to make lighthearted conversation, but Nathan keeps the chit-chat to a minimum. You can tell that he has something on his mind, making him standoffish. This quick exchange makes Issa even more anxious.
Issa tries to enjoy herself throughout the day, but only one thing is on her mind: Nathan. While sitting at the spades table with Molly and Kelly, her eyes wander off to Nathan, who seems to be in a provocative position with his co-worker Resha. This picture makes Issa curious. She mentally questions if they’re sleeping together.
As Issa gets up to leave the table, Resha calls her over. A fake smile casts Issa’s face as she greets her. After a quick chat, Resha runs into the water, leaving Nathan and an anxious Issa alone. “So, I just wanted to check in. Are we cool?” Issa asks. “Nothing’s changed for me,” he answers. “Okay. So we’re still friends?” She asks. “Yep,” he responds quickly without emotion. This exchange shows you that Nathan doesn’t have excellent communication skills. It seems like he doesn’t want to tell her the truth.
Soon after, they were all evacuated off the beach due to an earthquake. Nathan decides to move the party to a bar nearby.
On the way to the bar, Nathan has an honest conversation with his guy friends. For the first time, we get to see Nathan’s true feelings without Issa around. “She basically called me over last week to cuddle,” Nathan explains. “We been friends over the last year because that’s what she wanted, and then, she pulled this sh*t. Then she shows up today, legs all out, all oiled up talkin’ about ‘we still friends?’” He finishes. After his rant, Nathan’s friends put some things into perspective for him. “Man there must be a reason she felt comfortable crying on you,” his friend says.
Shortly after their arrival, Nathan’s cousin Thomas arrives along with his wife. For some odd reason, there is an awkward vibe coming from his cousin’s wife, making me question their history. As they all catch up at the table, Nathan’s friend Aric invites them all to a Jason Derulo party.
While waiting to get into the party, Nathan and Thomas have a conversation that reveals Nathan’s past. Before Nathan met Issa, he was living with Thomas. Around that time, Nathan dealt with bipolar disorder, causing Thomas’s wife to kick him out. Or so he thought. Thomas reveals that it was him who wanted him out of the house. “To be honest, I’m the one who didn’t feel comfortable having you around,” he says.
After his cousin leaves, Issa steps in to comfort him. During this final scene, they finally express their true feelings for each other. “I guess I was just overwhelmed. Last year was a lot for me. And now I feel like I’m just always waiting for the other shoe to drop. I’m scared to get my hopes up. And I know I been afraid to admit, because I don’t want to look stupid, but I don’t want to just be friends with you,” she shares. “ I don’t want to be friends with you either,” he says.
They kiss as the earth shakes beneath them. Oh, those California earthquakes.
