Insecure: The Return of Lawrence

Lawrence is back! Insecure will be giving viewers what they have been waiting on since the start of season 3, Lawrence’s return. The show has faced a lot of criticism since deciding to remove Lawrence from the season’s story plot. Members from the Lawrence Hive were not happy. Many took to the streets (literally!) and blogs to express their displeasure for the change in the story. Lawrence was seen as a quietly confident man who did not hesitate to show his emotional side; a type of character that is rare to find when watching television shows with a cast displaying diverse ethnic backgrounds. The season seemed a bit watered down without Lawrence played by Jay Ellis. Previously, he mentioned in an interview about the TV dramedy that he always knew he’d return to Insecure. I know the ladies are sure glad he did. Many wondered what the reason was behind writing out such a prominent character to an eye-opening show. I agree with the writer and star of the show, Issa Rae. She has very a valid point about the direction her show has taken in the past during its web-series days up to now after teaming up with HBO. “We want to stay as true to life as possible,” Issa said. “They had a great conversation at the end of season two and it was just about like, hey, she’s moving on to Daniel. Sometimes we have those conversations. You never see the exes again, and it’s okay! You gotta explore life without Lawrence.” 

This rings true. Sometimes you and your partner may decide to mutually go your own separate ways, never running into them again, and you’re okay with that. The audience must go through the break up and its emotional tugs along with Issa and not expect every love story to be pretty, or full of fluff with no substance.  Many of Lawrence’s loyal fans have more to expect out his character. Eliis hinted in several appearances that Lawrence will always be around. Next year will be quite a year for Jay Ellis. He is currently training for two major projects int the works. He super excited to join the cast of Top Gun: Maverick as well as the mystery movie Escape Room. The South Carolina born actor recently went on vacation and began to write content of his own. The things that he has done to shape the image of an every-day joe with a heart has proven to be magic in the eyes of Insecure enthusiasts. Even though Issa Rae’s original choice was to see what life would be without Lawrence, it can also still hold an authentic approach by having her character, Issa Dee, randomly run into her ex, Lawrence, and showing everything that flairs up when one is taken off guard by such a questionable surprise. There is so much to play with regarding their dynamic. I am happy to see that his journey in love and relationships did not see the end in the series just yet. As long as they keep the moments raw, true, and thought-provoking, there is no reason to cut the “good guy” out in an attempt to “keep it real”.