In Season 5, “Insecure” leans into its legacy for awkward small talk in place of punch lines and tensions that roil between the lines of every text message. Its charismatic characters progress, inch by inch, in pursuit of grand romantic love and career clout while taking for granted what’s already aspirational about their lives: to be entrenched with people who you know so well. And to be doing it all in Lotusland.

Assuming the rest of the season is as sharp, witty and melancholy as the four episodes made available for review there's no reason to worry about where it's headed. Rae and showrunner Prentice Penny prove they're still making one of the funniest shows on TV, but not at the expense of its sentimental mood.

As much as Insecure is a show about navigating life as a directionless millennial, it’s also a strong testament to the highs and lows of female friendship, and the focal point here was Issa’s reconciliation with her best friend, Molly, after falling out over a party last year.

For all its angst, Insecure remains resolutely fun, with Natasha Rothwell’s Kelli still delivering the best zingers.

A welcome return for one of TV’s most deftly penned and performed series.

The first four episodes of its final season were made available to critics, and they are for the most part strong and deliciously entertaining. But certain issues linger. ... Lush visuals serve as a counterpoint to the sparseness of the writing in the dramatic scenes. Regarding Molly and Issa strengthening their relationship: It doesn’t quite work. Their friendship, in all its fraught yet intimate nature, deserves a meatier reconciliation.

The first four episodes of this final season feel strangely remote; the professional issues are a touch too procedural. ... A show designed to comment, hilariously and wrenchingly, on the precarious moments of one’s 20s is struggling to find ways to keep up the big and rousing emotions while depicting a period that’s more secure.