By Selena Fragassi
For Sun-Times Media
Brace yourselves — “GIRLS” is back. HBO’s existential diorama of the lives of four 20-something, Brooklyn-dwelling friends promises to be juicier, dare we say even happier, than last season’s ultra downer. Now in season three, leading lady Hannah has grown out those breakdown baby bangs, actually finishes a piece of writing for once, and her boyfriend Adam, beyond all reasonable logic, is still by her side. The supporting cast’s developments are TBD, but one can hope the execs will give the storylines of @HBOGirls some serious thought. (“Marnie sells her aura on Craigslist; Shoshanna beheads a tourist for not saying thank you; Jessa stops needing blood.”)
With all this “GIRLS” talk, and the similar phenom of its predecessor “Sex and the City,” it’s difficult to disregard the fact that none of these series have ever been set in Chicago — unless Dick Wolf has something in the making we don’t know about. Clearly, we have good female writing talent and clingy friendships that could be culled from our city, too. It can be done as we theorize with this prototype cast that could take on the girls of “GIRLS” any given Sunday.
Hannah
Lives: Logan Square garden unit with furniture pulled from The Brown Elephant
Works: New Wave Coffee where she compulsively separates blue and pink packets to calm her inner monologues
Creates: Blog posts for Tavi Gevinson’s Rookie on topics like parental abandonment and the problem with glitter
Eats: Brunches at Lula, lunch gab sessions at Antique Taco
Shops: A row of thrift stores down Milwaukee Avenue, sometimes Aldi to be ironic
Hangs: Blind dates at Cole’s followed by dance parties at Hideout
Biggest issue this season: How to ever get to the east side
Marnie
Lives: Just moved into the new luxury tower at Division and Ashland from a high-rise in the South Loop (she secretly hired all her ex-boyfriends for the muscle, which got really awkward)
Works: MCA gift shop after being fired from a River West gallery for giving kickbacks
Creates: Crocheted jewelry for an Etsy shop and bi-annual Renegade Craft Fairs
Eats: Date nights at Taxim, Bloody brunches at Mercat a la Planxa
Shops: Designer duds from eDrop-Off, pantry goods from the Goddess and Grocer
Hangs: Every hotel bar ever, East Bank Club
Biggest issue this season: How to afford her lifestyle without moving back in with Hannah where there might be mold
Shoshanna
Lives: Lincoln Park by the lake where she jogs every morning in neon sweats and an iPod stocked with slow jams from Dido
Works: Doesn’t. The trust fund kid is in her sixth year at DePaul now majoring in French literature and minoring in anthropology (inspired by her favorite store)
Creates: Handsewn outfits for her two pugs, Roscoe and Goethe
Eats: Karyn’s Raw every day for a month until she discovered Honey Butter Fried Chicken
Shops: AKIRA and the Shops at 900 N. Michigan, window shopping at Merch Mart for ideas for her future Tudor home
Hangs: Board games at Guthries and Lia Sophia house parties
Biggest issue this season: How to figure out Ventra, Divvy and Uber (her car was taken away for too many expired meter tickets)
Jessa
Lives: Believes being nomadic is the best form of adventure, finds new places each week from Airbnb and couchsurfing.org
Works: Dog walker by day, bartender at Rainbo Club by night
Creates: Tarot card readings
Eats: A steady diet of food trucks and kimchi from the Joong Boo Market
Shops: Mostly freecyles; also Merz Apothecary and The Occult Bookstore
Hangs: A regular at Maria’s Packaged Goods & Community Bar, also the Blackhawk VFW and Green Mill
Biggest issue this season: How to get her band a gig at Pitchfork
“GIRLS” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO
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