There were a lot of hurt feelings following the season four final episode of “Insecure” last night. Titled “Lowkey Lost, a lot of fans of the show were heartbroken to see Issa Dee (Issa Rae) and Lawrence Walker (Jay Ellis)’s relationship upturned by the news of Condola Hayes’ (Christina Elmore) pregnancy.
While hopes for a happy ending for the season were dashed, the episode was hardly wrapped up with a neat and tidy bow and left lots of unanswered questions.
Show runner Prentice Penny who directed and wrote the finale (and who had a cameo as the L.A. Live Regal theater security guard!) came to the rescue on Instagram where he generously took the time to answer every question thrown at him. Check out all his responses below.
What was the hardest scene to direct?
Prentice Penny: “The hardest was the Issa, Lawrence and Condola’s scene because there were so many versions. So we rehearsed for almost an hour which is a long time but we wanted to talk it through and get it right.”
Why did the writers choose to write the best of Issa and Lawrence’s relationship in season four?
Prentice Penny: “We wanted to show could them today work out?”
Do you take into consideration the fans feelings about Issa and Lawrence?
Prentice Penny: “No.”
Will we hear more of Kelli’s [Natasha Rothwell] storyline?
Prentice Penny: “We want to explore more of that season five.”
Why can’t Issa and Lawrence end happily ever after? We needed this.
Prentice Penny: “Life doesn’t always give you happy endings.”
What is your favorite episode from season four?
Prentice Penny: “Honestly the block party. Stella Meghie directed it.”
What was it like to work with Kerry Washington?
Prentice Penny: “Incredible.”
When will season five come out. We can’t wait a whole year.
Prentice Penny: “2021.”
Do you feel making Condola pregnant makes the show more of a comedy than a drama?
Prentice Penny: “I think it makes it real.”
Postpartum depression is a serious issue. What inspired you all to pursue the topic?
Prentice Penny: “That black women don’t get to discuss as much. We teed it up in episode four when she said the nurses didn’t feel her pain.”
What really was the straw that broke Andrew’s back with Molly [Carter] (Yvonne Orji)?
Prentice Penny: “I think it was a myriad of things. But the brother was a lot. How she treated Issa was a lot. He saw her dismiss her best friend.”
Was the scene with Nathan [Campbell (Kendrick Sampson)] and Issa supposed to be visually be parallel with with Lawrence and Issa?
Prentice Penny: “Hmmm? You caught that. Sharp. Yes.”
Appreciated how effortlessly that cop situation was deescalated. Was that your point?
Prentice Penny: “Yes. Weirdly we filmed this is 2019 December.”
What was the goal for everyone’s characters this season?
Prentice Penny: “Is this relationship a reason, season or lifetime.”
Why does this show never give Lawrence and Issa an opportunity to be happy together?
Prentice Penny: “‘Cause life is like that.”
Why does it seem like Molly and Issa can only be friends if they’re both single?
Prentice Penny: “That’s not true nor anything we have ever discussed in the room. They’ve been friends since they were 18.”
Will Tiffany’s postpartum be explored next season?
Prentice Penny: “No, I think this is it.”
So I knew Condola was pregnant already but why did you decide to go that route?
Prentice Penny: “We wanted to explore the idea of what happens when life gets messy.”
If Lawrence is so serious about Issa, why does he always seem so reluctant to commit?
Prentice Penny: “It’s a character trait we like to explore with him.”
Is there an underlying reason to Molly’s unhappiness or is it part of who she is?
Prentice Penny: “This is something we want to explore in season five.”
How did it feel to move the story forward like this?
Prentice Penny: “It energized the whole room.”
Did you consider putting a man in Tiffany’s room?
Prentice Penny: “Thank you and no. She’s dealing with postpartum [depression] not an affair.”
Did y’all have intentions to touch on the police issues when y’all was filming it?
Prentice Penny: “When you’re black it’s always an issue, right?”
Was the finale episode a tribute story line from “The Game”?
Prentice Penny: “No.”
Why not show more dialogue between Issa and Molly in that last shot?
Prentice Penny: “We never wanted to hear it. Knowing what we know about them we felt it was more important to SEE them talking and taking a step forward than hearing it.”
So the recap showed Lawrence and Derek talking in the nursery. Was that a hint about the pregnancy?
Prentice Penny: “No.”
Since season four is now done, have you all begun writing for season five?
Prentice Penny: “Yes.”
Excellent job on the finale. I love the cutting between Issa and Condola. You killed bro.
Prentice Penny: “Thank you. Every shot was to take you to the next scene.”
We will get to see Chad’s fiancée on an episode?
Prentice Penny: “Never.”
How much time has passed in “Insecure” land? About a year or two?
Prentice Penny: “Technically it’s been one year and eight months.”
What was the inspiration behind tonight’s episode?
Prentice Penny: “We wanted to tie in ‘Looking for LaToya’ into the show.”
For next season can we see more of [Tiffany DuBois] (Amanda Seales) to show how dynamic motherhood is?
Prentice Penny: “Yes.”
Will ‘Insecure’ have a main LGBT character besides Issa’s brother?
Prentice Penny: “We’re exploring that with season five.”
Will Molly be exiting the show?
Prentice Penny: “Never.”
Are the sex scenes real?
Prentice Penny: “No. It’s not porn. Lol.”
Can we have one hour episodes going forward?
Prentice Penny: “Never.”
Fave episode you directed?
Prentice Penny: This episode because I feel like I grew as a director from directing my movie. Ava Berkofsky and I just vibed especially wanting to make the montage more “American Honey.”
How come you didn’t go into depth about Tiffany’s postpartum depression?
Prentice Penny: “We wanted to show she’s feeling it but it’s not her show. It’s Issa’s show. So we can touch it but the show can only go so deep on it.”
Which character do you think changed the most in season four?
Prentice Penny: “I think Issa changed the most.”
What was your most fun and hardest scene to shoot?
Prentice Penny: “The bus and street scene.”
Do you ever re-write during shooting?
Prentice Penny: “100 percent. Not so much story but jokes for sure.”
Is Gloria Derek’s Mom?
Prentice Penny: “No, she’s Tiffany’s mom.”
Why wait to reveal her pregnancy until the finale when Lawrence said they were over in episode nine?
Prentice Penny: “Because she found out between episode nine and ten.”
When do black people get a happy ever after? Never!
“Last season ended happy. If ever show ended happy we wouldn’t have a show. Also, this is entertainment not a documentary. And I would also say, define ‘happy ending.'”
What was the biggest challenge of this episode or the season as a whole?
Prentice Penny: “Trying to balance the mistakes Issa and Molly make and wanting to make sure it was 50/50.”
Is there a reason why Andrew hiding he was helping Issa from Molly not a big issue?
Prentice Penny: ‘It was an issue to Molly for sure. That’s why she was so upset.”
Are Issa and Lawrence and Issa and Nathan’s scenes fully scripted? Chemistry is so perfect, it feels like it’s ad libbed.
Prentice Penny: “They’re fully scripted. We usually adlib jokes but never story.”
Was Condola pregnant when she called Lawrence during his date with Issa?
Prentice Penny: “No.”
Did you know this season would trigger so many emotions about relationships?!
Prentice Penny: Yes, I tweeted before the first episode y’all weren’t ready for this season lol.”
Was that a drone shot of Issa on the balcony and Los Angeles?
Prentice Penny: “Yes.”
Was Lawrence lying when he told Issa that he talked to Condola and it was over?
Prentice Penny: “No, he was telling the truth.”
Maybe I’m dumb? Did Molly fully breakup with Andrew?
Prentice Penny: [No answer but uses an emoji of a person thinking.]
Twins have been referenced all season. Was this intentional. Is Condola having twins?
Prentice Penny: [Again makes use of an emoji of a person thinking.]
