‘Insecure’ Turns 10: A Look at the Moments That Made the Show Iconic
As hard as it may be to believe, it’s been 10 years since “Insecure” debuted on HBO. The show, created by Issa Rae, centered on a group of four Los Angeles friends who navigate the ups and downs of love, friendship and professional growth during their late twenties and early thirties. With Rae, Yvonne Orji, Jay Ellis and Natasha Rothwell set to take their nostalgic “Insecure” rewatch podcast on tour in the coming months, there’s no better time to revisit the moments that made the series such a cultural touchstone!
As we celebrate the show’s milestone anniversary and in anticipation of reuniting with our favorite cast members, let’s take a look back at some of the funniest and most memorable moments from this iconic show!
The Coachella Chaos
From the moment Issa screamed “Beyoncé or bust, b*tches!” during the Coachella episode and we realized Kelli (Rothwell) was high as a kite before the festivities began, we knew this episode was gonna go from funny to downright chaotic.
Kelli, we’ll remember you different, girl!
Related: The Evolution of Issa Rae
“F*ck Them Kids!”
Issa kicking her ex-boyfriend Lawrence’s (Ellis) new baby mama, Condola (Christina Elmore), in the trash and chucking their kid into the stratosphere was just an intrusive thought—but it was hands down one of the funniest moments from the show. Plus, it launched an unforgettable meme.
“I Ain’t Get No Woot-Woots On My Phone”
@wegotinsecure i aint get no woot woots on my phone! top 2 line
no bc who do think won this round? #insecurehbo #issarae #jayellis
Although it was tough to watch Issa and Lawrence fighting after their breakup in season two, it somehow produced one of the most hilarious lines of the entire series: “I ain’t get no woot-woots on my phone!” The context here just makes it so good.
Lawrence & Nathan Fighting Over Issa
Watching Lawrence and Nathan (Kendrick Sampson) get into a literal fight over Issa was just so charged and overwhelming. The tension between the two men had been building for a long time, so for it to finally boil over was a lot to take in. It’s etched in our brains forever.
Thug Yoda “Blears” Up “Bonfusion”
“Thug Yoda” (Tristen J. Winger), one of Issa’s old neighbors from the Dunes Apartment, never missed an opportunity to correct anyone when they used words starting with the letter “c.” (He was a Blood, remember?) This scene with his daughter and Lawrence will always be funny. (Now the title makes sense, doesn’t it?)
Ahmal & Kelli’s Coat
Honestly, we could’ve spent this entire piece running down all the times Issa’s gay little brother Ahmal (Jean Elie) and Kelli went head-to-head roasting each other. They were always going tit for tat in the most hilarious way! But we can’t do that, and we won’t do it until we finally understand the real source of their beef. Come on, guys, it’s been 10 years! The fans deserve to know!
“You Know What That Is? GROWTH.”
From season one, we knew Kelli would be bringing the laughs, but the best part about her is that she doesn’t need to tell a joke to be funny. This scene from season one is the perfect example of that.
Chad Being Chad
@hooraemedia Never a dull moment with Chad
Much like Ahmal and Kelli’s beef, there were too many scenes from Lawrence’s hoe-ish friend Chad (Neil Brown Jr.) to add to this list. He’s just too much of an enjoyable a**hole to limit!
Issa & Lawrence Reconnect
Season four, episode eight of “Insecure” is arguably the most comforting and beautifully shot episode of the entire show’s run. While it mostly centered on Issa and Lawrence finally reconnecting and being transparent, it produced so many feelings for fans that they’ll be talking about for a long time.
Issa & The Random Old Man From LA
This might be a bit niche, but the moment Issa tried to be a good Samaritan and give an old Black man a ride to his destination after he missed the bus in season four is one of the most random scenes in this show. We knew from the moment he said, “I don’t hit ladies, but I’ll slap a b*tch to defend myself,” he was gonna be a problematic passenger!
Kelli From Poppycock?
@hooraemedia What is something a date has done to impress you?
#InsecureHBO #Amine #IssaRae #britishhumour #britishaccent
This scene (which features a hilariously dumb cameo from rapper Aminé) shows the lengths to which Kelli will go to be impressive and get a man. But as we noted earlier, whenever Ahmal is around, even her best efforts will be thwarted.
Issa & Molly Get Robbed
What an insane plot twist! Despite Issa and Molly (Orji) expressing initial skepticism over hanging out with an old classmate, they went against their better judgment and did so anyway in the spirit of “class reunions.” This is the perfect example of why you should leave some folks where you found them.
“Broken P*ssy”
Talk about a way to open up a show! We will lowkey never forgive Issa for freestyling about her friend’s sex problems like that. But we can’t lie, it was still funny as hell!
