The assorted humiliations, disasters and rare triumphs of four very different twenty-something girls: Hannah, an aspiring writer; Marnie, an art gallery assistant and cousins Jessa and Shoshanna.
In the premiere of this comedy about twentysomething women navigating their way through life in New York, Hannah swings and misses at two curves when her parents rescind their financial support and she loses her unpaid internship. Meanwhile, Hannah's roommate, Marnie, throws a dinner party for their nomadic friend Jessa, who's returned from yet another journey.
Hannah reveals her "Forrest Gump"-induced AIDS phobia when she realizes Adam might not be practicing monogamy. Marnie lives in denial of her growing boredom with her long-term boyfriend, Charlie; Jessa avoids Marnie's meticulously planned day at a womenʼs health clinic, where Shoshanna confesses a humiliating secret.
Hannah meets up with her erstwhile college flame to find out how she contracted HPV, uncovering much more in the process. Marnie's art-gallery boss introduces her to a cocky artist who piques her interest, while Jessa gets a babysitting gig.
Adam's risqué text message sends Hannah over the edge; Jessa gets distracted while babysitting; Shoshanna reunites with a guy she knew at camp; Ray and Charlie stick their noses where they don't belong.
Hannah tries a different tack with her boss to counter his inappropriate office behavior—she propositions him.
Hannah visits her parents in Michigan for their 30th anniversary, and winds up going on a date to a fund-raiser for a local family who suffered a tragic loss.
At a raging party in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, Hannah sees a different side of Adam; Jessa lures the sender of an anonymous text message; Marnie finds out what Charlie's been up to for the past two weeks; and Shoshanna gets a hand from Ray when she needs it most.
While Hannah delves deeper into Adam's life, an unemployed Jessa and a down-and-out Marnie end up forming an unexpected bond before coming face to face with an eligible bachelor who is pretending to be something he is not.
Feeling resentful of an old classmate's success and unable to make rent, Hannah is forced to take a job at a café. Marnie has trouble handling Hannah's emotional and financial needs. Jessa runs into her old boss. Shoshanna meets her online match.
Hannah begins questioning her romantic relationship with Adam. Marnie decides to embrace her free-spirited nature during a mystery party that Jessa is hosting. Shoshanna benefits from her unique personality and characteristics.
