Broad City
“Witches”
Season 4, Episode 6
Swirling chasm of magic.
For all intents and purposes, Broad City is a show for women, by women. It’s shepherded two amazing leads down a path people of any sex should envy. Stars Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer also spread the wealth by speaking positively about the thousands of other powerful female voices in their very arena. To that end, “Witches” – as force fed one story may be – is ostensibly one of the most important episodes the show has done to date. It’s also funny so there’s that too. Quoteable lines are not used sparingly. It’s almost as if the writer’s room had a notebook of one liners that were all 10/10 good.
The episode begins with another cold open that ultimately ties into the A-story. Abbi finds she has a grey hair and Ilana and Bevers believe she’s a witch. The way they paint it, who wouldn’t want to be one? There’s magic and brews and all sorts other cool things. Ilana admits she’s even “full on flooding with envy.” Meanwhile, Abbi wants to earn enough cash to buy a space heater so she heads to The Met with a table of her crafts to sell. There, the girls meet a woman who gives off her own witchy vibes. She takes a liking to Abbi, especially given how they have so many similarities (going beyond outfits and into personalities). The woman, Margot, is strangely enchanted; she almost apparates when it comes to her appearances. She adorably calls her vape pen a wand (“It’s pretty magical”), letting Abbi take the edge off with a few puffs. Something is off about her. At least the answer comes at the end.
Before things get better, they get worse. Jeremy returns after having not been seen since season two’s “Knockoffs” incident involving his dildo. He’s doing well with a girlfriend and adopted black son (“He adopted us”). The couple buys a stack of Abbi’s cards for a hefty price and moves on their way. Abbi reconciles with her mixed feelings about Jeremy (“I should be pounding that ass tonight.") and moves on herself. Then she spends her earnings on half of a botox treatment after a dermatologist mistakes her for being older due to the witchiness.
For the B-story, Ilana visits a sex therapist to find out why she’s unable to perform sexually. Her story has been in the works since the third episode of this season so it’s nice that they’ve been following up every so often. What a payoff too (this works on multiple levels…for both the audience and Ilana). She’s feeling unlike herself she tells the therapist saying she’s a “slutty slug...on the edge of orgasm all the time.” The reason is found to be she hasn’t finished since the election.
Oddly enough, the scenes turn into what this reviewer thought wasn’t going to be a major topic this season. Jacobson and Glazer have gone on record saying the year and a half hiatus was due in part to their schedules and the result of the 2016 United States election. They shot a video about the inauguration and how they felt at the time. They’re bleeping names. It’s just weird to have a subplot about orgasming and the presidency. But, hey, it works. Ilana finally manages to please herself by picturing major (and minor) female figures throughout history. What happens is as poignant as it is dirty. After yelling at her vulva (which she named Abbi, calling it “A butthole that bleeds”), Ilana gets her groove back. The therapist declares “YOU. ARE. COME. QUEEN.” with Ilana’s eventual movement. Bringing the two stories together is a witchy séance with all the women including Margot and the therapist.
Should you watch “Witches?”
It’s all about sex and witches. What’s not to love?