Comedy Central's adult-themed show, Broad City, sits comfortably among the best sitcoms of the 2010s. Its fourth season is arguably its best-ever installment and it has an impressive 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. All kinds of well-crafted jokes were thrown around in the season, making for some hilarious dialogue.
During its five-season run, Broad City received plenty of praise for pushing the boundaries in regards to controversial topics in American society. The sitcom was also lauded for its take on New York City life, as well as young adult friendships.
"Who Da Fresh Man Meat?"
Despite sharing a house with female friends, Bevers has never really learned how to observe boundaries. Which makes his shock here even more fitting. He walks in on Abbi having sex with a stranger and he isn't even apologetic about it. He then asks for full details on the new "meat" despite the fact that the man is still present.
Abbi just met a paramedic named Mike and she is deeply infatuated with him. She also believes they have a great sex life, despite the fact that they have only been together for six days. Abbi continues to talk about Mike in front of her friends, her coworkers and complete strangers. New love is fascinating.
"Turns Out She Was Convicted Of Arson, But Now She’s A Crossfit Trainer."
Abbi and Ilana never pass up the opportunity to discuss a new person who has entered into either of their territories. And the gym has always been Abbi's territory.
When a new gym instructor gets employed at Soultice Gym, Ilana appears to already have a complete profile of her. She tells Abbi that the woman served time for burning a house and she's probably dangerous. When she realizes Abbi isn't too interested in the topic, she drops it. But not without a frown.
"I Don’t Want To Rise And Grind Anymore. I Want To Rise And Then, Like, Lay Right Back Down.”
New York has always been the central location in Broad City and life there hasn't always been a bed of lilies for the two friends. If they ever got a way out, they would take it. In the seventh episode of the season, that "way out" presents itself.
Early in the episode, Ilana, Bobbi and Elliot go to Darlington Lakes, Florida, to clean up an apartment belonging to Ilana’s deceased grandmother. They invite Abbi to come, too. Abbi is smitten with sun and trees of Florida, so she vows to stay. The rest of the group feel the same way. However, they are forced to reconsider when they realize the neighborhood is filled with racist people.
"I Can’t Let You In. I’m A Dad Now.”
For a while, Lincoln was the reliable friend-with-benefits that Ilana went to whenever she wanted to, even though it was clear he had feelings for her. Their arrangement worked well until Lincoln gave up on her because of her unwillingness to commit. He began seeing another woman and had a baby with her.
In the ninth episode of the season, Ilana's house gets infested with bedbugs. She and Jaime argue over who brought them in before Ilana decides to go and look for a place to stay. She knocks on Lincoln's door, thinking he'll let her in as usual, but he refuses when she tells him why she is there. The line brilliantly highlights Lincoln's sense of responsibility, and Ilana's lack of it.
“She Has The A** Of An Angel, But The Mind Of Mental Health MacGyver."
Quite a way for Ilana to describe Abbi, Ilana always has the most creative insults, and in the fifth episode titled "Abbi's Mom," she doesn't disappoint. Fictional TV character MacGyver is known for doing the craziest things to solve cases, so the reference was fitting to Abbi.
Body positivity is a good thing and Abbi must be glad to have a friend that likes her body that much that she compares it to that of her goddess. As for mind positivity, Ilana is obviously not a good example of a friend you need. It's all in good light though as there is no malice behind the remarks.
"Saving Lives, Lol."
Abbi's new catch Mike is definitely a weirdo. He randomly sends her a picture of himself next to an old man with a head injury and captions it with the words above. Somehow, he thinks it is romantic. This proves how her choice in partners never gets better as the show progresses.
Given her obsession with Mike, a random woman asks how long Abbi has been with him. Abbi says it's been a few days. but it feels like months. The woman gives Abbi a reality check, resulting in her calling Mike to break up with him. Mike is surprised because he didn't think they were dating. He informs her that he was actually seeing other people during the six days they were together.
“Hope You’re Into A Soft, Russian, Peasant Body.”
Ilana doesn't have a high opinion about her body as much as she does Abbi's. After she and Abbi buy macarons, Ilana meets two suitors who are interested in having sex with her. They quickly agree to a threesome with Ilana telling them that all be well, so long as they don't mind a Russian peasant body.
When the three of them are alone, the suitors strip down before Ilana even takes off her jacket. She has a hard time getting into the idea of doing the deed, so she goes to the bathroom to motivate herself. Sadly, looking in the mirror and calling herself names doesn't help.
“I’ve Never Had Sex With A Man Who Didn’t Speak English. Not Even An ESL Guy.”
As soon as Abbi hears that her mom Joanne is coming to visit, she begins hiding all her sex-related paraphernalia. Unlike her, Joanna had always been a very conservative woman. But little does she know that her mother has changed.
Joanne explains that she found a lump in her breast months earlier, but it turned out to be a non-cancerous growth. Realizing how lucky she was, she made a vow to enjoy life more, and she really meant it. During the visit, Joanna expresses her desire to try many things, including having sex with a non-English speaker.
“Why Couldn’t We Have Just Gotten Herpes Instead?"
Ilana can't help but lament about the bedbug infestation in her house. She figures that herpes would have been way better because she wouldn't have to throw away some of her things.
She also feels that getting herpes wouldn't have forced her to start begging people for a place to stay. She is right to feel that way because no one really wants to take her in.
“You Regenerate Me And You Restore Me. Not Only Myself, But My Skin.”
Abbi and Ilana have been friends for a while now and in the finale, it's time for another "Friendiversary." No such celebration would be complete without gifts, so Ilana gifts Abbi her great-grandmother’s diamond necklace. Abbi looks like she'll go even bigger, but then she gives Ilana a hydrating face mask.
Ilana is visibly unimpressed, so Abbi tries to imply that the mask is a metaphor for their friendship. Her explanation is kinda "romantic" and poetic but despite this, and although Ilana always accepts her excuses, this time, she's not having it. Abbi realizes she has messed up, so she makes up for it by taking Ilana to the top of the Empire State Building for some alone time. This emphasizes how much their friendship means to both of them.