The "High-Like" episode of HBO's Insecure was undoubtedly the best and wildest episode of a season which began with quite a slow start. It had all the makings of what has made this show so legendary: the raucous silliness of an epic girl’s trip, a redefinition of what it means to join the mile-high club, a drug induced fight scene and perfectly-timed Kelli quotables like, “Janelle Monáe made it OK,” and “Remember me different.” The episode was outstanding! Amidst all of the action and overall brilliance of the show, I found myself most taken by an unexpectedly tender moment between Issa and Tiffany, as the pair went on a run to grab water after the night of debauchery.

While sitting in the car, Tiffany, expertly played by comedian Amanda Seales, breaks from the typical pretense and bourgeois which typifies her character, for a moment of deep vulnerability, something the audience has not been accustomed to. We watched as a somber Tiffany expressed her anxiety about not being able to fully participate in the weekend’s events due to her pregnancy. She expressed worry over the growing gap between herself and her friends, noting simply and powerfully, “We’re different now.” It's a statement that prompts a rather unconvincing response from Issa, who suggests despite life’s changes, their friendship would remain.

Watching the scene play out inspired a subtle sort of sadness, as I began to reflect on the shifts and changes in my own life that have led to the slow dissolution of bonds I had, at one time, imagined would exist forever. It occurred to me that shifts in platonic relationships can often seem to be more intensely felt than even the severing of romantic partnerships. There is an almost childlike ignorance we tend to approach our friendships with, believing these associations will live into perpetuity, undisturbed by time, distance and circumstance. We don’t think to prepare for the potential demise of friendships, or consider the ways our growth will force changes in not only ourselves, but in the people we've associated with.

It was heart-wrenching to watch the scene unfold as the pain of loss echoed behind Tiffany’s eyes. This moment in the car could easily be read as an example of the sadness one experiences when ruminating on the past and times gone, but an alternative viewing might highlight the fear we sense in the face of an uncertain future. As we grow and watch familiar, comforting associations, mechanisms of support and companionship begin to dissipate, I believe our fundamental angst is not related to worry about who we have been, but who we are in the process of becoming someone new and different — a person yet unknown even to ourselves. As Tiffany looked away from Issa and out the car window, the moment rang loud with a question many have already posed or will inevitably find themselves asking: “Are we still friends?”