In the fifth and final season, Broad City duo Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer get teary-eyed in saying a fond “farewell” to their Comedy Central series. The women created their alter-egos ten years ago, beginning in New York’s Upright Citizens Brigade and creating it into a web series. Amy Poehler, who now executive produces the show, pushed them onto Comedy Central back in 2014, which bolstered their careers, making them a bold face in female comedy.
The comedy’s narrative revolves around two women, also named Abbi and Ilana, in their 20s navigating the adult world of New York City. Paradoxically, these women portray the converse of everything New York is thought to be: sluggish, vulgar, and horny. However, the best friends do anything in their power to survive. Jacobson and Glazer are a powerhouse, both writing and acting in their shows, and even took it upon themselves to address political subjects such as the #MeToo movement and Trump’s presidency in their 2017 season.
Regarding the tearful “goodbye,” Jacobson told The Hollywood Reporter: “We have known how the show would end for a long time. We didn’t know exactly how we would get there, but we knew what the last scene would be.” Glazer added that fans can expect a hopeful ending that will satisfy, but to also be prepared. “It’s just that we bare our souls in this show, so it feels extra vulnerable with it being the end,” Glazer admitted. They mentioned how, writing across from each other, both women bawled at the very last act. Glazer explained how the process went from laughing to crying, adding that “It really mirrored the content and exactly encapsulates the product.” Concerning why Jacobson and Glazer made the decision to close out the show, it seems they have chosen to pursue other projects such as writing memoirs and acting and working on other films and shows. Additionally, the women explain they have been plotting an ending for a while, as they didn’t want it to seem abrupt. Glazer also admitted to the intense labor of love they go through every year when working on the seasons. “Abbi and I have been doing Broad City for 10 months a year plus a month of press,” Glazer explained, “so 11 months a year for six years. And we’ve been creating this world for 10 years, since 2009, when we started the web series.”
The final series will consist of ten episodes and airs on Comedy Central January 24th. Although not much has been divulged, the women did say that viewers can expect a “much bigger shift than we’ve ever seen” with milestone moments as the girls become women.
Watch the teaser below.