Insecure's Original Finale Was Very Different - Here's Why They Changed It

There's a certain amount of responsibility that comes with wrapping up a series, both in terms of the characters and the fans who have been along for the ride since day one. When "Insecure" came to an end in 2021, the writers decided to take a page from another HBO series' playbook, a show whose years-spanning ending is widely considered one of the best finales of all time.

"'Six Feet Under' was a big [inspiration] we talked about in the room a lot," "Insecure" showrunner Prentice Penny told Collider. The "Insecure" finale jumps ahead in time, following Issa (Issa Rae), Molly (Yvonne Orji), and their group of Los Angeles friends as they reach big milestones throughout their 30s.

But before the writing staff settled on an ending, they floated a number of possibilities, including a version set five years in the future in Morocco. Of course, this option was abandoned as the "Insecure" team felt it was important the finale be grounded in Los Angeles rather than some exotic location — even if the Morocco finale concept did involve a Rihanna impersonator named Ribabba. In an interview with Vulture, Rae explained, "While the episode was funny and exciting and different, it just didn't pay homage to what — you know, the show is set in L.A., and they went back to L.A. in the last couple of pages. A lot of that montage you see in the finale [is] still there, but setting the show away from L.A. for such a long time felt wrong."

For the finale that never was, Molly and Issa were set to travel abroad for a bachelorette party — a chaotic premise Prentice Penny compared to "The Hangover." "It was basically them going to Morocco finally and they got stranded and they had to go from one city to Marrakesh in two hours," Penny said in the same Collider interview. "It was like our 'Planes, Trains, and Automobiles,' but we were like, it's camels, taxis, and such and suches."

For Penny and his team, the idea ultimately felt too far-fetched and removed from the spirit of "Insecure" to move forward. "We were like, 'Nah, we can't end the show with them on camels.'"

The seeds of the Morocco idea came from the Season 2 finale of "Insecure," in which Molly and Issa recreate Morocco in Los Angeles since they can't afford to actually visit the African country. While the camels may have been a bridge too far, it was still a poignant conclusion for Molly and Issa, whose rocky friendship was the backbone of "Insecure." Though they may not have gone gallivanting around North Africa, the pair was still granted multiple heart-to-hearts during the finale episode, including at Molly's wedding.

"Insecure" ultimately ends with an ellipsis, not a period, an intentional decision on the part of the writers. "One of our writers, Amy Aniobi, was like, 'Look, these characters' lives aren't ending,'" Penny recalled. "'It's just, we're not going to follow them anymore. If we were writing season six, what would be interesting starting places for them?'"