Issa Rae on the 'Insecure' Series Finale: It's 'a Journey of Growth'

Insecure's triumphant reign on HBO came to an end on Sunday after five seasons.

In a post-finale interview with Entertainment Tonight, the show's cast and creative team opened up about the way in which the acclaimed series concluded.

"I mean, this is a journey of growth," star and creator Issa Rae said of her character's evolution. "So, if Issa's in the same place as she was in season 1, then we failed."

The final episode, titled "Everything Gonna Be, Okay?!," was written by Rae, 36, and directed by showrunner Prentice Penny. During its 40-minute-long run, Issa Dee (Rae) reflects on her life's journey as time leaps forward.

Viewers get to see where Issa, Molly (Yvonne Orji), Tiffany (Amanda Seales), Kelli (Natasha Rothwell), Lawrence (Jay Ellis) and Nathan (Kendrick Sampson) all end up — but longtime fans of the series may not be happy with end result.

"It's not like these characters' lives are ending," Penny told the outlet. "It's just that the audience and the writers aren't continuing with them on their journey. But they're going to still go on and live lives, theoretically."

That alone "really freed us up to not worry about the perfect ending," Penny added.

One person who feels "very full and content and very happy" about the season finale is Ellis, who plays Rae's love interest on the series.

"I remember having that feeling — and it's bittersweet," he said of feeling content about the final episode. "But at the same time, it also felt like, 'Yeah, this is how we're supposed to be. This is what it's supposed to feel like. And this is the way this story's supposed to end.'"

Insecure first premiered on HBO in 2016. The Emmy-winning series, co-created by Rae, follows the daily experiences and misadventures of a young Black woman named Issa Dee.

Insecure is only the second comedy series created by and starring a Black woman after Wanda Sykes' Wanda at Large, which briefly ran on Fox in the early 2000s.

Addressing the conception of Rae's own groundbreaking series, she spoke to the Los Angeles Times about the legacy it leaves behind.

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"I have seen how it has moved the needle. I've seen how it has influenced other studios to greenlight certain projects, and I am proud of that," she told the publication. "You know, in the same way that the shows that came before me. I know very well that there is no Insecure without Shonda [Rhimes] and Scandal. I know that possibly there is no Insecure without even Girls."

"Stuff like that isn't lost on me," she added. "And so I see how Hollywood almost needs permission to be like, 'Did this work out? All right. OK. We can take a chance on this.' But I definitely credit the Shonda movement."

All five seasons of Insecure are now streaming on HBO Max.