Awkward - Season 2 Episode 1 - Full Video and Recap - Resolutions
Recap and Review:
Last season on Awkward, the show was all about Jenna dealing with the ramifications of the anonymous letter that she received. While I am sure that the letter will still drive some plot points in the coming season, especially when it comes to Jenna’s relationship with her mom, it looks as if Awkward will be heading in a different direction this season. Namely, it is all going to come down to whether you are Team Jake or Team Matty.On the one hand, you have Jake. In a lot of ways, Jake is perfect for Jenna. Jake provides a stability she needs, and the fact that Jenna feels she can just be herself with him is also important. Also, Jake has never tried to hide Jenna or be anything but upfront about his feelings for her. With Jake, it is all about honesty and trust, something that has been sorely lacking in Jenna’s life since the series premiere.
On the other hand, you have Matty. The chemistry between Matty and Jenna is just so apparent. While Matty has not always been the best to Jenna, it seems that he has gotten over himself to put their would-be relationship first. In other words, Matty is willing to grow and change for Jenna. He might not always get it right the first time around, but he never stops trying for her.
Ultimately, I am sure whichever boy people choose to root for will be based on their own personal history and opinion. For me, I have to go with Matty. Even if I acknowledge that Jenna and Jake are good together, I still do not think they compare to what she has with Matty. In the end, however, it is not just that I think Jenna would be better off with Matty, it is that she is choosing Jake for the wrong reasons. I know in Jenna’s mind tonight she felt as if she was freeing herself from her past when she chose Jake. That was quite obvious from her conversation with Val in her car. In my opinion though, she is really just running from Matty into Jake’s open arms. For me, choosing to be with one person because you fear what a relationship with another would bring is never the right choice, and that is exactly what Jenna is doing here. She is letting her fear of being hurt dictate who she is ending up with, and I believe it will bite her in the butt in the end.
Still, I am actually glad she chose Jake this episode, because that is a lesson Jenna needs to learn on her own. One of the great things about this show is it represents teenage high school life so realistically. For instance, take when Jenna said she loved Matty. Now I believe that Jenna had feelings for him, but I seriously doubt she loved him. Yet, that is exactly how kids in high school feel and think. Similarly, when Matty made out drunkenly with Sadie after being rejected by Jenna, that also felt very true to form. Sure it seems a little dramatic, as does Jenna’s declaration of love, but that is what high school students are, dramatic. That is why this show works so well, because it is a realistic look at this age and time in people's lives. Therefore, I am not surprised that Jenna went with Jake, because most sixteen-year-old girls would do so in that situation. Even though it very well might be the wrong decision, it was one she had to make because she does not know any better.Awkward - Season 2 Episode 1 - Full Video
Quick hits:
I love the shading that the show continues to do with Sadie’s character. One of the best moments last season was the scene between Sadie and her mom about her weight. It really humanized the character, and also explained her actions to a certain degree. I thought tonight was great where she not only missed having Lissa as her friend, but also let herself out there for Matty. Sadie puts on quite the bitchy front, but it is clear that she is just as insecure as the other characters.
To a certain degree, Tamara’s relationship with Ricky Schwartz is becoming too exhausting. I know the on-again, off-again relationships are par for the course in high school, but Jesus girl: get a hold of yourself! At some point she just needs to cut him loose, because he will never change.
Poor Ming. That is all I really have to say for her.
I feel like Lissa was tonight’s MVP for comedy. Everything she was involved with was just golden, from getting Jenna to slap her to having her hair stuck in the door. My favorite moment was when she helped look for the cat and her kitty calls. Of course she would be a cat person, because that just makes sense.
Val continues to be a hot mess, and I would not want it any other way. How she has kept her job is beyond me, but I am not complaining. Also, if you watched the trailer for Season 2, it looks like she is getting a promotion. Clearly, the woman is doing something correct, somehow.
I am glad to see that Jenna’s mom was the one who wrote the note, and that was not some type of red herring. Naturally, it sucks that she did that, but it frames their dynamic in an interestingly light going forward. How great was Jenna’s way of letting her mom know that she knows about the letter? Totally awesome moment. Although, I have to wonder what would be more scarring? Your mother writing that terrible note, or your father giving you a GIGANTIC box of condoms for Christmas? That was just all sorts of wrong.
Well there you have it. Awkward got off to a great start tonight, and it looks like Season 2 will live up to everything it could be and more!
