For a few months, I had kind of forgotten about the likes of Jenna Hamilton and Matty McKibben. Not only had Jenna’s resting pout face and Matty’s general hotness briefly left my mind, but so too did Sadie’s snarky attitude and Tamara’s never-ending, often incomprehensible, diatribes. It was only about two weeks ago when I realized the new season of “Awkward” had come out that I was reminded of all the reasons I love this show.
Jenna is not the smiley, upbeat type. In fact, she is rather consistently pouty and depressing about all the events that occur in her life. But then again, what teenager doesn’t feel this way for the majority of the time? Her resting-deadbeat-face is pretty amusing and it is refreshing that she sugarcoats absolutely nothing.
On the other hand, Jenna’s best friend Tamara is her perfect peppy balance. A control freak and hopeless romantic with never-ending energy, she offers comical advice to those who ask -- and those who don’t. Her style is funky and eccentric and her neon red hair is a fun contrast to Jenna’s classic side braid that she rocks for the entirety of the first two seasons.
Jenna’s mom, Lacey, and Allie are another best friend pairing that provides endless entertainment. Whether they’re sipping alcoholic beverages starting at 9 a.m. or hosting lingerie parties, both participate in ridiculous antics and are extremely amusing in the midst of Jenna and her friends’ dramatics.
Jake and Matty are the two main male characters in the show, and they are basically the two most ideal catches. Jake is the adorable, compassionate one who treats girls like gems. He is respectful and irresistibly oblivious at times with a charming musical, hipster side. On the other hand, Matty is the popular jock who everyone wants. However, underneath the occasional cockiness and confidence is a guy who truly means well.
Jenna’s boy problems are all too relatable -- except for when she has two sweet, attractive boys vying for her attention at the same time. But, before that happened, she was a girl who gave something up for a guy, only to be virtually ignored by him in public and made to feel used and worthless. She makes hasty, spontaneous decisions at times, but who in high school doesn’t? It would have been difficult to not feel for Jenna and relate to her in some way.
The identity crisis Jenna undergoes in season three is fairly extreme and made me want to slap reality into her several times. She not only cheats on her boyfriend, the guy she has been dreaming of being with forever, she then dates a bad boy, starts doing drugs, and ditches her friends in the process. It’s a severe turnaround, but honest and genuine and gives the show an interesting twist in the sense that everyone kind of hates the protagonist for that period of time.
“Awkward” is a culmination of the, well, the awkwardness of high school and college and the benefits of staying true to yourself at a time when everyone wants you to be someone else. It reminds us that, in the end, you can’t please everyone, and so you may as well embrace the decisions you make and the things that you want. The most awkward experiences might just make you who you are.
