Relationships — and how characters, especially the young ones — relate to each other can tell you so much about what they think of themselves, their worth, and what’s important in their lives at the moment. It’s no wonder that MTV’s teen comedy Awkward has chosen to center on a love triangle.
By putting a once “invisible girl,” Jenna Hamilton (Ashley Rickards), at the center of something as emotionally complex as having to choose between two best friends, there are a lot of opportunities for characters to grow and mature… or not.
With two episodes left to go on Season 2, Celebuzz spoke to the cast at their finale event this week about the evolution of their characters up to now and what to expect going forward.
What’s to come on Awkward?
“No matter who Jenna picks, Matty has really matured as a guy, and I think that resolution — that growth — continues and perpetuates over different seasons. I hope it does, and I think it will because that’s a typical route that kids take: they grow, and they learn, and maybe they have a setback, but they keep going. I hope that happens and Matty comes into his own and is okay with whatever outcome life gives him,” Beau Mirchoff expressed to Celebuzz.
While Matty was taking small steps forward, though, it appeared Jake (Brett Davern), the quintessential “good guy,” took a step back in the way he reacted to learning Jenna used to be with Matty. He lashed out — out of understandable anger but still in an immature way. Even Davern couldn’t deny it.
“You know, he got a little mean, a little aggressive, for sure. His heart was broken, and he didn’t know how to deal with that. He used the word ‘slut’; there were a couple of words bleeped out; that’s not very ‘Jake,’ ” he said.
“But you know, all of the characters are sophomores in high school, and I think back to how I matured from then until now, and there’s still a lot of growing up to do.”
Jenna’s mother, Lacey (Nikki DeLoach), had her own type of growing up to do after having her daughter when she was still just a teenager and raising her more with the “peer-enting” hat on than a parenting one.
We saw just how conflicted she felt over writing that “carefrontation letter” to Jenna, let alone assuming Jenna actually did try to kill herself after reading it. Things only heated up when Jenna confronted her mother about knowing the letter’s origins. Though the second season has seen strain in the Hamilton household, a breakthrough bonding moment recently occurred where Lacey opened up to Jenna about making the same mistakes her own mother made, without even trying, and Jenna responded in a gentle act of forgiveness, showing maturity well beyond her own years.
“If only all mother-daughter relationships were that beautiful! It was a moment of forgiveness… and you get to see her and her mom repair that a little bit more,” Rickards said of Jenna singing her mother to sleep with a special song from her childhood.
“That was my favorite episode of Season 2, not only because it was redemption for Lacey, but because I think it was an extraordinarily real moment for Jenna and Lacey and every mother and daughter out there,” DeLoach added.
“To have a daughter forgive, and to have her begin to understand why her mother is the way she is, and she didn’t choose either guy: she chose her mother. It’s a really big thing. I think Lacey will be able to start being the kind of mother she wants to be, and the kind of mother Jenna needs.”
All in due time, though. After all, to stay true-to-life, these characters can’t shed all of their flaws and shortcomings overnight. Besides, they are still a bit distracted with other milestones and life moments going on around them.
“The last couple of episodes of the season, we really just want to tie up all of the last few ends of the season, with the love triangle and who is the mystery blog commenter?” DeLoach pointed out.
Awkward airs on MTV on Thursday nights at 10:30 PM.
With which Awkward character do you most identify? And what do you want to see happen as the show ends Season 2? Let us know in the comments below!
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