Awkward Review: An Outlook of Doubtful
Nick McHatton at . Updated at .The end of Awkward Season 3 was very a much a love letter to the fans and to the series itself; and it placed Awkward in a situation where the show could easily end or go to new places for senior year.
Sadly, Awkward Season 4 Episode 1 made the series falter miserably. With new show runners taking the helm, and maybe even a new staff of writers, what was once amazing about the comedy is now a distant memory.
The dialogue had some snappiness to it and the swearing and euphemisms are clearly as prevalent as ever, but the way the show deftly handles its heart and soul is absolutely gone.
The characters are only former images of themselves. Jenna's dark period put her academics in peril and, perhaps jokingly, did not let her rely on her writing except to voice her thoughts and to narrate.
She's not even blogging anymore. Instead Jenna is thrust back into Matty's orbit and disregards her goal of learning to dance with herself.
Tamara is transformed into a completely obsessive person who can only find her Lady-O with an electric toothbrush and some sage, tantric advice from the new girl, Eva. Val and Lacey are left to flap in the wind instead of being integral adults in Jenna's life.
Those two teens who are enjoy their pot lollipops (I can't even bother to learn their names)... but I really hope they don't stick around, considering they do not fit in with the core of the show at all. At least Eva shares some chemistry and advice for Jenna and Tamara.
Still, these new characters are damn near thrown in with no care taken for weaving them into the story. No pains are taken to weave them into the tapestry of the ongoing stories in any meaningful way. Just quick scenes that make them unlikable or Eva offering sex advice.
The only character that does make it out relatively unscathed is Sadie, as she continues to be humanized. The development that living with Ali isn't all it is cracked up to be is telling and she instead has to work out of a food truck for money.
Even the class rankings are a poor imitation of the carefrontation letter.
I knew there was something wrong when my review was not filled with Awkward quotes.
Here's hoping Awkward can lift itself out of the ditch.
Grade the Awkward Season 4 premiere:
