MTV’s ‘Awkward’ season 3, episode 12 review: Did Jenna and Matty break up over Collin?
Last week, “Awkward” was all about the shock in finding out the news over what happened between Jenna and Collin. This week was all about dealing with the aftermath.
What made this episode tonight so strong was the way in which the writers chose to go about handling what could have been one heck of a downer. Rather than just making this the “watch Jenna cry” hour, we instead saw the same story with the breakup retold from a variety of different perspectives. This allowed some of the humor that the show has been known for to stay intact, as everyone from Tamara to some people we barely know recited their side of what happened, complete with inaccuracies and rumors about everything that actually happened. Our favorite? Finding out who actually punched Collin in the face.
But following all of these laughs came the pain, as Jenna told Matty that they were “breaking up with each other,” since this happened for a reason. This was obviously the biggest cop-out way of saying “I’m dumping you” ever, and it made Matty feel extremely sympathetic, but also somewhat pathetic underneath it all. Was he really not going to break up with a girl that just cheated on him multiple times? This really just goes to show the depth of what the show is bringing to the table, since Matty’s behavior, while frustrating, is probably realistic for an insecure teenager. He wants to hold on to the blind optimism that everything can go back to normal, but it can’t. Since he was not able to face that, Jenna did it for him (however terrible she may be for it). The door may not be closed for these two, but it is certainly not going to be open for a while.
In the end, this was painful, at times funny, and a reminder of why “Awkward” is the best thing MTV has going. Grade: A-.
Do you think that this episode handled the Jenna / Collin situation properly, and did you also buy that it was actually Jenna who broke up with Matty, rather than the other way around? Sound off below, and click here if you want to read more news related to the show.
Photo: MTV