TV Recap: Awkward. 3×03 “A Little Less Conversation”

Previouslies! Jenna told Jake about her pregnancy scare. Matty is angry about this, OBVIOUSLY.

Onward!

One week later: Matty is doing everything in his power to NOT have another pregnancy scare, including hold Jenna’s hand. Jenna details her rising panic level for Tamara and Ming. Tamara exclaims that it’s “Clear blue easy” (lol, pregnancy humor!)—Matty is freaked out over the pregnancy scare. T reveals that Jake told her and dishes out a little bit of scolding since the info should have come from Jenna.

Meanwhile, Matty is continuing to avoid Jenna by eating with Sadie, who is dealing with everyone’s belief that she killed Ricky Schwartz. All I want is for Sadie and Matty to be epic besties.

Sandwiched between Jake/Tamara and Ming/Henry (Ming’s new boyfriend), Jenna gets an idea: in order to move past her panic, she’ll throw herself into hooking up with Matty in a public area, just like old times. I’m over here, wondering why they continue to hook up under those rusty bleachers in plain view of just about everyone, but that’s just me. Jenna goes for Matty’s belt, and he bugs out, making a quick exit. Ming busts out of some random door under the same bleachers with Henry, making some big deal about her clothes being messed up for the Asian Mafia.

Val’s grilling Sadie about Ricky’s death, using the fact that Sadie slept with Ricky as grounds for suspicion. Sadie calls bullshit on this, claiming that Ricky was a manwhore and that they’d have hundreds of suspects. She tells them if they’re going to blame her for that reason, they can have her get a pap smear, since it’ll prove she’s a virgin. Also, that if they make her do that, she’ll find a way to ensure they end up unemployed.

Cut to Tamara suggesting the BFGFBFF, a best friend double date that would prevent Matty and Jenna from talking. They really should have the conversation, but I’m stuck on this side of the TV, so whatever. Before the date, Ma Lacey points out that Jenna probably shouldn’t wear a necklace from Jake on this date, causing me to wonder if Jenna has been drinking throughout this entire episode, because WHAT? I know everyone was super chill about the whole love triangle thing by the second season finale (which I still call nonsense on, but that’s another conversation for a different time), but it still seems like a faux pas. Anyway, the group date commences with all six people trying to climb into Jake’s small convertible, with little success and much seat switching. Jenna’s laying it on a little thick here, inviting Matty to leave the date. I’m kind of shocked that he doesn’t get annoyed sooner.

When there’s a restaurant issue, the group discusses the possibility of splitting up. Since Matty is being physically affectionate with her again, Jenna thinks this will be fine—until he brings up talking again. At which point, she suggests they all play charades.

If that is not a cry for help, I don’t know what is.

During the game, the girls have a “three way live conference call,” during which Ming reveals why she’s being so sketch. “Henry’s my BEARD!” she proclaims with glee. In order to keep her ongoing relationship with Fred off of the Asian Mafia’s (specifically the evil Becca’s) radar, Ming crafted this fake relationship with Henry. She’s fairly confident in her ability to “Asian bitch” Becca, since she’s been doing it with success all week to Jenna and Tamara. At the very least, there’s no proof that she and Fred are still together.

They return to the game so Jenna can continue to actively drive her relationship with Matty and her friendship with Tamara into the ground. Tamara gets sick of it and pulls her into the bathroom to declare that “Jakenna is dead and Jakara is in business.” Every week I love Tamara more—normally the ridiculous slang she uses would grate on my nerves like WOAH, but it totally works for her.  Tamara speaks for Matty then, explaining that he must be “Jakelous” that Jake knew before he did about the scare. She advises Jenna to stop worrying about Jake hurting her and to start worrying about how she’s hurting Jake. There have been several occurrences now where T has been the wisest person on the show. I love that the writers don’t relegate the brightly clothed, quick-speaking Tamara to a sidekick/passive listener role—she has her own storylines and is just as likely to challenge Jenna as support her. Jake shows up and apologizes so everything is okay in Jakaraland, spurring Jenna to go find Matty after assuring Tamara that she no longer needs to “talkblock” Matty and Jenna.

Matty’s outside on the phone with Sadie, who is explaining her unhappiness. Her mother’s in rehab, her father fled the country over the money scandal, everyone at school thinks she killed Ricky Schwartz, and no one would actually notice if she lived or died. Like the weight-conscious journal moment of season 1, this scene fleshed out Sadie’s character further. For someone who is often reduced to a caricature of herself, this got very real. Matty is concerned and quickly asks if she’s going to hurt herself, which Sadie scoffs at, holding true to her character. “I still love myself, I just feel like throwing up right now.” Matty claims that if she does he’ll kick her ass, sparking a bit of banter between the two. He empathizes with her on the bad familial situation and reassures her that he knows she’ll be fine because she’s strong. At this point, I could watch an entire show devoted to Sadie and Matty’s friendship and be thrilled.

Jenna opens her talk with Matty by saying that if he’s trying to break up with her, she breaks up with him first. Oy, girlfriend. Let the boy speak. Matty’s unflinchingly honest with her, explaining that it’s not that she didn’t tell him, it’s that she told Jake instead of him. He wants to know why they can’t have a relationship based on an emotional connection AND a physical one—he doesn’t want the only way they can connect to one another to be sex. Jenna starts crying a bit, explaining that she thinks Matty will bail at the first sign of trouble because he used to be embarrassed of her. A chorus of angels sings, because that’s what happens when two characters finally communicate something a whole season late. Matty claims he was never embarrassed of her and wants to fix their relationship and start talking. Jenna says they have, and they kiss as Henry sprints across the backyard.

Basically…

–        Jenna was being a complete headcase, but redeemed herself at the end with that tear-filled confession

–        Tamara wins the episode for dealing out truths and wisdom all over the place

–        Matty and Sadie need to exchange best friend necklaces ASAP

–        Jenna and Matty FINALLY had a conversation that they should have had roughly a season and a half ago! Though in my opinion, the conversation could have been a bit longer…

Check out the preview for next week’s episode, “Let’s Talk About Sex,” which promises to be full of embarrassing conversations between Matty, Jenna, and their parents about their sex lives!