MTV’s acclaimed series Awkward. is back, with new relationships formed and old relationships possibly still burning. The half-hour TV show that all began with a girl and an accidental suicide-attempt left viewers in September with Jenna Hamilton (played by Ashley Rickards) finally choosing between Matty (Beau Mirchoff) and Jake (Brett Davern) and preparing for her summer trip to Europe. After she publically announces that Matty is the boy she has decided to be with, her best friend Tamara (Jillian Rose Reed) is seen making out with Jake while Tamara’s ex, Ricky (Matthew Fahey), is seen kissing a man. Awkward.
The second season was a tough one for Jenna, debatably even tougher than the first. Viewers were first introduced to Jenna in July of 2011 when she lost her virginity in a closet at summer camp to Matty McKibben, the supposed man of her dreams. After receiving an anonymous letter listing ways she could and should change her life in order to become cooler and then learning that her mother was the person who wrote that letter, Jenna certainly had a lot to deal with. Not to mention that Matty was working to keep their “relationship” a secret, while his best friend Jake was constantly around treating her the way she so desperately wished Matty would. Ultimately, it’s Jake who she decided to go to the Winter Formal with, and it’s Jake that she chose in the beginning of the second season.
Throughout season two, Jenna more than enjoyed her blossoming romance with Jake, although every once in a while she felt a pang of angst towards Matty. By the time Jenna decided that she loved Jake and manages to announce to all of Palos Hills High that she wanted to sleep with him, the evil Sadie (Molly Tarlov) creeped into the picture and told Jake all about Jenna and Matty’s secret past. Convinced something was still going on between them, Jake breaks it off with Jenna, and by the time he got to her house to reconcile, he caught her in Matty’s arms.
Now that season three is ready to begin with Jenna on Matty’s arm, what could be the problem? A season three promo that was released on March 11 shocked viewers: Jake and Tamara are in a relationship, which was hinted at during the second season finale, but it’s obvious that Jenna isn’t happy about it. Would any girl be? Ming (Jessica Lu), the often forgotten part of the best friend trio, is dating for the first time, and with her and Tamara content in their relationships while Jenna may not be, there’s no way she is going to keep it together for long.
Not only does Jenna seem less than thrilled in every promo shot of her and Matty, but also why is she beaming whenever newcomer Collin (Nolan Funk) is around? What’s going on with Val (Desi Lydic)? And could Sadie be pregnant? It appears that the hour-long season premiere will have a lot of information to dish.
The third season will premiere on MTV this Tuesday, April 16 at 10 p.m.

By Taylor Zimmerman