Beau Mirchoff, Ashley Rickards
Awkward., Season 3, Episode 5: “Indecent Exposure”
Written by Lauren Iungerich and Michael J. Cinquemani
Directed by Joe Nussbaum
Airs Tuesdays at 10 PM on MTV
Moving in together can be a big change for a couple, no matter their age or the stage of their relationship. With Matty moving into the Hamilton household at the end of last week, the relationship between him and Jenna was bound to change as a result of being under the same roof for the first time, particularly due to the unexpected nature of the move. Whether the increased proximity would help or hurt the couples’ second go-round was the key question, and it’s one that the show tackles this week in a nuanced manner, adding another dimension to Matty while further fleshing out Mr. Hart and Jenna’s Writing Class.
It was fascinating to watch how Matty and Jenna’s relationship gets affected by the former leaving his parents and moving in at the end of last week’s episode. The show once again displays the deft touch that sets it apart in this relationship, successfully showing the discomfort caused by the sudden onset of close quarters between two people who aren’t used to being around each other so much in an authentic manner, without using it as a tool to drive another wedge in the relationship. Allowing the two to get to know each other better, and smoothly move past their second real fight since the beginning of the season, points to a more mature, stable relationship between the two, and how that plays out as the season progresses is worth keeping an eye on.
Molly Tarlov, Greer Grammar, Jillian Rose Reed
The circumstances of Ricky Schwartz’s death is also turning out to be an unexpectedly intriguing storyline. While this episode further emphasizes how alone Sadie has become in the wake of her parents’ financial worries, it also opens up the possibility of reconciliation between Tamara and Sadie as they both explore the death of their ex in more detail. While this week’s events emphasize that such a reconciliation won’t come easily, Tamara being the only person to stay for the entirety of Sadie’s sleepover is still a significant advancement in their relationship, and with both of them now on the cheerleading team and thus spending more time together, how they alter their views of each other promises to be compelling.
Overall, this was another solid episode that serves as a strong reminder of the show’s strengths. It was good to see Mr. Hart get fleshed out a bit more this episode, and credit must be given to Anthony Michael Hall for managing to make the character entertaining so far. Giving Collin an opportunity to interact with Jenna also helps in adding more shades to Jenna’s writing class, and adds more interest to the school aspects of the show. Lissa’s story with Ricky and what led to his demise is turning out to be intriguing, and how it progresses, as well as how Matty and Jenna’s relationship gets affected by his stay at her house, are storylines worth tuning in for next week.
– Deepayan Sengupta