AWKWARD Recap: ‘Homewrecker Hamilton’

Oh, my poor Matty/Jake loving heart! This episode of AWKWARD certainly delivered in terms of keeping the intensity of the past two episodes.

It starts out at Kevin’s apartment, where Jenna is still trying to figure out why Jake broke up with her. I have to admit that I found this a little hard to believe, considering Jenna had spent most of their relationship keeping her previous relationship with Matty a secret. Not that Jenna needed to immediately think that might be what Jake is upset about, but you’d think it would at least cross her mind. But it doesn’t; not until she accidentally sends Jake a text asking “why,” and he replies back with a picture of her and Matty in her bed and the words “you’re a cheater.” Ouch.

To make things better (worse?), Kevin has purchased Jenna a car, an old station wagon that looks a lot like my first car (mine had side wood panels and was old when I got it — in 1996). Jenna is pumped about it until she realizes Kevin is probably just trying to impress her while he continues to stay separated from Lacey.

Unlike my high school friends who always sat in the verrrry back seat of the station wagon, Ming and Tamara all pile in the front seat of Jenna’s new ride. She shows them the pic Jake sent her and they both flip out. But Jenna rationalizes that, according to the real-life timeline, she didn’t actually cheat on Jake. She only kissed Matty when she was technically single. Surely Jake will understand if she can just explain, right? Hmmm…not exactly. She approaches him at school and he walks away from her without a word. But when he leaves the bathroom, she tells him that according to the timeline, she wasn’t cheating. Jake doesn’t want to hear it — he knows everything.

Jenna has no choice but to tell Matty what is happening. He dismisses her quickly, but when she shows him the picture of them from Jake, he can’t believe it either.  He wants to know who told Jake, and of course, Sadie confesses. Matty calls her a bitch, and she agrees, but she also refuses to be the villain in the entire scenario, telling him that he and Jenna were way worse than she was.

Matty tries to talk to Jake, but Jake is not interested in talking to him either.  At a school pep rally (in March, with no sports team around, and in the middle of the school day apparently — but let’s just go with it for the show’s sake, okay?) that Jake is leading (with Sadie and Tessa’s help), Jenna volunteers to participate. When she tries to confess the truth to Jake, he tells her all of the truth should come out and forces Matty to also volunteer. In a game of “come clean or play dirty,” Jake asks Matty if he’s ever  betrayed a friend. Matty says no, but Jake doesn’t believe him.  Sadie recommends that the “play dirty” punishment should be for Jenna to kiss Matty, and Jake agrees. He taunts Jenna, and calls her a slut, and Matty steps in. Jake gets aggressive and punches Matty in the face. Jenna tries to stop them, but Jake continues until Matty finally punches him back, admits he slept with Jenna, and walks away. And once again, my poor, poor, Jake/Matty loving heart takes a beating!

Val talks to both Jake and Matty, and afterward, it’s clear Jake hasn’t forgiven either Matty or Jenna. Matty is also hurt when it’s clear Jenna is trying to fix her relationship with Jake and not him.

Later, alone and writing on her blog, Jenna says that in her efforts to protect Jake’s feelings, she inadvertently left her own self defenseless. I’m not sure how I feel about that. I mean, we’ve all seen the episodes — and it is clear to me that she has spent a lot of time protecting HER secret. Sure, having her relationship out in the open would probably hurt Jake (and did), but I don’t think for a second that Jenna’s main concern was Jake’s feelings. Thoughts from you?

Her anonymous blogging commenter tells her she’s not a homewrecker and that perhaps it’s time for other people to see her blog. The next day at school, everyone is buzzing with all of the information Jenna made public. She thinks it’s a good thing until she realizes that she humiliated Jake, Matty, and herself by telling everyone all of their business.

All of the minor characters were used sparingly in this episode, and it really worked. Lacey’s moment came when she found out about the car Kevin bought for Jenna. She sees it as a clear sign that they should be back together, but Jenna bursts that bubble and says it’s clear Kevin is seeing someone else and wants to soften the blow.

Tamara plays the BFF perfectly in this episode, and only a passing mention of Ricky Schwartz makes this episode better than other episodes he is in. Val’s scene where she tried to get the fight details from Matty and Jake worked, because it showed off her ridiculousness, but also was quite contained, considering some of the other episodes this season.

The best minor character storyline was Ming’s — who found herself ignored by Fred and once again surrounded by Becca of the Asian mafia. Fred finally talks to her in the Sanctuary and lets her know that Becca is his ex-girlfriend and that Ming should be prepared to face Becca’s ninja-like wrath. Soon, Ming gets a D on her next test and finds out that Becca has changed the prescription on her eyeglasses. Haha!

So what do you think? Has Ming escaped the Asian mafia? Who is Jenna’s anonymous blog commenter? Will Jenna keep trying to choose Jake? And most importantly, will Jake and Matty’s friendship survive this rough patch?!? There is a lot to discuss, and the comments are open! Sound off below!