Awkward S01E12 - I Am Jenna Hamilton

For its entire first run Awkward has been full of pleasant surprises. The season finale however disappoints on several levels.
Of course, throughout the entire episode the show went out of its way to respect its title, which made up for some pretty memorable scenes. But this is still a formal and even if Awkward dealt with it in an original way, we still have seen it all before.

One of the stronger aspects of the formal was that for once the kids weren't dancing like they took a master class nor like they felt too old for it. No, the kids actually danced like kids. Retarded, goofy, like they don't care about anything else. It's a feeling very few high school shows pay attention to, even if it's timeless.
But don't let the dancing fool you, in the background a teenage girl is still choosing between two boys. The bitch of the school is still getting punished. And a mother/daughter relationship is put front and center.
The twists of the episodes were rooted pretty far into the show, which is essential for any season finale, in my opinion. But the twists were so quick paced I kind of doubt if the writer's intended them to be interpreted as big. For instance, the bitch's best friend realizes she's on the wrong side. For a high school show, that's a pretty big shift in alliances, not to mention a different tone for said bitch in a potential new season. Or is that too much over thinking?
Also, the show's biggest money maker got barely any attention. If fans were blowing up social networks with "Team Jake" and "Team Matty" posts, I would at least put the focus more on that in the final episode of the year. Though the episode still chronicled around Jenna making a choice, the choice itself was easily made. (Subjective side note: and totally WRONG #TeamMatty)
But the most disappointing trade came with the redemption of the mother. First a touching scene in which she declared she loved her daughter more than anything (except a Chanel dress) because of her differences. Then a loving scene in which her mother proved to love her father without having to do any choice making. Within the span of an episode the crazy mom who spend all season trying to live vicariously through her daughter, was redeemed.
And then came the ending. It felt off, far-fetched and considering everything else that was going on, only mildly interesting.
Of course I'll be there for the new season. Heck, as soon as I get the chance, I'll watch the episodes of this season I've missed. But this episode was only half as awkward as it could have been.