https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLkEpO3k514
I have to admit, I do not remember a lot about my JHS years. I try to block out that awkward part of my life. It was awkward for all of us. You are not a kid, you are not a full-blown teen and you are not an adult. Therefore, you act like you are all of them even though you are none of the above.
It is when you realize the World is not as innocent as you thought. Thus, you want to try dating, sex, drinking, smoking cigarettes and so on because everyone is telling you not to do it. It is a tough age for everyone, and even tougher for others. No matter how tough it is, you just keep moving forward and thankful that you have friends who are going through it with you.
That is what PEN15 on Hulu now is all about. Maya Erskine, 31, and Anna Konkle, 24, chose to go back to being 13 years old in seventh grade and relive those awful years for this show.
Maya and Anna are best friends and are looking forward to 7th grade, but that will change once they finally walk into their new school. Maya tried to cut her hair on her own and messes it up. Her strict mom decides to fix it by giving her a bowl cut. Anna tries to be cool by wearing a bra even though she does not have much to fill it out. Something their classmates will make fun of them about. And that is just the first day.
As the season goes on, they will experience crushes, first kisses, drinking, smoking, shaving, masturbating, fights, arguing with their parents, school dances, trying on a thong, divorce and so much more. They will experience what teens like them were going through in the year 2000. When AOL was just becoming a thing.
As I watched them be whiny and bratty, I thought to myself was I that bad? Then I thought, I have to show this to my friend who has a daughter close to that age. It will prepare him for what he is about to go through because it is an honest look at preteen girls. Then I will wonder why he is calling me to ask me to raise his daughter for a few years. As much as we have tried to prepare him for her teenage years, this show demonstrates everything we have told him about and then some.
Therefore, if you want to remember what it was like to be at that stage of your life, then watch PEN15 now. It might not be the stroll you want to take down memory lane, but it is one you will enjoy. PEN15 is also good to share with the people in your life who have kids under 14. It is a good way to prep them for their future hell.
When it comes to the actress playing characters much younger than they are, I did not realize they were much older until midway through the series. There is a scene where you are like, she has to be over 18 for them to show that. She is way over 13, yet you will believe she really is a new teen.
While other shows make being 13 look glamorous, this one shows as it is. Which is refreshing and surprisingly a good thing.
