Its second season (the first seven episodes of which are newly streaming on Hulu) evolves beyond that pretense and looks inward at Maya and Anna. The show becomes more concerned with how strong the bond of friendship can be between young girls, especially as they experience complications on top of what’s already a complicated time of life. And it makes for beautifully relatable stuff, particularly thanks to the show’s increased focus on how puberty strains Maya and Anna’s friendship.
If one has to choose only one millennial-made TV series that ventures into adolescent angst in the AOL era, please make it this one. “PEN15,” which returns Sept. 18 with seven endearing new episodes (another seven will follow when production can safely resume), could be almost considered an act of communal therapy. ... “PEN15” is both an exquisite wallow in hormonal chaos and a belated act of forgiveness.
Maja Erskine and Anna Konkle heighten the sense of "cringe" by making one of the best series of its genre. Character development often goes beyond the narrative itself to suit the viewer's personal experience.
[Pen15 returns] in all its heart-shredding, hormone-confused, beautifully awkward and painfully traumatizing glory. If I had a gel pen, I would be doodling hearts all over. ... None of us would have been capable of writing about what any of that was like when we are at that age. To have it dramatized for us so viscerally—and now, at this turning point in our (millennial) lives—is pretty astonishing.
PEN15 is not so much funny as felt, deeply, uncomfortably accessing memories of a time you thought you had moved on from. It’s bold and quite possibly brilliant.
PEN15 Season 2 is very much worth the binge, as well as the wait for the second half, set to premiere in 2021. ... Erskine and Konkle are true delights and they are surrounded by an equally delightful cast of actual kids who showcase a range of talent that keeps the adult leads of this show on their toes.
Middle school can be hell for a lot of reasons, but the way Season 2 digs into its saddest side — by tuning in to the background noise previously overpowered by the loud love song of friendship — brings out new shading in a show that was already unique.
Pen15 has definitely changed, but in ways that are almost entirely for the better. What was once a gimmick is now a thoroughly excellent and warm show.
I laughed a lot. There are some "slow" moments, but they serve as much needed downtime from laughing during the constant stream of crazy and hilarious scenes.
These ladies touch on some deep subjects and I found their openness quite brave.
Follows in the same vein as the first season.
A show that has an amazing ability to bring up those uncomfortable and awkward moments of growing up and putting a hilarious, weird bent on it all.
Trying to remember what it was like when I was 13 was too difficult. I had to look at home-movies of my kids when they were 13 in 1998 2000 and 2002 to get a better feel of what it was like to be a young teen in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
My experience as a 13 year old in the 1960's was more similar to PENU15 where things were not highly controlled by the parents.
But, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, school and church dances were highly controlled by the mothers and youth sports were highly controlled by the fathers (and some mothers in girls sports).
I don't feel PEN15 represents accurately what was going on in 2000 for most 13 year olds.
But, sure - I imagine a lot of 13 year old kids had experiences similar to PEN15.
Likewise, I'm thinking the Maya character was too over the top to be anywhere close to realistic.
So, there is nothing wrong with a series like PEN15 not being extremely realistic. Regardless, my feeling is that the Maya character should have been written, directed and acted in a more realistic way and the other casting could of also have been more realistic. Maya's older brother Shuji (played by Dallas Liu) was a more realistic, better written, directed and acted character and I felt more interesting to watch.
If there is a 3rd season of PEN15, I hope the Maya character is re-written and re-formulated into something better. I've seen Maya in interviews and her natural personality would be closer to what the Maya character should be - in my opinion.
I will say that I thought the Anna Kone (played by Anna Konkle) was stronger in season 2 - so, I upped my rating of 6 for season 1 to 7 for season 2.