Awww, Matty … I love you too!

Man, this show goes faster for me than anything else on television.  AND this wasn’t even my favorite episode–I can’t lie to you people.  It was still good, and had funny moments, but it was a little heavy on a few things and a little light on others.

Let’s start with the whole Asian stereotype storyline.  I mean … it wasn’t necessarily OFFENSIVE, I guess, except that any stereotyping is offensive and it basically lumped all Asians together as one ethnic blob, which I feel they might be offended by.  But I do like the idea that there’s an all-powerful, all-knowing group at the school and that they’re a little bit terrifying.  And also, that they wear pink and sweaters with pictures on them and stuff.  But I don’t need so much time devoted to them, especially when it cuts into my Tamara time.

Same with Val.  I like Val when she randomly appears to say shit like, “One minute you’re on top of the world, and the next you’re butt poppin’ meth in an abandoned warehouse with a guy named Rooster.”  Everything else Val, I could more or less do without.  Like, I know the whole thing with her swiping the DVD and getting promoted was part of this story (a “necessary” part is debatable, however), but the whole thing with Tony Blair and Bill Clinton went on WAY too long.

I think right now, things are kind of angsty because we’re still dealing with fallout from last season.  The whole thing with Jenna and her mom took up a lot of the episode, and I think it was necessary just to sort of draw out the scenes with them to show how it’s been.  I wouldn’t say it made for a lot of excitement, but it did have its highlights–Lacey thinking a good idea for a secret being that she and Jenna are getting perms (WTF?), the way Jenna rebuffed her mom when she tried to hug her, and especially Jenna’s dad’s reaction to the confession that Lacey wrote the letter.  THAT is gonna be amazing next week.

But let’s get down to the main event!  LOVE TRIANGLE!  (I imagined yelling that, followed by a sweet guitar riff a la Wayne and Garth, in case you were wondering how to read that.)  So clearly, the best part of the Jake half of the triangle was the callback to behymen, which was one of my favorite things EVER to happen on this show and maybe on TV.  And he’s sweet, and adorable, and like … a really, truly, genuinely awesome boyfriend.  I loved when Jenna told him she was fully invested in him.  But … invested isn’t in love, am I right?

As for Matty, Jake accidentally spilled the beans about Jenna being in love with her last boyfriend, and he … well, first he turned Matty McKibben Brand Adorable™, and then he hauled ass straight outta there to tell Jenna that he loved her.  But it was really just too little, too late, and she had other things on her mind (like how to not screw things up with Jake).  The scene under the bleachers was really great, definitely my favorite part of the episode, because I felt like … Jenna really MIGHT not be in love with Matty right now. Or anymore.  Or maybe it’s pushed so far to the side that it’s barely there anymore.  And just saying he loves her isn’t enough.  He REALLY fucked things up.  And I think that apologizing to her was a good first step toward repairing things (because, let’s face it … Team Matty), but I also died a little bit when he didn’t want to lose Jake too.  THAT was the stuff.  He can handle losing one of them but he can’t lose both.  Love.

Next week looks pretty awesome, with lots of Jenna/Matty/Jake awkward goodness, and I can’t wait.  Plus, I’m weirdly anxious to find out what happens with Jenna’s parents.  This is how I know I’m old.

What did you guys think of this episode?  Was I alone in thinking that it was a little weaker than usual?  Did you have any favorite moments or lines that I forgot to mention?  Theories on what’s happening?  Further discussion you want to have about high school Asian mafias and/or love triangles with adorable boys?  Lay it on me in the comments!