Sex, Lies and The Sanctuary...

Back in Season 2, when Jake and Jenna (Janna? Jeke?) dated they were adorable! The majority of the small but expanding fandom of Awkward always thought Jenna and Matty (Jatty? Menna?) were going to end up together though. That will probably happen, but I think it still sucks for Jenna. He was too embarrassed to be with her in public, couldn’t make up his mind and is only realizing that he wants her once she’s with someone else… Gesh. Matty is so cute though. Jake is so nice though! I’m leaning towards Janna. I think. MAYBE. Matty missed his chance and deserves a little bit of pain after what he's put Jenna through.

At the beginning of this episode, it shows Jenna and Jake holding hands. IN PUBLIC! Soon after, it’s revealed that there has been a hidden camera filming EVERYTHING happening at the Sanctuary. For those of you who don’t know, the sanctuary is behind the bleachers at their school, and everyone goes there to, well, hook up. Amongst many other things (drugs, truancy). If any of you remember, Matty and Jenna hooked up there many times during the first season. DILEMMA! As the whole school is going through drama because of the scandals on the tape that may or may not be released into the public, Matty and Jenna are facing problems of their own. Jake knows that Jenna lost her V card to this guy that she used to be in love with, but doesn’t know who. Jake is freaking out all the time about it, admitting his jealousy over a mystery man is a bit insane, but unable to help himself. Jenna feels bad for not telling him who it is, but is afraid that if she tell him he’ll hate her and Matty. Matty oblivious to the fact that he hurt Jenna. Jenna worried about hurting others’ feelings, and is too immature to have the courage of complete honesty, or the wisdom to know when it’s vital.

This week Professor Hanson gave us a reading by Michel Foucault. Discipline and Punishment, Panopticism. Panopticon, a type of institutional building designed by English philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham. The concept of the design is circular, to allow a single watchman observe all inmates without the inmates knowing if and when they’re being watched. Much similar to this episode, where they’ve placed a hidden camera at the Sanctuary without the students knowing they have been watched.

 

                                   

The potential that Jenna and Matty could appear on the tape exiting the Sanctuary puts both Jenna’s relationship with Jake and Matty’s friendship with Jake in jeopardy, forcing to the surface anxieties that are inevitable when you choose to keep a secret of this magnitude.

Now, Jenna is wondering how to get the tape and destroy it before Jake sees. The answer is simple: ASK THE ASIANS! The Asian community knows everything about everyone at school, so obviously they know something about the tape. Jenna asks Ming to get friendly with the cliche of Asian students to see if they know anything about the tape, and the Asian community have open arms for Ming. Becca, the leader of the Asian cliche, agrees to get the tape for Ming. Foucault talks about panoptic, where we view things one way, in this case majority agreeing Asians as being smart, assuming they have the answer to everything just because they’re Asian.

Jenna’s relationship with her mother, Lacey, is even more complicated. Lacey is doing everything she can to try to make things up to Jenna for writing the mean letter. She’s trying to bribe her into loving her again by making all of Jenna’s favorite foods, but Jenna’s not buying it. Is it because Lacey regrets hurting her daughter, or, as Jenna asserts, she’s worried Jenna will tell Kevin, Jenna’s father? It’s probably a bit of both, but Jenna is nowhere near ready to hear Lacey’s apology, and Lacey desperately does not want Kevin to know about the transgression. Lacey has zero idea on how to raise a daughter or how to be a mother, who writes a horrible anonymous letter to their daughter, trying to “help” her?

Lacey wanted to discipline Jenna in writing the letter, as a parent she doesn't want her daughter to be a loser helping her decide to take matters into her own hands. Discipline doesn't always refer to something negative, it's simply consequences and/or rewards for our doings.

Just as Jenna comes to the understanding that she can’t tell her dad because it’s not her secret to spill, Lacey acts like a grown up, deciding that she must come clean to Kevin and face the consequences. For someone as immature as Lacey, it’s a wonderful surprise to see her take responsibility, and it demonstrates that she is determined to be a good mom, setting the example right. Discipline being taken place by Lacey accepting whatever consequence she deserves for her behavior.

The part of the episode that makes my heart swoon every time!!! Jake and Matty are having a discussion about Jenna. Jake is really bummed out, because he thinks that Jenna might still have feelings for this mystery guy (MATTY!!!). Jake talks about how she was in love with this other guy, and pretty much right after he says that, Matty runs over to Jenna and tells her he loves her!!! Filling my heart with joy! This is why I’m on the fence about Team Matty, because HE IS JUST SO CUTE!

Thanks to Ming’s “frisians” (friends-asians, we have found out that Matty and Jenna aren’t on the tape. Leaving Jenna and Matty both relieved. Matty apologized to Jenna for being an asshole. I squealed, AGAIN!!

Jake goes to Jenna’s house and says he doesn’t want to know who the mystery guy is and seems happy with the knowledge that Jenna doesn’t love the other guy anymore. However, the fact that her first sexual experience is with Matty, Jake’s close friend, makes this equation a lot different than if Jenna slept with a stranger. She does owe him the full truth, and soon, because it will come out eventually, and if Jake hearts it from anyone other than Jenna, no matter how painful her telling might be, he will feel even more deeply betrayed. Jenna doesn’t tell him that Matty is the mystery guy….ERG! I wish she would have just told him. He deserves to know. It is his best friend after all but the episode ends with Jake and Jenna kissing, and me squealing uncontrollably!

Tune in Tuesday nights at 7:00p.m. or 10:00p.m. on MTV (depending on your TV provider)