Awkward. In The Defense of Lacey Hamilton AKA: Defending Awkward's Most Hated Characters

So here is where I make my "In The Defense of Lacey Hamilton" case, which I realize probably isn't the most popular side to take.

Lacey Hamilton

First and foremost I want to say I DO NOT agree with the fact that Lacey wrote the letter, it was WRONG. I am not defending her actions so much as trying to find a way to explain them, so hear me out.

Let's face it Lacey is a basically a child. She had Jenna young and had to "grow up" real fast, only problem being she never really did grow up. From what we've been told Lacey's relationship with her own mother was not the greatest. This is alluded to in the very last episode of season one, when she tells Jenna how she believed her mother loved a dress more than her. She spent her entire childhood trying to please a woman who just couldn't be pleased.

I can not imagine her mother was all too pleased by the fact that her daughter got knocked up in high school. Not to mention the fact that getting knocked up, probably didn't do wonders for her popularity back in high school, taking away from her the two things she desperately craved, affection and acceptance.

Cut to Lacey as we know her now, is she a little shallow? Yes. A little self-absorbed? Of course, but really when it comes to Jenna, despite not knowing boundaries and such, her heart is in the right place. She desperately wants Jenna to confide in her, she on more than one occasion reminds her that she isn't that much older that her, and she still remembers what it's like to be a teenager. She also tries on multiple occasions to connect with her daughter.

Sure, she's a bit misguided, more concerened about her daughter's popularity than Jenna's own wishes, but when it comes down to it she fiercely loves her daughter. Remember her freak out on Ally for slipping Jenna a Beta-blocker? Or the sweet reassurance she offers to Jenna, when she goes to talk to Tamara? As well as my personal favorite mother/daughter moment before the Winter Formal when Lacey tearfully tells Jenna, ""...you are the best part of me...because you're not me. You are better.""

The letter was definitely the wrong approach, but I have to believe that Lacey did it because she could think of no other way to reach her daughter. Now for all of you who are now furious with me and shouting varying versions of "That is NOT how a parent should act!" Please know while I agree with you, I ask you to realize that Lacey has never really needed to be an adult before. She had Jenna do young, and seems to always be trying to regain her youth. From what seen, Kevin seems to be the "stricter" of the two.

It's no secret that despite the fact that Jenna loves her, and she does, that she doesn't respect her mother. So Lacey had to believe, at least at the time, that writing the letter was the only way she could get through to Jenna. She was bound to pay more attention to advice, no matter how harshly put, from "a Friend" and peer than Lacey herself. So she did what she thought she had to to get Jenna to listen to her.  

Awkward: "Sex, Lies and the Sanctuary": AKA: And the Plot Thickens

So a video camera has been discovered taping the Sanctuary and a panic is whipping through the school. Jenna is freaking out at the possibility that one of her secret hooks up with Matty having been caught on tape. This of course leads to the problem of whether or not to tell  Jake. It becomes a question of which is the lesser of two evils, is it better to tell Jake about her and Matty or have him possibly find out when the tape is released.

Look how cute they are...

Meanwhile Jake is having a freak out of his own, obsessing over not only the fact that Jenna isn't a virgin, which he just always assumed she was, but also, and more importantly, that she was in love with the guy she slept with. I have to admit his freak out was kind of adorable. It shows not only how insecure he can be, but also how much he cares about Jenna. "What I want, is for you to be able to tell anything, even if you think I don't want to hear it, I want to hear it." Seriously Jake gets the best/most swoon worthy lines. His face when Jenna told him she was invested in him, was adorable. I know, my Team Jake-ness is showing.

Oh, Matty. You just don't get it.

Matty on the other hand, is still making trouble for the happy couple. When Jake reveals that Jenna told him that she was in love with guys she slept with, Matty runs straight to Jenna and tells her "I love you." Oh, Matty, once again his selfishness has depleted my sympathy for him. Even his pleading at the end for Jenna not to tell Jake, because he "can't loose him too" sounds hollow. He doesn't really care if he looses Jake if he gets Jenna, and if he can't have Jenna than he won't loose Jake. All he really cares about is his own "happiness".

In an attempt to find out what is on the tape, Ming is unintentionally inducted into the "Asian Mafia". Which I'm hoping means they'll give her more to do now. And Val managed to use the tape to get promoted to VP.

And perhaps in one of the more glossed over moments of the episode, Lacey admits to Kevin that she wrote the Carefrontation letter. I'm sure we'll all have to deal with next week.

Asian Mafia 

Also the mysterious commenter on Jenna's blog has returned. I'm really curious as to who it is. Ming and Tamara have already denied their involvement, but as we know, as far as this show is concerned, not everyone tells the truth all the time. We all remember Tamara's letter writing confession don't we? I'm pretty sure it isn't Jake, because if it was was he would know about Matty and Jenna, since she frequently writes about them. However, I wouldn't be surprised if it was Lacey reaching out to her daughter in another form. Or Kyle...seriously, when are we going to get some more Kyle. I refuse to believe that Jenna's stalker would just disappear quietly. After all she basically offered him a window into her life by apologizing, I don't think he would just give up. 

Next week we get more into Matty's sabotage on Jenna and Jake's relationship, and I can only imaging the start of the fallout from Lacey's confession. Things are getting interesting.