When Awkward was last renewed, it was reportedly for a fifth and final season, leaving the show effectively cancelled, which is… you know, awkward, especially with some of the developments in the finale. Showrunners Chris Alberghini and Mike Chessler would like to do a sixth season and say most of the cast is game to continue the series, too. In other words, the show’s fate is up to MTV.
Awkward stars Ashley Rickards, Beau Mirchoff, Nikki DeLoach, Jillian Rose Reed, and Brett Davern. In last night’s Awkward season five and possibly series finale, there were some twists. Did you see them coming? Chessler previously said it was designed as a series finale, just in case it is the end. Did it feel like one, to you?
After Matty McKibben (Beau Mirchoff) and Jenna Hamilton (Ashley Rickards) reunited at Camp Pookah, he bared his soul, but then told her she should pull a Kelly Taylor and choose herself.
He also told off Sadie Saxton (Molly Tarlov). Alberghini talked to EW about that. Here is more:
That was very deliberate because historically, Matty is the one who has always remained friends with Sadie and supported her even at her most awful. He’s been the one who has stood by her and been the nonjudgmental, platonic friend. For us, if you can’t even get along with Matty McKibben, you’ve gotta think about some of the things that you’ve been doing wrong in your life. It’s what pushed her over the edge.
The EPs also talked to EW about the Matty/Jenna/Luke (Evan Williams) triangle:
Luke and Jenna have a falling out.
ALBERGHINI: When you’re in a relationship with someone and at the beginning, it’s all great and you grow close and you love everything about the other person and all of the person’s faults and idiosyncrasies seem charming and you love them. But then as you get to know the person more, and as you get to have a more realistic viewpoint of your life and of the relationship and what it brings you, you start to be a little more critical. Those things you once found charming and cute, you now find maybe a little bit annoying. They had their arc this season with moving in together and playing house, and isn’t it great and cute to live together, and slowly, the reality of that starts to come into play. Two people that don’t know each other all that well, really, and I think what we’re getting in these last few episodes is just a dose of, okay, as much as I may love this person, and want to be with this person, it’s still a challenge, there are still things that we don’t see eye-to-eye on.Matty and Jenna return to the closet where it all began.
CHESSLER: We made that decision pretty early on when we sat down and talked about season 5. We just felt like, to bring this chapter of the show to a close, it just seemed very right to go back to camp and to go back to that closet where it all began and really highlight how much they’ve grown and how different they are, but at the same time, how that fundamental attraction that they’ve always had to each other and that that pull was still there and stronger than ever after all they’ve been through together.ALBERGHINI: That moment in the closet in the very first episode was a defining moment in Jenna’s life, and informed so much of who she became as a person as the show progressed. We felt it was important to go back to that place.
CHESSLER: We had a lot of conversations about what would be the most satisfying end to the Matty-Jenna story at this point. We talked about different versions and we did talk about a version of the speech where Matty said, “Choose me over Luke.” The more we talked about it, we had the realization that the most selfless, generous thing Matty could do would not be to say, “Choose me,” but to say, “Choose yourself. Go have your own life. Don’t be determining your future based on who your boyfriend is going to be.” That just felt very right for the show and for Jenna and where she is. It seemed like a great thing for Matty to do, and certainly, the doors open in a way that, how could she not end up with somebody who is so wonderful to come up with that? We felt like it gave us everything we thought we wanted to take that story to a completion at this point.
Since MTV could still pick up Awkward, season six, TV Line asked the EPs if they were afraid making last night’s finale too conclusive. Here’s what they said:
TVLINE | Given that there could be more, were you worried about making this finale feel too conclusive?
ALBERGHINI | Yeah, a little bit. There were a lot of discussions about how much we wanted to wrap everything up. We just wanted to get to a place where this era in their lives feels like it has adequate resolution without completely setting anything in stone that might affect a later season of the show.
CHESSLER | You have to remember, these characters are 18 and 19, so we think it feels truthful to where people at that age are in their lives. For example, we didn’t want Matty and Jenna to get married as freshmen in college.
TV Line also asked about Sadie’s “suicide attempt” (i.e. the car accident that was mistaken as such), Lissa’s (Greer Grammer) conclusion, and if they ever talked about hooking up Matty with Lacey (Nikki Deloach):
TVLINE | I feel like the answer is obvious, but Sadie’s “suicide” was a nod to Jenna’s “suicide” in the pilot, yes?
CHESSLER | Yes, absolutely. We started talking about wanting all of the characters to have big moments at the end of the season, and we all agreed that Sadie was due for a comeuppance. She’s had some hard times with her parents, but her friends have never fully called her out on how bitchy she can be. We really liked the idea of taking what happened in the pilot and turning it on its ear. We loved the idea of her being in Jenna’s shoes, since she was the one who really enjoyed the rumor that Jenna tried to kill herself.[…]
TVLINE | Lissa’s ending was perfect. Is it safe to assume she’s going to become a big success?
CHESSLER | Absolutely. We always liked the idea of Lissa — the one everyone thinks is a dingbat, the least likely to succeed — becoming a mega mogul with her atonercise tapes all over the world. That’s definitely one version we talked about seeing, and it makes me laugh.
ALBERGHINI | As time goes on and she becomes more successful, she only becomes more cuthroat and savvy.TVLINE | If this is the last question I ever get to ask you guys… Was there ever talk, even jokingly, about Matty and Lacey getting together?
ALBERGHINI | Those two actors obviously have a lot of chemistry, and they play off each other very well, but no. We’d never go there. [Laughs] Oh my God, can you imagine Matty sleeping with Jenna’s mom? That would ruin the entire show!
Right? Talk about awkward…
What do you think? Did you get enough closure from the fifth season finale of MTV’s Awkward TV series? Do you think Awkward should be cancelled or renewed for a sixth season?
Please bring back this tv series!!! This series was the only one getting me Thur this hard time in my life. A little scape you say from this reality! A show where I connected too!!! really broke my heart seeing this show gone, no more , finito!!! please give us at least reboot of them what they did and another season! Yes off course with safety cause we don’t what what happens to Jenna parents rewind! Miss this show!!! What at other shows your recommend? Love this show bring it back !! ♥️
I have just finished watching this and i so need another season! Matty + Jenna forever like Jenna’s parents. Didn’t want it to end like it did
This show really needs to come back! I watched it when it was on MTV and rewatched it when I saw it on Hulu. It brings back all of my high school feelers and I can’t get enough! I definitely didn’t get closure in the season 5 finale! Who did she choose, did she transfer, how is the rest of the cast?! I need more!
I completely agree with you. It needs to come back and keep going just like real life does. It’s bad enough for me wanting more from dirty dancing, but I am tired of being left wondering what happened. I need more awkward. It makes me upset to think that it just ends there like life is over and we know what happens. But that’s my thought.
After three years after the show has been cancelled and being broadcasted on Hulu, I have finally seen the last season. (I haven’t had cable in a while.) I have loved this show since day one and was anxious to find it streaming online one day. The last episode definitely feels like a session ender, not a series finale. And that is disappointing. Everyone wants to see what happens after this! What Jenna ends up doing once summer is over, to see the irony of Sadie’s “attempted suicide”, what Jake does after he has quit the country club, etc etc… Read more »
Please bring back the show for a 6th season!! I love it so much!!
i liked this show but jenna was way too coincided. and alwsays self doubted herself which ruined the show
She started the show a young teenager and it ended after her first year of college. Who do you know in that age that doesn’t self doubt? I’m 28 and still do that sometimes. Haha
Seriously bring back the show!
Please bring back Awkward.!
I think they Should bring back awkward because I really love that show I am still a fan
you guys have to bring back awkward its amazing and i don’t want it to end like this we need closure…this is the best show ever
Its been 2 yrs since the cancellation of Awkward and I’m still a fan. Please return the show for an update…where they are now and more closure.
Please bring back this show omgg I need answers PLEASE RENEW THE SHOW SO MANY PEOPLE LOVE IT DO A POLL
Can you please bring back this show!!
Please renew awkward that was everybody favorite show even mines and you kinda left us on a cliffhanger but I know everybody is wondering how the cast is doing and what’s gonna happen next in season 6 but since there’s not gonna be another season everyone is sad including me and I was crying when I found out it ended last year I’m only 9 and I’m crying so bad.
I am almost 30 and absolutely love this show!!! It’s not a lame reality show like pretty much everything else on MTV. MTV is not what it used to be. Please make a a season 6, I don’t have closure!! Lol, have been completely hooked on this show since it came out, and actually did a binge watch with my 15yo god daughter. And she was like “so like ong, what happens next” ikr she has totally take over T’s language it’s so cute. Lol. Please bring us a season 6 with with a bit more closure. So proud of… Read more »