Pen15 Season 2 Part 1 Review: You’re Cordially Invited to the Sleepover of the Year

Warning: This review contains spoilers for Season 2 Part 1 of Pen15.

On Pen15 Season 2 Episode 1 “Pool”, Maya frantically asks Anna, “Do you think I’ve changed?” and Anna replies, “I think we all change all the time, and that’s just normal.”

Diving more into emotional complexity and relying less on cringe comedy and nostalgia, Pen15 has changed since its first season. To be clear: it’s still incredibly funny but Pen15‘s sophomore season feels less Big Mouth and more Eighth Grade.

However, the evolution is handled so well that Season 2 feels like a natural progression of the first rather than a huge tonal shift.

As suspected, the season covers the fall out of their “threesome” in the closet with Brandt and the revelation that Maya has been lying about getting her period, but the plots go far beyond what I could have imagined.

Over the course of seven episodes, they cover the warfare that exists within female friendships at this age, the evolution of mother-daughter relationships, slut shaming, and homosexuality (to name a few!) all while understanding that the smallest moments often have the largest impact on your psyche.

That’s not a small accomplishment. The initial gimmick — that two grown women have the audacity to play thirteen year olds — is completely secondary to everything else going on.

Erskine and Konkle’s age difference disappears except for Pen15 Season 2 Episode 6 “Play” and Episode 7 “Opening Night”. In those episodes Erskine wears age make up for a play and there is a frantic question of will she/should she have her first kiss with her play costar, Gabe (Dylan Gage).

While Maya the character feels anxiety about this development, the audience ends up feeling anxiety because of the age difference. It’s all very meta.

It helps that the ensemble of young actors that surround Konkle and Erskine are preternaturally gifted. Many shows with young actors lean into the precociousness of their actors but Pen15 avoids that. Taj Cross, Dylan Gage, and scene stealer Ashlee Grubbs all give mature performances.

One of Pen15‘s greatest strengths has been its nuanced understanding and portrayal of friendship and that continues to be true. At any age, but especially in middle school, there are friendships based in pure love, generosity, and sometimes even a little obsession.

While they make missteps with one another, there’s no denying that Maya and Anna love another and throughout the season, we see how they express and reinforce that love for one another.

On Pen15 Season 2 Episode 3 “Vendy Wiccany” Maya generously lies that she can’t hear Anna’s parents fighting and on Season 2 Episode 7 “Opening Night” Anna feeds Maya her lines onstage after she’s particularly shaken by Gabe rejecting her kiss.

Because we’ve seen just how deep their love goes, it’s particularly painful when issues between them arise, as they do on Pen15 Season 2 Episode 4, “Three” and Episode 5 “Sleepover.” Girl-on-girl crime is real and I’m convinced that middle school girls mastered gaslighting far before the rest of the world caught on.

Ashlee Grubbs’ Maura is the epitome of this and I found myself overwhelmed with a sick stomach watching her manipulate and cut down Anna and Maya, all under the guise of friendship. Grubbs’ performance is grounded and fearsome.

Let’s also be clear folks: either you had a Maura in your life growing up or you were the Maura growing up. And Pen15 understands that while you may never forget more sentimental things like your first kiss, you will also never forget your Maura.

Episode 5 “Sleepover” is brutal and portrays corrupted group dynamics disturbingly accurately as does Sam’s (Taj Cross) storyline most of the season. The funny, and deeply cruel thing about adolescence is that everyone — everyone — yearns to belong and connect but often in our attempts to do so, we target and isolate others, almost trying to beat someone else to the punch when it comes to rejection.

Sam, Anna, and Maya all get lessons on this, with Maya undergoing a particularly traumatic evening at the hands of her “friends.” In every case, the characters learn more about who they want to be and how they want to operate in the world.

PEN15 — “Opening Night” – Episode 207 — It’s opening night. Hearts are exposed, forcing both Anna and Maya to grow up. Maya Ishii-Peters (Maya Erskine), Gabe (Dylan Gage), shown. (Photo by: Courtesy of Hulu)

Gabe is also trying to understand how he wants to walk in the world. One of the through lines of the seven episodes is Gabe’s struggle with his identity. First, it seems as though he merely misses his friendship with Sam, but it slowly becomes clear that there are larger things at play and that in fact, he may be gay.

Other shows may have had Gabe come to a big revelation and confession by the end of season, but Pen15 represents a different time and presents a slower build. It’s clear Gabe is struggling with the idea that he may be gay and how that will be received by his friends but I appreciate that the show is allowing time for him to process.

Gage’s performance as Gabe is subtle and nuanced. His ability to shift his body language when he’s with Maya or in any situation where he’s seemingly stifling himself compared to when he feels at ease (read: talking about weezels) is impressive.

The absolute highlight of the season, however, is Anna Konkle as Anna. Of the two main characters, Maya is often the showier one but there’s no doubt that these episodes are a love letter to Anna’s own growth and development.

Kone’s ability to portray Anna’s pain as she buckles under the pressure of her parents’ divorce is devastating. As she wishes desperately for them to get back together, she’s never seemed more youthful or naive but her capacity for anger, which she directs at her mother, illustrates the complexity of the emotions Anna’s capable of feeling now that she’s a teenager.

Konkle plays these beats so well and the most poignant moments of the season thus far are, in fact, hers. On Pen15 Season 2 Episode 7 “Opening Night” Anna faces her own cruelty towards her mother, mostly likely rooted in sexism and some of her own self-hatred, and struggles with realizations about her father.

Even though she hasn’t gotten her period, she’s already reached one of the turning points of growing up: seeing her parents as people.

While plenty of Anna’s journey on this group of episodes is mired in sadness and discomfort, her transition into a stage manager/techie is beautiful to watch, giving her a boost of confidence and self worth she’s clearly been lacking (I can also attest that as a former high school techie myself, this portrayal is hilariously accurate. I have been read to filth).

It doesn’t seem coincidental that Anna’s moment of triumph on opening night is followed by her recognition that how she’s treated her mother over the last months is wrong. When you hate yourself less, you don’t need to lash out at others as much, particularly the person who’s the closest reflection of you: your mother.

If there’s anything to complain about this season — and really, it’s a stretch — it’s that I would have loved to see more of Sam (Taj Cross). While boys experience adolescence very differently than girls do, Sam’s been a compelling character to watch.

He’s filled with decency but not without his own transgressions. Seeing middle school through his eyes is always a highlight and a much-needed perspective.

After his apology and awkward flirting with Maya on the last episode of Part 1, it’s hard to not to root for those two to work through their issues and get together. I anticipate that some of that story awaits us in the latter half of Season 2 but I’m impatient and I want it now!

Overall, Pen15 Season 2 Part 1 is a triumph. It digs deeper and reminds us of the emotional beats of middle school that still affect us today: the yearn to connect and fit in, the desire to feel seen and chosen, and to be comfortable in our bodies and as ourselves.

While we’re all a long way from braces and pool parties, middle school informs so much about how we interact with the world and view ourselves.

Pen15‘s uncanny ability to make connections between our adult and teenage selves and portray middle school in a way that feels honest sets it apart from anything else airing today.

What did you think of the first part of Season 2 of Pen15? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Pen15 is currently available to stream on Hulu.

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