Just trying to explain “Pen15” to someone is probably going to lead to some confused looks. Even though it’s one of the best comedies currently on TV, the premise is ludicrous and has no right to be as great as it is. Thankfully, enough people watched Season 1 to allow for another season, which is now coming to Hulu in September.
As seen in the teaser for Season 2, “Pen15” hasn’t changed much in the year between seasons. The show still stars Anna Konkle and Maya Erskine (grown adults) as 13-year-old outcasts enduring middle school. And as you might find in other coming-of-age stories, the girls enter a period of awkwardness that many adults want to forget, as they deal with trying to fit in while also dealing with the raging hormones inside. But again, you can’t forget that even though the premise sounds familiar, the fact that the two leads are clearly adults acting opposite children is truly bizarre but also genius.
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Even though they tower over their co-stars and clearly look older than 13, the hair, makeup, and costumes that Konkle and Erskine don for their series are so on point that it allows the audience to sit back and almost forget the absurdity of the premise. And when that happens, you begin to see just how hilarious and heart-felt the performances are in the series. The real-life friends have a chemistry that is undeniable and allows them to play off each other in ways that teen actors wouldn’t be able to. No matter how silly it might look on screen, you can’t deny just how true the bond is between the leads.
That is to say, everyone needs to watch Season 2 of “Pen15” when it arrives on Hulu on September 18.
Here’s the synopsis for the series:
Pen15 is middle school as it really happened in the year 2000. Anna Konkle and Maya Erskine play versions of themselves as thirteen year old outcasts, surrounded by actual thirteen year olds.
