PEN15
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It joins female sexuality, race, class, and whether thrift shopping is cool or not.
Like Anna, I got in trouble for laughing at a grandparents funeral.
And it was while reading those comics that I got in trouble for letting out a hardy har-har.
Its not like I didnt love my grandfather, but I couldnt sustain the long-form performative sadness of mourning.
Grammy is an Anna-centric episode juxtaposed against the double dose of Maya we got in the previous two episodes.
Poor Anna is trapped in a caregiver role she lacks the capacity to fulfill.
With Grammy home, Kathy abandons Anna to hang out with her friends.
It was nice to get some unsympathetic Kathy in this episode.
Anna is still growing up too fast.
Meanwhile, Maya gets diagnosed with ADD and Irlen Syndrome.
feint, like a youth pastor trying to compare a TikTok sound to Jesus Christ.Bing bong!
Bang!ensemble player.
Anna and Grammy really only spend one day together, which is supposed to include a Blockbuster run.
Instead, Maya and Anna are trapped with Grammy and her demands for sherry and hair appointments.
There it is, there it is.
Anna is scared the rest of her childhood will be spent in servitude to Grammy, but dont worry!
(And did Grammy have to die that night?
Felt a little contrived.
Would a time jump have been so hard?)
When Grammy dies, it seems to come as a relief to Kathy and Anna.
Notably, Kathy doesnt give Anna even a little bit of shit about laughing during her eulogy.
Maybe she shares the I should care more feelings of ambivalence that her daughter can actually express.
However, it is disappointing not to see Annas atheistic dread make a reappearance when confronted with death.
If theres one criticism to have againstPEN15,its how episodic the show can feel.
On the other hand, sometimes events on the show can feel really disjointed.
Maybe shes too horny with Steve in the picture to be scared of death.
Speaking of, Steve is still hiding from Kathy.
But he introduces himself to Curtis at the funeral, making a big show of shaking his hand.
Its dumb/cute as hell.
Right now, I like Steve, but he is on the thinnest of ice.
And Derrick, the friend he brings for Maya, isnt doing him any favors.
In some ways, Bill Kottkamp is a perfect addition to thePEN15family.
Hes sweet, dopey, and kind of annoying just like literally everyone else on the show.
But his facial hair is too fully grown; its fourth-wall-breaking.
Derrick is stuck with Maya in one of those classic pair the spares moments.
Who hasnt been the victim of one of these?
Derrick is far more interested in Mayas meds than he is in her as a person.
When she asks if he wants to be boyfriend and girlfriend, he replies, Your glasses are weird.
Time to watch these two trains utterly wreck themselves, I guess.
