Awkward - Season 3

"Awkward" provides a fresh voice for teenage girls outside MTV's normal pregnancy, sex-obsessed, binge-drinking reality shows. It has helped herald in a suite of original programming that is shocking both in its poignancy and entertainment value.

The third season of this smart snarky series is no different. It brings interesting character choices, new cast members, and everything you loved about the earlier seasons of the show.

The third season explores how quickly we can change in high school. Jenna Hamilton (Ashley Rickards) is no longer the timid outsider. She finds a writing class that pushes her to explore her voice and who she is. Her writing teacher Mr. Hart (Anthony Michael Hall) forces her to confront some of life's larger questions. One of these questions appears as Collin, played by Nolan Gerard Funk, who is best known as Lindsay Lohan's leading man in "The Canyons."

The special features are mostly a collection of MTV's comprehensive web materials. There are webisodes featuring the secondary characters of the show. Most of the features are webisodes/viral videos that tie into elements of the show. "It Gets Moderately Better" is a PSA the students struggle to make to help teens deal with stress. There are also mock campaign videos for the huge student council election, audition tapes for a high school themed reality show, and behind-the-scenes featurettes including conversations with Guest Music Supervisors Tegan and Sara, whom you should know because they are major lesbian music celebrities and they sing the "Orange is the New Black" theme song. It's also fun to see the actors outside of character as they give insight into their experience making what feels like such an authentic high school experience.

"Awkward" continues to explore new layers of what it means to be a teenager. It doesn't dumb down teenagers, which ironically MTV's reality shows manage to do. The bonus features are fairly comprehensive considering how social media savvy the showrunners are. It's definitely worth checking out because not only is the show entertaining, but also there's more with the cast and characters.

"Awkward: The Complete Third Season"
DVD
$26.99
www.mtv.com/shows/awkward