PEN15

:

Season 2
  • Network: HULU
  • Series Premiere Date: Feb 8, 2019
Season #: 2.5, 2, 1
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 36 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 36
  3. Negative: 7 out of 36
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User Reviews

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  1. RGIV
    Sep 20, 2020
    10
    Absolutely loved the first series and couldn’t wait for this. It somehow managed to exceed my very high expectations. Binged it in one go!
  2. truerock
    Nov 23, 2020
    7
    Trying to remember what it was like when I was 13 was too difficult. I had to look at home-movies of my kids when they were 13 in 1998 2000 and 2002 to get a better feel of what it was like to be a young teen in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
    My experience as a 13 year old in the 1960's was more similar to PENU15 where things were not highly controlled by the parents.
    But, in the late    Trying to remember what it was like when I was 13 was too difficult. I had to look at home-movies of my kids when they were 13 in 1998 2000 and 2002 to get a better feel of what it was like to be a young teen in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
    My experience as a 13 year old in the 1960's was more similar to PENU15 where things were not highly controlled by the parents.
    But, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, school and church dances were highly controlled by the mothers and youth sports were highly controlled by the fathers (and some mothers in girls sports).
    I don't feel PEN15 represents accurately what was going on in 2000 for most 13 year olds.
    But, sure - I imagine a lot of 13 year old kids had experiences similar to PEN15.
    Likewise, I'm thinking the Maya character was too over the top to be anywhere close to realistic.
    So, there is nothing wrong with a series like PEN15 not being extremely realistic. Regardless, my feeling is that the Maya character should have been written, directed and acted in a more realistic way and the other casting could of also have been more realistic. Maya's older brother Shuji (played by Dallas Liu) was a more realistic, better written, directed and acted character and I felt more interesting to watch.
    If there is a 3rd season of PEN15, I hope the Maya character is re-written and re-formulated into something better. I've seen Maya in interviews and her natural personality would be closer to what the Maya character should be - in my opinion.
    I will say that I thought the Anna Kone (played by Anna Konkle) was stronger in season 2 - so, I upped my rating of 6 for season 1 to 7 for season 2.    … Expand
  3. jonsauce
    Sep 19, 2020
    10
    I laughed a lot. There are some "slow" moments, but they serve as much needed downtime from laughing during the constant stream of crazy and hilarious scenes.
    These ladies touch on some deep subjects and I found their openness quite brave.
  4. JeBjBo
    Dec 14, 2022
    8
    Season two is as good as season one, perfectly combining comedy and drama once again.
  5. geewah
    Jul 5, 2021
    7
    Follows in the same vein as the first season.
    A show that has an amazing ability to bring up those uncomfortable and awkward moments of growing up and putting a hilarious, weird bent on it all.

Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best TV Season of 2020
87
#87 Most Discussed TV Season of 2020
30
#30 Most Shared TV Season of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. Salon
    Reviewed by: Melanie McFarland
    Sep 21, 2020
    90
    Middle school can be hell for a lot of reasons, but the way Season 2 digs into its saddest side — by tuning in to the background noise previously overpowered by the loud love song of friendship — brings out new shading in a show that was already unique.
    Read full review
  2. IndieWire
    Reviewed by: Ben Travers
    Sep 18, 2020
    91
    Pen15” is a convincing and grand portrayal of friendship.
    Read full review
  3. Vox.com
    Reviewed by: Allegra Frank
    Sep 18, 2020
    100
    Its second season (the first seven episodes of which are newly streaming on Hulu) evolves beyond that pretense and looks inward at Maya and Anna. The show becomes more concerned with how strong the bond of friendship can be between young girls, especially as they experience complications on top of what’s already a complicated time of life. And it makes for beautifully relatable stuff, particularly thanks to the show’s increased focus on how puberty strains Maya and Anna’s friendship.
    Read full review
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