Hulu's acclaimed series PEN15 pulls back the curtain on what the seventh grade is really like for two girls trying to stand out as rainbow gel pens in a sea of blue and black ballpoints. Adding to the hilarious teen comedy, creators Anna Konkle and Maya Erskine portray fictionalized versions of their 13-year-old selves in the year 2000 — although both women are actually in their thirties. The rest of the cast, by contrast, is played by real-life adolescents.
Filled with laughs, lots of uncomfortable firsts, and of course, teen drama, PEN15 is a mixed bag of likable characters and ones who you'd never want to sit with at lunch — as if they'd even let you.
10 Becca
Typical mean girl Becca finds herself in the middle of everyone's business, but she especially has it out for Maya and Anna. Maya gets the brunt of Becca's wickedness in many episodes, including the pilot when she joins in on a prank against Maya with Brandt and Justin. They let Maya believe both boys are in love with her when in truth, neither of them actually are.
In a hard-hitting episode, Becca even lobs racial slurs and stereotypes at Maya during a school project the girls are working on. She forces Maya to be Scary Spice simply because both women are people of color, even though Maya has asked to be a different Spice Girl. This leaves Maya confused and heartbroken, and fans furious with Becca.
9 Heather
Heather, although a standard popular girl, still has her endearing qualities. She show her kinder side to Anna when her parents are going through a painful and nasty divorce, which Heather has also experienced.
But when she's not showing a little bit of compassion, Heather is pushy, entitled, and downright conceited. She immediately turns her back on Anna when Anna tries to dance with her on-again, off-again ex-boyfriend, Alex. This shows fans just how little Heather cares about those who are not in her inner circle.
8 Kathy
Anna's mom Kathy may not have the most screentime in the series, but she plays a big role in Anna's home life and how she navigates seventh grade. This is hard enough for Anna, but add in quarreling parents and divorce, and it's a cocktail of complicated emotions.
As she is constantly arguing and picking fights with her husband in front of Anna, setting the stage for a divorce, Kathy is a hard character to watch. She even walks out of a concert during Anna's solo which cements her as an unlikable character for all fans.
7 Jenna
While she comes in late to the first season and doesn't have a large role, Jenna is immediately an unlikable character for both fans and characters — particularly Maya. Jenna's chipper personality clashes with Maya's sarcastic teen attitude, adding depth and dimension to both characters.
Then there's Jenna's cringe-worthy attempts at flirting with Sam in front of Maya every chance she gets. Jenna is always around, taking Sam further away from Maya and crushing fans' hopes of them ending up together.
6 Alex
Even as a boy of few words, Alex is still not a super likable character. He brushes off Anna on several occasions with not a bored, indifferent expression instead of telling her why he's not interested in her. Alex even snickers at Anna's brave attempt to dance with him at the school dance and logs off of AIM as soon as he finds out he's talking to her.
Alex is the typical cool kid that ends up with the popular girl in the end, adding to his clichéd existence and overall unlikable demeanor.
5 Brandt
In stereotypical seventh-grader fashion, Brandt plays pranks on Maya, makes fun of her, and eventually professes his love to her in a not so steamy closet scene. He's not the least likable, but he's still got a lot of growing up to do.
Brandt is quirky and entertaining, blending in well with his fellow classmates, but his lack of filter and sensitivity can get him into trouble at times. This makes him a character fans can enjoy while relieved they don't have to go through their own seventh grade coming-of-age experiences all over again.
4 Brendan
Brendan, Anna's love interest and very first boyfriend, has a lot of likable qualities. He's quirky, polite to both Anna and Maya, and has a dry sense of humor throughout the series. Brendan is awkward and not a great kisser in any sense of the word, which makes his scenes with Anna even more hilarious to watch. Also, as a thirteen-year-old, it's not like he has a ton of experience, so give the kid a break.
Even the way he breaks up with Anna is relatable for seventh grade and adult audiences everywhere. While Brendan is off-putting and rude when speaking to his mom in a later episode, he's still a likable guy that fans can root for.
3 Anna
In a particularly hysterical scene, during a night of R-rated movies, Brendan meets Anna in the hall to exchange their first kiss as boyfriend and girlfriend. It's hard to say whether this sloppy liplock is more unpleasant for Anna or the audience. But while it's beyond cringey, the scene leaves fans reminiscing about their own first kiss fails and sympathizing with Anna. This makes her an even more likable and relatable character.
While Anna has some hilarious dialogue and interactions, which make her likable in a lot of ways, she has her negative moments. This is most glaring in the "Posh" episode when she performs a tone-deaf public sketch about racism that humiliates Maya, when she should have just listened to her friend.
2 Sam
PEN15 wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable without the typical boy-next-door, Sam. He keeps both Maya and Anna grounded, and his sarcastic one-liners are hilarious. His kind nature and relatable late-night AIM chats make him a likable character right off the bat while also setting him up for heartbreak as he keeps his crush on Maya a secret.
When he came clean to Maya at the dance about him being the guy she was talking to on AIM, fans' hearts shattered his face fall when Maya didn't feel the same way. This cemented Sam as a loveable character for fans to root for in the coming seasons.
1 Maya
Maya is put through the seventh grade ringer, experiencing bullying, racism, jealousy, a hilariously horrible bowl haircut, getting her period, and even getting catfished by an AIM user with the screen name, Flymiamibro22. She experiences a lot throughout season 1, from exploring her body during a sexual awakening to even professing her love to Brandt after letting him get to second base with both her and Anna.
In addition to her side-splitting lines and memorable scenes, Maya is a relatable, sarcastic, and all-around likable character to watch. She hits on all the nostalgic points of seventh grade, charming every fan along the way.
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November 01, 2020 at 05:30AM
