PEN15 harnesses the power of witchcraft in the face of adolescent anxiety – SYFY WIRE

Trying to maintain any semblance of control during adolescence can feel impossible. Your body is changing, raging hormones dictate every mood,and relationship dynamics enter uncharted territory. The pendulum swingingbetween childhood and adulthood can make a person feel powerless, which is why supernaturally charged figures are so enticing during this period.

In the past, the threat of teenage sexuality and the fear of witches haveoverlapped.Movies likeThe Witch, Picnic at Hanging Rock, and The Fallingportraysociety responding to theso-called dissolution of innocencewith terror and persecution. The relationship between teen girls seeking power from Mother Nature isnt confined to period dramas and horror, nor is it bound toTV shows and movies with a strong magicaltheme like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Craft. In its recently released second season,Hulu traumedy PEN15 embraces the notion of secret powers,highlightingwhy witchcraft is so alluring at this age no matter the genre.

Spoilers for Season 2 of PEN15 ahead

PEN15 depicts the emotional and relatable middle school minefield with a unique twist, whichsees 30-something co-creators Anna Konkle and Maya Erskine playing 13-year-old versions of themselves. Sure, audiences are used to non-teens playing younger characters, but the rest of the middle school cast is played by adolescent actors. Capturing the hilarity and horror of this awkward period, the myriad of anxiety-inducing aspects of being 13 are illustratedin all their cringe-inducing glory.

Season 1 culminated in Annas parents announcing their separation, Mayas first period, and aschool dance second-base milestone. Kicking off two days after the dance, Maya and Anna are caught between wanting their over-the-shirt antics to be confirmed and the perils ofteen sexualitydouble standards. Instead of becoming Brandts (Jonah Beres) girlfriend, Maya is ignored and subjected to cruel nicknames and rumors. The pair is used to outcast status, but this rocky landscape is becoming unbearable. It isn't much better at home for Anna;herparents are living under a divided roof in a misguided attempt atbeing responsible. Unfortunately, itgives their daughter false hope while alsosticking herin the middle of anemotionally fraught war zone.

The third episode, "Vendy Wiccany"opens withthe BFFswatching an episode ofAre You Afraid of the Dark? (The Tale of the Dollmaker for anyone interested).Anna purposely scaresMaya, but the true nightmare lingers in another part of thehouse. Raised voices can be heard over the creepy doll conversation on the television. Crawling toward the danger, Anna and Maya peek into the room her parents are fighting in. Something smashes causing Maya to grab her bestie'shand before fleeing the house.

Running as fast as they can, this whole sequence is shot like a scary movie. This flight for freedom has the marker of a Final Girl sprint, but the mood is broken when they collapse in laughter in the nearby wood. To distract from the trauma of parental discord, Maya claims leprechauns are lingering nearby. At 13, the notion of play and make-believe are being edged out by more adult interests Mayas Sylvanian Family toys still have a role in her active imagination but the creative fantasy world has not been banished yet. Mischievous Irish folklore shifts toward other magic-infused observations including the claim that Mayas visible breath is dragon smoke. When Anna finds a business card bearing the name Wendy Rochelle Viccany shoved into the tree trunk she has climbed, it is not surprising when the conversation shifts to witchcraft.Witches are ideal teen fodder whether at sleepovers or hanging out with your BFF.

Rather than real estate as Wendys card reads, the girls believe she is Mother Witch and her name is actually Vendy Wiccany. Anna suggests this aliasis a nodto howGermans pronounce a v as a w the name changes on the card before our very eyes.Giddily saying hi to the wind, Maya claimsthey can use her power to ask for anything we want and the pair start yelling out wishes to the empty wood. The incantation chanting is a preview to the spell casting later in the episode when they fully embrace their gifts from Mother Nature.

For now, their wishesrange from material desires like no body hair, white jeans, more money, and a bigger house to emotionally charged demands such as Maya wanting her touring musician dad to come home and Anna longing for her first period. Anna finishes off with a pageant answer by asking for peace everywhere, but it is her second comment that pinpoints her deepest desire and anxiety. I wish I wasnt a problem, she releases into the world in a bid to solve her parental heartbreak.

It is pretty common for a child stuck between warring parents to blame themselves, even if this is something far beyond the scope of reality. When Mayas dad comes home from tour early that night, it suggests they haveharnessed the power of Mother Witch. Anna believes she can get put a spell on her parents to make them fall in love again, whichis she thinks is confirmed when she hears her dad sneaking into her moms room in the middle of the night arare case of not beinggrossed out by parental sex. Shetakes this nocturnal encounteras a sign her powers are legitimate and embraces her Wiccan self.

Growing up is a lesson in finding out that control isfleeting,so Anna thinks they have to strike while the witchy iron is hot. You might only have a limited amount of energy, you have to choose carefully, she tells her friend as she thoughtlessly castsspells at mean boys. Annahas made a spellbook a collage of images and printouts in theW section of an encyclopedia that will aid the ritual. Both opt for crush-solving magic, Anna wants to get over Alex (because she doesn't want to make the same mistakes as her parents) and Maya thinks she can win Brandt over with a love spell. If the latter happens, the name-calling and rumor spreading will stop.She will be popular.

Dressing the part in heavy eyeliner, chokers, and layered skirts, the girls show off their new skillset via their on-point outfits. Gathering the necessary ingredients including herbs, hair,and clothing items, Maya even makes a Brandt doll (using real hair) to add to his likeness. Tipping into an obsessive territory, Maya's behavior reaches a boiling pointwhen she sees her crush post-ritual. After the girls have been disciplined for the greenhouse incantationdisplay when they maybe leaned too hard into the occult role play chanting "Vendy Rochelle Wiccany"Maya wants to see if it worked. Brandt is blunt, "Just get away from me!I don't like you, you're ugly!"It is a heartbreaking moment, shattering the belief that secret powerswill solve her outcast status.

Despite pleading the make-believe angle, Anna's parents are still aghast at their daughter's recent behavior. She uses this opportunity to explain that she wants them to stay married andshe knows they slept together. Instead of pushing her parents back together, it makes her mom realize how unhealthy the divided house is. Lashing out, Anna calls her mother a "Monica" referencing Lewinsky in a below-the-belt moment that absolves her father of participating, while slut-shaming her mom.

When they meet later that night in the clearing where they first discovered Mother Witch, Anna has found a spell to make them disappear. "I never did exist" she utters,claiming the pain is vanishingalong with her body. Begging her to stay, Maya exclaims they are each other's family and they "will be together forever." Magic doesn't let them bypass the obstacles or challenges that are seemingly stacking up, but it does providetemporary comfort and a semblance of control in a tumultuous world.

IfThe Baby-Sitters Clubpresented the tween journey from fearing witches to revering them while reminding the audience of all ages that the word "witch" has been weaponized against women who don't conform then this episode of PEN15 feels like a natural sequelemphasizingwitchy adolescent appeal.Maya and Anna are the outcasts that match the Baby-Sitters Club description of women that have been called a witch. It doesn't matter if the magic isn't real, to believe you are in commandamid the chaos is reassuring. While neither spell has the desired outcome, the real gift from Mother Nature in that wood is the reminder that this coven of two draws strength from each other and nothing is more powerful than that.

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PEN15 harnesses the power of witchcraft in the face of adolescent anxiety - SYFY WIRE

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero